Adam Lambert - Ghost Town

Last week we got the audio, here's the production video.

Adam Lambert - Ghost Town

Yahoo Music raves:

I have heard the future of pop. It sounds a bit like '90s pop. It also sounds amazing. It is “Ghost Town,” the forthcoming single by Adam Lambert, and true to its title, it is hauntingly catchy. Fitting right into the current pop spectrum alongside Years & Years, Disclosure, and Clean Bandit, the beat-tastic, remix-ready “Ghost Town” alternates between witch-housey minimalism, thumping hard house, and acoustic melancholia. And it’s all laced with some of the most earwormy canned pop whistling since Peter Bjorn & John’s “Young Folks” or Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks.” This is a happy/sad track that works, and werks, on so many levels.

I really like this.

Adam Lambert - Somebody To Love

The Queen + Adam Lambert tour continues through the end of the month. They play Madison Square Garden on the 17th.

Avicii & Adam Lambert - Lay Me Down

Lambert doesn't appear in the clip. Co-written and guitar by Nile Rodgers. 1.1 million views in its first day.

Adam Lambert To Tour With Queen

ABC News reports:

Singer Adam Lambert, who gained fame when he appeared on “American Idol,” will join the classic rock band, Queen, in a North American tour this summer, Lambert and original band members Brian May and Roger Taylor announced today in an appearance on “Good Morning America.” “Queen is one of the quintessential rock bands of all time…they’ve influenced bands for years to come,” Lambert said today in a live appearance on “GMA,” adding that it’s a dream come true “to be able to bring these songs to life on stage” with “rock royalty members.” The legendary British band has performed with Lambert on a number of occasions in recent years, both in the U.S. and overseas, but the band has never actually toured with the former “American Idol” finalist in North America.

Todrick Hall - Spell Block Tango

Openly gay American Idol finalist Todrick Hall, who last year gained viral video fame with his "hood-inspired" Beauty & The Beat, is back with another take on Disney. This time Hall mashes up six Disney villainesses with Cell Block Tango from Chicago.  He writes:

The real Divas of Disney have collaborated with yours truly to give you a very special Halloween gift. Thank you so much to Adam Lambert, Shoshana Bean, Cassie Scerbo, Amber Riley, Blake McGrath, Kimberly Cole and Pia Toscano for lending me your talents. Special thanks to the dancers, Drew Reese, Peter Gill, Chester Lockhart, Davis Rahal, Steven Dehler, Jared North, Hondo Tey, Noelle Boney and Aaron McGuire. And a HUGE thank you to Jean-Yeves a.k.a. Jeeve Ducournet for doing the music, producing and recording. I have always had a strange fascination with the Disney villains' side of the classic fairy tales and now through the music of Chicago you'll get to hear their stories.

Adam Lambert & Chic - Let's Dance

Yesterday on Long Island. For those unaware, Chic's Nile Rodgers produced Let's Dance for David Bowie.

Adam Lambert To Join Glee Cast

(Via Towleroad)

Last Day Of Ali Forney Shred Auction

Today is the last day of the Ali Forney Center's Shred Of Hope online celebrity t-shirt auction, where you can bid on the original creations of Dan Savage, Adam Lambert, Michael Stipe, Bob Mould, Alan Cumming, Andy Cohen, Fred Schneider, and many more.  All proceeds go to help the homeless LGBT youth of New York City.  At this writing the bidding on my own shirt puts me in a respectable sixth third place! Thanks to everybody!

Ali Forney Center Announces Shred Of Hope Celebrity Online T-Shirt Auction

A galaxy of stars have come together to support the Ali Forney Center's Shred Of Hope, an online auction in which you can bid on original t-shirts created by gay celebrities and straight allies. Each of the participants worked with designers at the Manhattan-based fetish wear company Nasty Pig to create one-of-a-kind "shredders," which are sort of not-tank-tops.

Among the participants are activist and author Dan Savage and his husband Terry Miller, Tony winner Alan Cumming, Tony winner Jeff Whitty, Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black, talk show host Andy Cohen, rock star Bob Mould, MSNBC commentator Keith Boykin, Animal Planet host Scott Lope, rocker JD Samson, actress Ally Sheedy, pop superstars Michael Stipe, Adam Lambert and Jake Shears, and many more.

Via press release:

This June 20th trailblazing menswear label Nasty Pig will launch Shred of Hope, a fundraiser for the Ali Forney Center (AFC), the nation’s largest services and advocacy organization working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) runaway and homeless youth.

Shred of Hope is an auction of one-of-a-kind “Shredder” t-shirts created by celebrities. The auction will take place entirely online from June 20th through June 27th at ShredofHope.com. 100% of the proceeds of Shred of Hope will support AFC’s work to protect and empower homeless LGBT youth, and to help them in becoming safe and independent as they move from adolescence to adulthood.

On June 20th Nasty Pig and the Ali Forney Center will host a launch party for Shred of Hope at the iconic Rootstein Gallery in New York City. Nasty Pig models will walk the floor selling opportunities to win one-of-a-kind Shred of Hope items and experiences to benefit the AFC.

VIDEO: Watch this clip featuring Ali Forney Center founder Carl Siciliano to learn more about Shred Of Hope.

NOTE: Somehow yours truly was also invited to participate. While I'm not a rock star or an Oscar winner, I'm going to depend on my faithful flying monkeys to make sure that MY shirt auctions well. The JMG logo is on the back and everybody signed their shirts. The auction starts online on June 20th.

