Adam's song writing...

Iron Butterfly wrote:
It amazes me in this day and age, people like Sam Smith and Adele make it...and have made such a splash in the music world. To me, they don't rely on gimmcks, tits and ass to do the talking for them.
I like some pop artists of today, Lady GaGa has proved also what she can do, and I think she's original in her music. She's the one breaking barriers these last few years with her music, style and career.

Smith and Adele are what the music industry is looking for: artists, who can sing and are likable. They are mainstream. Their songs aren’t too deep, but speak to most people.
They are also from Britain. To make it worldwide, they need to break through the British music market first. Did they do that, they get automatically played everywhere else.

Lambert is from the US. A guy, who isn’t mainstream, who tends to wear make-up and freely talks (and sometimes sings ) about his sexuality when asked, is not, what that industry is looking for. Since he decided to live out, loud and proud, before he had mainstream success, his career never took off. And never will - not in the current US. Not even the best songwriters in the world will change that.

Lady GaGa often faces similar disapproval. But she already has a big name.

Too much touring is overrated. What happened to a new album every year?

I listened to that album by Adam from 2005... real
Instruments! If he had continued in that direction, it would have been better. Too much generic dance music these days.

My Chemical Romance were epic and hit the charts. MySpace helped them tremendously!

Touring is where the money lies. With music sales declining more and more (physical and even digital), artists only make real money through touring. Without a big enough tour, an album often can’t even make its expenses. Only the absolute biggest artist make money through releasing albums.

A reason, why the music market is in a really bad place. And why Brian and Roger don’t even consider making a new one, I‘m sure.

Sealion wrote:

Iron Butterfly wrote:
It amazes me in this day and age, people like Sam Smith and Adele make it...and have made such a splash in the music world. To me, they don't rely on gimmcks, tits and ass to do the talking for them.
I like some pop artists of today, Lady GaGa has proved also what she can do, and I think she's original in her music. She's the one breaking barriers these last few years with her music, style and career.

Smith and Adele are what the music industry is looking for: artists, who can sing and are likable. They are mainstream. Their songs aren’t too deep, but speak to most people.
They are also from Britain. To make it worldwide, they need to break through the British music market first. Did they do that, they get automatically played everywhere else.

Lambert is from the US. A guy, who isn’t mainstream, who tends to wear make-up and freely talks (and sometimes sings ) about his sexuality when asked, is not, what that industry is looking for. Since he decided to live out, loud and proud, before he had mainstream success, his career never took off. And never will - not in the current US. Not even the best songwriters in the world will change that.

Lady GaGa often faces similar disapproval. But she already has a big name.

I think a good chunk of Sam's and Adele is deep. It's personal, and heartfelt, IMO. Not just singing for the sake of it, if that makes sense.
I don't think AL being from the US, not being mainstream etc, has held him back. IMO. He isn't helping himself by spending more time with Brian and Roger touring. That's what is holding him back now, I think.
I'm not saying you are making excuses for him in your post here, but very read quite a few excuses as to why his career is the way it is...or isn't.

MisterCosmicc wrote:

Too much touring is overrated. What happened to a new album every year?

I listened to that album by Adam from 2005... real
Instruments! If he had continued in that direction, it would have been better. Too much generic dance music these days.

My Chemical Romance were epic and hit the charts. MySpace helped them tremendously!

That link I posted is about album sales and how they're dying out due to streaming etc. Not sure which album you mean from 2005 he wasn't on the scene until 2009?

Iron Butterfly wrote:

Sealion wrote:

Iron Butterfly wrote:
It amazes me in this day and age, people like Sam Smith and Adele make it...and have made such a splash in the music world. To me, they don't rely on gimmcks, tits and ass to do the talking for them.
I like some pop artists of today, Lady GaGa has proved also what she can do, and I think she's original in her music. She's the one breaking barriers these last few years with her music, style and career.

Smith and Adele are what the music industry is looking for: artists, who can sing and are likable. They are mainstream. Their songs aren’t too deep, but speak to most people.
They are also from Britain. To make it worldwide, they need to break through the British music market first. Did they do that, they get automatically played everywhere else.

Lambert is from the US. A guy, who isn’t mainstream, who tends to wear make-up and freely talks (and sometimes sings ) about his sexuality when asked, is not, what that industry is looking for. Since he decided to live out, loud and proud, before he had mainstream success, his career never took off. And never will - not in the current US. Not even the best songwriters in the world will change that.

Lady GaGa often faces similar disapproval. But she already has a big name.

I think a good chunk of Sam's and Adele is deep. It's personal, and heartfelt, IMO. Not just singing for the sake of it, if that makes sense.
I don't think AL being from the US, not being mainstream etc, has held him back. IMO. He isn't helping himself by spending more time with Brian and Roger touring. That's what is holding him back now, I think.
I'm not saying you are making excuses for him in your post here, but very read quite a few excuses as to why his career is the way it is...or isn't.

Why should I find excuses for Lambert? I don’t care enough about his solo career, sorry.
If it’s not true: Tell me just one worldwide mainstream male artist from the US, who lives or lived his life openly, loud and proud as a gay artist. Then I stand corrected.

