A Letter to Adam Lambert
Dear Adam – You certainly managed to turn the American Music Awards into your coming out PARTAY! While I applaud you for that, I would have done things a little differently. First of all, the song you sang, ‘For Your Entertainment’ is a pretty good one, but no one could tell from the manner in which you screeched your way through it.
Second, a little shock value is good, but too much is just too much. The guys on leashes, the simulated oral sex, the crotch rubbing, the man-on-man kiss (which in and of itself is not that shocking for some of us)… you should have picked one and made the most of it. You would have gotten the same press, but far fewer complaints. Instead, it just felt like one assault after another, shock for the sake of shock – and while I’ve never been one to question such antics (see Madonna, obsession with) you probably would have accomplished more with a performance that focused on the music (especially on a night filled with over-the-top production numbers – even your own little stumble paled in comparison with Jennifer Lopez and her epic ba-dunk-a-dunk-THUD).
That said, you’ve successfully manufactured a pop culture moment, mobilizing the masses (even if it is against you) and put yourself into the infamous/notorious role that you’ve been longing to fill. It just felt a little too manufactured, and I fear you may have shot your wad a little too soon. No one likes an early comer.
For an opening act, it was definitely something to behold, and I’ll check out your album and probably buy a few tracks. But remember this: anyone can make a stunning entrance with enough shock and awe – the real talent is in making it last. If the music’s not there, I’m going to feel like a duped one-night-stand – and believe me, I know that feeling, I do not like it, and I always make the offending party pay.