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TERRA · @terra_zephead

23rd Aug 2012 from Twitlonger

Quick English translation of Yomiuri article (23 Aug)

"Light and dark: My two sides"

American singer Adam Lambert performed at (the recent) Summer Sonic, intoxicating the crowd with his powerful, high-range vocals. His second album, Trespassing, released this year, made #1 on the US charts. We asked him about his feelings captured in the album.

After having appeared on American Idol, grabbing the attention of audiences with his high notes and star quality, Adam released his first album in 2009. This new album is his first in approximately two years.

"I didn't have much time (to make) my first album, but I had the luxury of it for this album. I wasn't continuously buried in work, but was able to spend time with my family and friends and lead a normal life. With the more relaxed pace and time taken, I think I was able to strongly reflect my personality (in this album)."

The album depicts two worlds: the world of "light" -- through themes of "liberation, freedom, pride and impulse"; and the world of "darkness" -- through themes of "unease, rejection and shame". These in fact are a showcase of both sides of him.

As an entertainer, Adam provides (his fans with) enjoyment and happiness; but more than that, there is the feeling that he is out to closely forge a deeper connection with his audience. "I want to bring cheer to my fans. But at the same time, I also want to tell them that I do have times of heartbreak and pain. I think one of my duties is to bare my soul (to my audience)."

The "light" tunes (on the album) range from the funky title track -- whose lyrics includes the line "There’s no turning back. Let’s go!" -- to "Shady", which features Nile Rodgers on guitar.

On the other hand, songs like "Underneath" ("…Underneath, a red river of screams. Underneath, tears in my eyes…") form the "dark" tracks. The slow tempo deliberately allows the songs' lyrics to be heard.

"Outlaws of Love", which includes such lyrics as "Nowhere left to go" and "They say we'll rot in hell", is another example of this heavy theme. "This song talks about the discrimination faced by people who aren't part of the majority," said Adam, who had previously publicly announced that he is gay.

"The song can be about the problems that occur as a result of differences between people and religion, but I was especially thinking about the acceptance of gays by society. This happened to be during the time when the topic of gay marriage was being hotly discussed."

For the sensation-prone Adam, staying true to himself means being frank. An honest artist through and through.

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For the scan of the article, see http://i.imgur.com/n4oj3.jpg (scanned by @mmyy9)

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