Billboard's 25 Great Gay Musical Moments

Billboard Magazine has published a Buzzfeed-y list of 25 great gay moments in pop music. On the list: the coming out of Frank Ocean and Ricky Martin, Adam Lambert's first #1 album by an out artist, Jay-Z's endorsement of same-sex marriage, and Lady Gaga's campaign for LGBT rights. Sylvester suitably makes the list pretty much just for having been Sylvester.

RELATED: Speaking of Sylvester, you can pre-order the reissue package of his greatest hits right now. Proceeds benefit San Francisco's AIDS Emergency Fund and Project Open Hand.

Adam Lambert & Sam Sparro - Shady

At last night's We Are Family Foundation concert in New York City, Adam Lambert and Sam Sparro debuted a new song they wrote together.

(Tipped by JMG reader Bert)

VH1 Divas: Tribute To Donna Summer

Lauper & Lambert - Mad World

At NYC's Beacon Theater, last night Adam Lambert joined Cyndi Lauper for a duet at the Home For The Holidays concert for Lauper's True Colors Fund, which benefits LGBT homeless youth.

(Tipped by JMG reader Bert)

Adam Lambert Performs For MD Marriage

(Tipped by JMG reader Bert)

Did Chick-Fil-A Franchise Block Adam Lambert From Winning American Idol?

An interesting conspiracy theory has been floated on Yahoo.

While every measurable indicator favored an Adam Lambert victory around the nation, back in Conway, Arkansas Chick-fil-A mounted a campaign to change that outcome. Week after week people gathered to vote at Chick-fil-A sponsored events. It was not just ordinary voting, but power texting with multiple phones and after hour voting with West coast go-phones. Voters were encouraged to vote thousands of times each with free food and prizes. It was an appealing incentive in this sleepy collage town. Keep in mind that they could rack up an impressive number of votes. 10,000 votes from 2,000 people = 20 million votes, 3,000 people = 30 million votes.

There were about 3,000 people at the Vote Party on the night of the final. Allen Kiser attended with his Chick-fil-A cows baring name tags that identified themselves as Vote Party "Staff". For weeks Kiser stuffed his take out sandwich bags with "Vote Party" fliers at his local restaurant, he fed the late night voters free sandwiches, he gave out hundreds of food coupons and Chick-fil-A toy stuffed cows. Kaiser made up gift baskets as prizes for the highest voters and a grand prize of free food for a year. The result was that a very ordinary singer won the contest.

Lambert, of course, got the last laugh, scoring the first #1 Billboard album by an openly gay artist. (Tipped by JMG reader Random Medley)

Adam Lambert - Never Close Our Eyes

Hate Group Reviews Adam Lambert

Focus On The Family's Plugged In site has reviewed Trespassing, the latest release by Adam Lambert that this week became the nation's first-ever #1 Billboard album by an out gay artist. The lengthy, bitter, nasty Focus review concludes:

There are isolated moments in which Adam Lambert tries to delve below the surface, to get past the flesh and into the soul. Mostly, though, he's merely interested in sexual satiation. Several songs hint at his willingness to engage in a risky sexual encounter with someone he's just met. And in this, Lambert perhaps unwittingly reinforces the stereotype historically held about gay men: Namely that they're promiscuous and sexually voracious, ready to indulge a carnal tryst at virtually any moment.

Then, the album's last song, "Outlaws of Love," laments how homosexuals frequently feel judged by others. "We can't change," Lambert sings. "Everywhere we go, we're looking for the sun/Nowhere to grow old, we're always on the run/They say we'll rot in hell, but I don't think we will/They've branded us enough, outlaws of love." But maybe it's Lambert who brands himself here. Brands himself as lascivious. Brands himself as masochistic. Brands himself as "crazy." Brands himself as "shady."

Purchase Lambert's new album. (Tipped by JMG reader Rod)

Adam Lambert Becomes Nation's First Out Performer With #1 Billboard Pop Album

Gay performers have had numerous #1 albums, of course, but none of them hit the top spot again after they came out. Billboard has the numbers:

For the first time, one "American Idol" replaces another at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart as Adam Lambert's "Trespassing" debuts atop the list with 77,000 sold according to Nielsen SoundScan. His arrival bumps last week's leader, Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away," down to No. 3 (54,000; down 55%). Lambert is the seventh "American Idol" finalist to reach No. 1, following Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Underwood, Chris Daughtry (of Daughtry) and Scotty McCreery.

RELATED: Last month I chatted with Lambert at an industry meet-and-greet to support the new album. Nice guy, chatty, and not a hint of rock star 'tude.

Adam Lambert To Front Queen?

Speculation began last year and now there might be some news, if you believe one British tabloid.

Freddie Mercury’s place will be taken by Adam Lambert, the American Idol winner. He wowed fans by singing with original members Brian May and Roger Taylor at MTV’s EMAs in Belfast last November. Adam told me he can’t wait to sing with guitarist Brian, 64, and drummer Roger, 62. The flamboyant 30-year-old revealed: “The intention is to pay tribute to Freddie and the band by singing some fuckingg great songs. It’s to keep the music alive for the fans and give it an energy that Freddie would have been proud of.” Sonisphere’s line-up, which also includes metal veterans Faith No More, tours Europe before hitting Knebworth on July 6-8, scene of Queen’s final gig with Freddie in 1986. Adam enthused: “After the EMAs, I heard faint little slithers of a backlash from people saying: ‘You can’t replace Freddie Mercury.’ But I already knew that. “There’s no intention in my mind of replacing Freddie. That’s impossible. “The way I’m choosing to view it is that it’s a great honour and one I’m in no way going to shirk.”

One suspicious mistake in the linked source is that Lambert did not win American Idol, he was runner-up. So we'll see....