I don’t think, AL‘s collaboration with B&R holds his solo career back. It started mainly after he had released 2 albums, right? I think, had he not collaborated with them, his career might have been over by now.

Sealion wrote:


Why should I find excuses for Lambert? I don’t care enough about his solo career, sorry.
If it’s not true: Tell me just one worldwide mainstream male artist from the US, who lives or lived his life openly loud and proud as a gay artist. Then I stand corrected.

I don’t think, AL‘s collaboration with B&R holds his solo career back. It started mainly after he had released 2 albums, right? I think, had he not collaborated with them, his career might have been over by now.

I agree about the collab, it's never stopped him from doing other things, he released his last album in 2015 and still toured with them and solo as well as doing the judging on X Factor Australia in 2016 in between their festival tour. I think he's probably frustrated at whatever's holding things up but other than that he seems happy enough with how everything's going. I doubt his career would have been over, he lost his record company after his second album but was signed a day after announcing the split to another label. Aside from that he'd have got work doing other things anyway and that suits him, he likes diversifying.

Sealion wrote:

Iron Butterfly wrote:

Sealion wrote:

Iron Butterfly wrote:
It amazes me in this day and age, people like Sam Smith and Adele make it...and have made such a splash in the music world. To me, they don't rely on gimmcks, tits and ass to do the talking for them.
I like some pop artists of today, Lady GaGa has proved also what she can do, and I think she's original in her music. She's the one breaking barriers these last few years with her music, style and career.

Smith and Adele are what the music industry is looking for: artists, who can sing and are likable. They are mainstream. Their songs aren’t too deep, but speak to most people.
They are also from Britain. To make it worldwide, they need to break through the British music market first. Did they do that, they get automatically played everywhere else.

Lambert is from the US. A guy, who isn’t mainstream, who tends to wear make-up and freely talks (and sometimes sings ) about his sexuality when asked, is not, what that industry is looking for. Since he decided to live out, loud and proud, before he had mainstream success, his career never took off. And never will - not in the current US. Not even the best songwriters in the world will change that.

Lady GaGa often faces similar disapproval. But she already has a big name.

I think a good chunk of Sam's and Adele is deep. It's personal, and heartfelt, IMO. Not just singing for the sake of it, if that makes sense.
I don't think AL being from the US, not being mainstream etc, has held him back. IMO. He isn't helping himself by spending more time with Brian and Roger touring. That's what is holding him back now, I think.
I'm not saying you are making excuses for him in your post here, but very read quite a few excuses as to why his career is the way it is...or isn't.

Why should I find excuses for Lambert? I don’t care enough about his solo career, sorry.
If it’s not true: Tell me just one worldwide mainstream male artist from the US, who lives or lived his life openly, loud and proud as a gay artist. Then I stand corrected.

I don’t think, AL‘s collaboration with B&R holds his solo career back. It started mainly after he had released 2 albums, right? I think, had he not collaborated with them, his career might have been over by now.

Why must a gay, proud gay artist be from the US?
Troye Sivan checks almost all your boxes, except he wasn't born in the States. Frank Ocean is bisexual although not gay.
It bothers me alot when I read some say that because AL is gay is the reason his career the way it is.
I agree with you...if not for touring with Brian and Roger, his career might be very well over by now. They gave him the biggest break and boost in the last few years than anything else.

MisterCosmicc wrote:

Too much touring is overrated. What happened to a new album every year?

I listened to that album by Adam from 2005... real
Instruments! If he had continued in that direction, it would have been better. Too much generic dance music these days.

My Chemical Romance were epic and hit the charts. MySpace helped them tremendously!

Do you mean the „bastard“ / unofficial album „Beg for Mercy“? He recorded that with his former band „The Citizin Vein“. All songs were written by Monte Pittman and Adam.

Or do you mean his official first album „For your Entertainment“? That album had been put together in a few months with songs written by mostly other artists, who didn’t need these (Lady Gaga, Muse, Pink...).

anadamfan wrote:

Do you mean the „bastard“ / unofficial album „Beg for Mercy“? He recorded that with his former band „The Citizin Vein“. All songs were written by Monte Pittman and Adam.

Bastard album was released in 2011 though even though it was recorded well before he was on Idol.

because he's a C-lebrity.

MisterCosmicc wrote:

... I was just curious on why he doesn't write songs or play an instrument. Anyone with inside-info?

Adam has basic knowledge of playing a piano, a guitar and a bass. There is a picture of him playing one, when he was a teenager. While is brother is said to be a good pianist and everyone else in the family is able to play the piano as well, Adam says, he never had the patience to really learn an instrument, other than his voice.
I know, that Adam is an absolute perfectionist. That means, he will never say he can do it or even play in front of an audience, unless he thinks, it’s good enough. I doubt, that will ever happen. So it’s not clear to his fans, how far his skills are developed. I stick to: very basically.

As for his writing skills: He writes lyrics. He needs collaborators to develop his ideas of the melody. They play the instruments. And usually he discusses the lyrics as well.

