Adam Lambert recently discussed the presence of queer artists in the pop scene during an interview with Them magazine. He appreciated the increase in mainstream songs exploring gay themes and experiences.
The singer also highlighted the backlash against the LGBTQ+ community from certain conservative groups and said:
“The queer community has made so much progress, obviously over the last 15 years, but now we’re facing a lot of weird pushback from right-wing, hyper-conservative parts of our country. That might cause some people to react by taking a step back and being more cautious. But in a way, it almost lights a fire in me. It makes me feel like, ‘Well, f*ck you. I’m going to shine brighter. I’m going to be even gayer.’”
Lambert started taking a more direct approach to queer identity in his music. His new EP, ‘Afters,’ openly referenced gay sex in a song called ‘LUBE’ with the lyrics, ‘Be a real good boy and lube it up.’
The full record is set for release on July 19.
The Backlash He Faced For Being Gay
The LGBTQ+ elements in Adam Lambert’s music caused talks in the media since the start of his career. The singer made headlines by kissing his male bass player onstage while performing ‘For Your Entertainment’ at the 2009 American Music Awards.
The move also got him in trouble with ABC. Lambert told the audience at the Creative Coalition Spotlight Initiative Gala last year:
“I got off stage and I got in trouble. The network was like, ‘How dare you?’ They banned me for a while. They threatened me with a lawsuit. It was like, ‘Oh, okay, that’s where we’re at.’”
The vocalist said he was ‘not going to back down’ from being ‘flamboyant’ and ‘wild’ despite the backlash. He shared the effect of being an openly gay artist on young people in the community:
“Over the past few years, I keep meeting more and more young people that saw me when we were a kid on TV and they’re like… ‘You helped me talk to my parents about being gay.’”
You can check out the Queen vocalist’s interview with Them here.