New Queen Star Adam Lambert: Don’t Stop Me Now

The new year is barely two weeks old, and it has already been a stellar year for Queen star Adam Lambert. The 2009 American Idol star has grabbed 2015 by the throat and given it a real big shake. Lambert smashed his way into the consciousness of UK music fans with a highly acclaimed performance with Queen on the December 31 Big Ben Live New Year show. On New Year’s Day, “Adam Lambert” was the most searched for term on the internet in the UK.

This week, Lambert’s star has risen still higher after performances in Glasgow and Newcastle with Queen were universally praised.

After Wednesday’s show in Glasgow, the Evening Times said, “Queen still know how to put on a show and Adam Lambert is a revelation, dancing, strutting and grinding his way through a note perfect performance that Freddie would have approved of.”

In the wake of this weeks show in Newcastle, the Guardian was full of praise for Lambert.

“[T]his show succeeds because of Adam Lambert, not despite him. The 32-year-old has said he wants to celebrate the flamboyant, camp, gay Mercury rather than replace him, but he definitely has the Freddie factor… the black leathered, bequiffed, nail varnished Lambert is every bit the showman that was Mercury.”

Lambert sipped champagne while singing a camped up “Killer Queen” and donned a leopard skin suit and silver crown for “We Will Rock You.” Like Mercury, Lambert had operatic training, and his incredible vocal range allows him to hit high notes which would normally require the assistance of even tighter trousers.

Despite the praise that has come his way, Lambert insists that he could never replace Freddie Mercury.

Lambert told the Telegraph, “I’m not trying to be Freddie, or compete with Freddie. But I do feel some kinship and I’m seizing this opportunity to try and make his music come to life again.”

Brian May has been equally complimentary about Lambert, describing him as a phenomenon.

“We weren’t looking for another singer but Adam is kind of a gift from God. He has a technical ability beyond 99.9 per cent of singers in the world. You see that and can’t help but think, ‘I wonder what would happen if we opened that box again?”

Later today, Lambert and Queen take to the stage at London’s massive O2 Arena for the first of two shows, and I can’t wait to see how these shows play out.

It isn’t just his performances with Queen that are exciting Lambert’s fans however. Adam told the Express that he has a brand new solo album in the pipeline as part of his new record deal with Warner Music, with a brand new single out in April. Lambert is working with Max Martin and Shelback, who have crafted hits for the likes of Pink, Maroon 5, and Christina Aguilera. Lambert says he is increasingly influenced the UK and European music scene.

Lambert says, “I think people are going to be really surprised, the album feels like a new era for me – emotionally, lyrically, sonically. It feels fresh.”

Yahoo! Music reports that on Thursday of this week, Adam made history by becoming the first contestant to return to American Idol as a guest judge. They called Lambert the “greatest contestant ever to appear on the show.”

We may only be a couple of weeks into 2015, but it already looks like this could be the year that Adam Lambert is indelibly written into the realms of musical legend.