Adam Lambert, High Drama | Album Review 💿

Grammy-nominated pop/rock artist Adam Lambert delivers an engaging fifth studio album with High Drama, which is comprised entirely of covers.

He deserves to be bigger than he is.  Who, you ask? Why 🏆 Grammy-nominated pop/rock artist, 🎙 Adam Lambert. To this day, it is still disappointing that Glambert failed to win the eighth season of American Idol.  Regardless, he’s been far more successful than the winner, 🎙 Kris Allen, with a far more distinct voice.  With the pipes of a god, Lambert unveils his fifth studio album, 💿 High Drama. While it is difficult to get excited about an album of covers generally, Lambert makes High Drama truly engaging from start to finish.

“Holding Out for a Hero” 

“Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?” That is a legitimate question. Adam Lambert goes on to sing in the first verse of 🤩 🎵 “Holding Out for a Hero”, “Where’s the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?” Of course, Adam is NOT the first to asks these burning questions.  That honor belongs to 🎙 Bonnie Tyler, who recorded this 🎼 ✍ Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford penned record for the Footloose soundtrack in 1984. “Holding Out for a Hero” suits him perfectly. Big-voiced and theatrical, Lambert makes this hit sound like an original. Given his marvelous vocal skills, it is unsurprising that Adam can transform a song originally sung by the opposite sex and make it work perfectly for him.  Furthermore, given the fact that he is openly gay, it works seamlessly that his love interest is male (“It’s gonna take a Superman to sweep me off my feet”). As intriguing as the verses are, it is the anthemic chorus where he shines brightest: “I need a hero / I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night / He’s gotta be strong, and he’s gotta be fast / And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight.” Besides the singing, the production (🎛 Andrew Wells and Charley Bagnall) successfully reintroduces “Holding Out for a Hero” for the 21^st century.  The synths sizzles, while the beat hits hard.

“I’m gonna swing from the chandelier / From the chandelier.” Following the hot start with “Holding Out for a Hero,” Lambert covers the beloved 🎙 Sia hit, 🎵 “Chandelier”.  In Lambert’s hands, “Chandelier” gets more of a rock flare, which suits his powerful vocals.  Much like the original, Adam is his most dynamic and electrifying on the gargantuan chorus.  Had Sia never recorded the 🏆 Grammy-nominated gem, one could have sworn this was a Lambert original. Following a trip to the 80s and the 2010s, Lambert takes us to the 1990s, covering the 🎙 Duran Duran classic, 🤩 🎵 “Ordinary World”.  As always, it is his voice that shines brightest, particularly during the tender verses.  Beyond the verses, the chorus marks another top-notch moment: “But I won’t cry for yesterday / There’s an ordinary world / Somehow I have to find.” Additionally, the production (🎛 George Moore) is stunning, marvelously making this 30-year-old song sound brand-new and fresh to the n^th degree.

“Getting Older” 

From the 1990s, Adam Lambert moves in the 2020s, covering 🎙 Billie Eilish!  Seems like an unlikely match, right? Sort of, but it works out sensationally for Lambert. In his hands, 🎵 “Getting Older” (💿 Happier Than Ever) expectedly gets a far more dynamic interpretation.  He starkly contrasts Eilish’s more subtle rendition while also exhibiting a similar degree of vulnerable.  Another contrast is the rock styling, which perfectly suits Lambert, but sounds vastly different from FINNEAS’ production for his sis.  Bring on the 1970s, as Adam modernizes the oft covered 🎙 Ann Peebles gem, 🤩 🎵 “I Can’t Stand The Rain”. Easily, “I Can’t Stand The Rain” ranks among the best produced songs, exhibiting the soul of the original, while incorporating fresh rock cues.  The biggest selling point continues to be the prodigious pipes of Lambert who absolutely slaughters it.  His instincts are impeccable; he knows when to show poise, pull back, or deliver a knockout punch.  His ad-libs and vocal nuances on “I Can’t Stand The Rain” are some of the best of High Drama.  This ‘dramatic’ take isn’t one I’ll be forgetting any time soon.

Moving from decade to decade, Adam Lambert makes a return trip to the 2010s with 🤩 🎵 “West Coast”.  “West Coast” is a 🎙 Lana Del Rey cover, from her fine 2014 album, 💿 Ultraviolence.  Where Del Rey’s “West Coast” is moodier, with an alternative vibe, Lambert opts for more of an overt, hard rock aesthetic.  This bigger, bold sound matches his theatrical voice and personality.  Noted for his transformations while on the eighth season of American Idol, I have no doubt Adam would’ve received high marks for this ambitious cover.  Another gem from High Drama!  The 80s follow with Lambert channeling his inner 🎙 Boy George (💪) on a cover of the 🎙 Culture Club classic, 🎵 “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”.  Perhaps ‘channel’ isn’t the right word as, like most of the covers gracing High Drama, there is no copycat action.  Once more, Lambert makes this 40-year old song sound brand new with updated production (George Moore, once more), including a distinctly different groove.  Consistency and a sense of innovative spirit continues to be the modus operandi on High Drama.

“Sex on Fire”

🎵 “Sex on Fire” was one of the biggest rock hits of the 2000s. Furthermore, this is one of the biggest and best songs by 🏆 Grammy-winning collective, 🎙 Kings of Leon.  Already a rock song, surely Mr. Lambert plays it straight on this cover. Absolutely not! Adam gives us sickening falsetto on the verses, before ‘bringing it on home’ in truly unforgettable chorus.  Furthermore, the production gets more pop cues compared to the original, hence continuing to bring boldness to High Drama. 🎵 “My Attic” marks another newer cover, hailing from 🎙 P!nk (💿 Hurts 2B Human, 2019).  Fun fact, P!nk served as a songwriter on Lambert’s sole top-10 hit, 🎵 “Whataya Want From Me”. Once more, he impresses with the sheer beauty of his instrument, bringing new life to this hidden gem of sorts.

Adam loses none of his luster on the penultimate record, 🤩 🎵 “I’m a Man”.  Here, Lambert tackles a 🎙 Jobriath gem from 1973. It is fitting that Adam covers this song by the first openly gay rock star signed to a major label. Sadly, Jobriath was overlooked, and it does not require critical thinking to figure out why. Lambert, has made his own history, becoming the first openly gay musician to debut at no. 1 on the Billboard 200. As he characterizes the man portrayed in this song, he sells in superbly, with plenty of, dare I say, high drama.  Speaking of High Drama, Lambert closes out the album sensationally with 🎵 “Mad About The Boy”, another cut where he is unafraid to be true to himself. “Mad About The Boy” is the oldest song to grace the album. Even so, it is easily one of the best, with its sultry, jazzy vibes.  Adding even more punch is the queer, glammy element that Lambert brings to the table.

Final Thoughts 💭 

In all honesty, I have always wished Lambert was bigger what he is.  Yes, he’s been successful, but doesn’t he deserve more? The voice remains his best weapon – truly elite to say the least.  While a covers album like High Drama is unlikely to move the needle, from start to finish, it is a creative, enjoyable, and well-rounded LP.  It takes a special artist to make covers sound fresh.  Adam Lambert easily accomplishes that.

🤩 Gems 💎: 🎵 “Holding Out for a Hero,” “Ordinary World,” “I Can’t Stand The Rain,” “West Coast,” “I’m a Man” & “Mad About The Boy”

🎙 Adam Lambert • 💿 High Drama • 🏷 More is More, LLC / BMG Rights Management (US) LLC • 🗓 2.24.23

[📷: More is More, LLC / BMG Rights Management (US) LLC]