The following songs were basically written by him:
- Aftermath ( Album: For your Entertainment)
- Voodoo (FYE)
- Trespassing (album: Trespassing)
- Cuckoo (T)
- Shady (T)
- Kickin‘ in (T)
- Pop that Lock (T)
- Broken English (T)
- Chokehold (T)
- Outlaws of Love (T)
- Runnin‘ (T)
- Take Back (T)
- Nirvana (T)
- The Original High (Album The Original High)

Adam was Executive Producer of his 2nd album Trespassing and wrote most of the songs , albeit in collaboration with different musicians and songwriter friends.

His first album was directly after American Idol and hastily put together. He got to sing songs, that different artists had contributed and given to him. There was no time to write them , because Adam was on tour with the Idol Top 10 at the time.

The Original High was his third album and first with Warner Brother Music as his new label. He had been asked to do an 80s cover album by his first label RCA, which Adam declined. He wanted to do his own music and walked away from RCA.

Adam had already written the song „The Original High“ with a friend. WBM then decided to pair Adam with Max Martin, Shellback and their writer‘s group „The Wolf Cousins“ in Sweden. The head of WBM said back then, that their aim with Adam was to make him a worldwide star. Nothing less. Therefore they decided, that Martin and Shellback were executive producers. They had already produced Adam‘s hit song „Whataya want from me“ from his first album.

Adam then spent 3 months in Sweden, where he did nothing, but write and record songs for the album with Max, Shellback and their Wolf Cousins. They changed the original song „The Original High“ up. A reason, why that song has 7 writers. Its first version had been done by three people in LA and then another 4 put their ideas into it. (I actually loved the first version better...) I also think, that the names of either Shellback or Martin had often been put in, although they had only supervised the writing and recording process.
Most songs of that album came originally from a Wolf Cousin. They write songs, that are then picked up by an artist. So Adam chose songs out of their „catalogue“ and changed them up. Then the musical arrangement had been put together with someone else. That’s why there are often so many writers on one song.
Adam has Writer‘s credits on another 6 songs on the album. How much of the lyrics (or music) he actually wrote, is unclear to me.

As Adam fan I‘m currently waiting for his next album. Two years ago, it was said by WBR, that he would team up with Max Martin again. But that must have changed. It looks like there have been creative differences, that made Adam and WBR split in the end. He disappeared from their homepage half a year ago and

From all I got, Adam will release his new music, when all the label issues are cleared and the contract is up. Should be soon... or not ;)

rockchic65 wrote:

anadamfan wrote:

Do you mean the „bastard“ / unofficial album „Beg for Mercy“? He recorded that with his former band „The Citizin Vein“. All songs were written by Monte Pittman and Adam.

Bastard album was released in 2011 though even though it was recorded well before he was on Idol.

Yes. But that’s the album, that comes to my mind, when I think of real instruments.

anadamfan wrote:

rockchic65 wrote:

anadamfan wrote:

Do you mean the „bastard“ / unofficial album „Beg for Mercy“? He recorded that with his former band „The Citizin Vein“. All songs were written by Monte Pittman and Adam.

Bastard album was released in 2011 though even though it was recorded well before he was on Idol.

Yes. But that’s the album, that comes to my mind, when I think of real instruments.

Yeah but I was querying the 2005 date since he never released any albums before Idol.

Iron Butterfly wrote:

Sealion wrote:

Why should I find excuses for Lambert? I don’t care enough about his solo career, sorry.
If it’s not true: Tell me just one worldwide mainstream male artist from the US, who lives or lived his life openly, loud and proud as a gay artist. Then I stand corrected.

I don’t think, AL‘s collaboration with B&R holds his solo career back. It started mainly after he had released 2 albums, right? I think, had he not collaborated with them, his career might have been over by now.

Why must a gay, proud gay artist be from the US?
Troye Sivan checks almost all your boxes, except he wasn't born in the States. Frank Ocean is bisexual although not gay.
It bothers me alot when I read some say that because AL is gay is the reason his career the way it is.
I agree with you...if not for touring with Brian and Roger, his career might be very well over by now. They gave him the biggest break and boost in the last few years than anything else.

He should have better NOT been from the US in order to become a star.

That‘s fact. I don’t know, why that bothers you. I‘m not from the US, but it’s known and very visible, that gay artists are not widely supported by the American music industry. And ten years ago, when Lambert‘s career started, it has been even worse. They simply didn’t exist. At least not officially.
Frank Ocean might be bisexual, but he isn’t in-the-face gay like AL. He didn’t come out immediately. And he was later than Lambert.
Troye was already successful, when he came to the US AND came on the scene much later. Both of them aren’t big international stars. Ocean more than Sivan though.

Things are changing for the better. Although the current US president and his followers are unfortunately moving backwards. The USA are not close to be as accepting of queer people as many European countries are. I agree with you, that being gay shouldn’t be a matter, when becoming a successful artist (or anything else for that matter.)
But all evidence proves the contrary for US artists. If you don’t see that, I‘m sorry for you.