One last wish
by Juneau
We all know Adam has a superpower. And nothing has been more frustrating than to see him shunt it aside in pursuit of glittery baubles that are not in his wheelhouse. Back in the primoridal times, we suspect that Adam got the notion that to succeed commercially in music, you needed to own the copyright. So he decided he needed to be a singer-songwriter. Now, we applaud and support everyone in following their creative muse! But when someone has an ultra-rare gift—one that he himself admits makes him feel most alive—and squanders it, we would like to have a few words…
Adam, your superpower is your emotional intelligence married to your voice. Your vocal vibrations resonate with our heartstrings. Your empathy, your longing, your pain, borne upon the vessel of your voice, literally penetrates our flesh and liberates a potent elixer of serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Your voice delivers desire, tears, joy, catharsis. When coupled with the right music, there’s nothing else like it. Why do you think you captured the world’s attention on American Idol? Why does the media go crazy every time you cover a song during one of your shows? What are you doing with Queen if not reviving the band’s incredible music?
So yes, you should do covers. Not just do them. Embrace them. There are libraries full of great music, and they need an artist who can lift them off the dusty page and make them live again. There’s nothing second-rate about being a “cover artist.” Here are a few not-too-shabby role models:
Frank Sinatra
Elvis Presley
Aretha Franklin
Linda Ronstadt
Celine Dion
KD Lang
Luciano Pavarotti
Yoyo Ma
All iconic. Please Adam, recruit a world-class backing band with whom music-making will be sheer joy. People will pour into arenas to hear you (although more intimate venues – think Carnegie hall – would be perfect). Your recordings will go multiplatinum. You too will be iconic.
Last wish, and then I (Juneau) will shut up. Please consider recording an album of the greatest diva ballads. Most have been popularized by great female artists. You would bring something compelling and fresh to these songs. Something androgynous and universal. Your luxuriant, smokey baritone, your tender falsetto, your spine-tingling high notes and rock wails—you can bring it all to move new generations and especially those who have been left out of the old frame.
I’ve started a list. It’s not all diva hits; there are some other favorites I just couldn’t resist including. Dear readers, please nominate your favorite diva ballads. Or other genres that would sound awesome if Adam were to balladize them…
Believe (of course)
I will always love you
Can’t help falling in love
Let’s get it on
I can’t make you love me
Tracks of my tears
Who wants to live forever?
Heroes
Unchained melody
One more try
Nessun dorma
Over the rainbow
You’ll never walk alone
Wish you were here
Daniel
One
God only knows
Summertime
Another piece of my heart
Cry me a river
The Rose
Wish I could be free
I would do everything for love
I would do anything to have you back again
Bird on a wire
Let it be
onthemeaningofadamlambert.wordpress.com 
Excellent idea!
For sure. Add Into the Night by Benny Mardones
OMG. “If he ever did Let’s get It On”. Dead!
Whole heartedly agree. You could knock those songs and singers off the charts with your God given voice. You have been blessed with a great talent and should share it with the world in a new way.
Adam’s Superpower has always been interpreting a song and making it his own. That is true artistry that resides at the heart of what draws us in and touches us at the deepest level.
I’d add Try (just alittle bit harder) to the growing list (Janis Joplin cover)
Totally agree!
I have always wanted Adam do the definitive covers of so many songs. My Way, In The wee Small Hours, a song from Chess, a song from Les Miz, some Beatles songs, some Gershwin.
Thank god someone else is saying this! I would love the covers but also for him to get with hit songwriters and let them do what they want. I wonder what it was like with Max Martin and Shellback? I had such high hopes. Did he want to add his style and not let them do their magic? You know, the magic they do with Pink, Katy Perry, etc, etc! But to this list, I would add Vienna by Ultravox. Thank you again for saying this! We’ve missed you!!
Going to see Adam’s witch-hunt at the Wynn encore…leave a week from today.
Adam said there will be more covers in the show. I love his covers because as noted in previous comments his performances are usually vocally and interpretively better than the original artist; Adam has unparalleled vocal abilities and commits himself to every performance. I like it when he combines covers with his own material. Some of his early pop songs would be fabulous to redo acoustically with his matured voice.
Prior to going to see Adam at the Wynn last week , I watched YouTube videos of the Witch-hunt concert to see what songs Adam would be performing. A video of what I thought was Adam singing” Closer to You “ turned out to be Adam performing a cover of Nine in Nail’s “Closer” at the Hard Rock Cafe in Wheatland California. He covered that one very nicely. It received an enthusiastic reception at the Wynn , as did the whole concert. “Mad About the Boy “ was stunning. I was lucky to be beside two fans who were quite a bit younger than me but had seen Adam 40 times( at least). Like many others they became friends because of Adam . They described how Adam has positively influenced their lives, and had a few stories from the road too. Fun! They danced and sang, I danced and sang . I had to hold onto my son( Adam’s age) to make sure my rubbery legs could negotiate the stairs leaving the theatre. The covers were great but his songs were better. Adam was sweet , funny , sexy. The other fans and I weren’t sure we would survive “closer”. We did, but my family wishes I would quit talking about it.