Adam Lambert - Velvet

2.2

Rating

2.2/5

Flyctory.com Pros

• Superb potential and talented artist
• Nice initial tracks

Flyctory.com Cons

• Boring album, not too variable
• Partially poor productions

If you replace Freddie Mercury and tour with Queen, you are likely not that bad as an artist. While Lambert is scheduled to tour with the British rock legend, he also released his fourth studio album Velvet on 20th March 2020. I was really curious about it before my review.

Adam Lambert – About The Artist

Adam Mitchel Lambert, who was born in Indianapolis, USA, in 1982, is currently 38 years old. His mother has Romanian roots and is Jewish and gave this religion to Adam and his younger brother Neal. Though Lambert was born in Indiana, his family moved to San Diego shortly after his birth. He also did theater performances at young ages and did more intense acting and vocal coaching very early. He was quite successful in school bands and also took part in local professional stage productions. Though he did have professional jobs in this area from 2001 onward, his breakthrough happened in 2009, when he finished runner-up of the eighth season of American Idol. However, a lot of critics felt that he did not win the final show as he is openly gay. In November 2009, he released his debut album For Your Entertainment, which was a huge success with Top 10 placements in the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Sweden. The key single of the album was Whataya Want from Me. The 2012 album Trespassing even kead to top of the charts placements in the USA and Canada. His third album was The Original High, which has been released in June and was slightly less successful.

Adam Lambert – Velvet – Track by Track

Velvet contains 13 songs and has a playing time of 44 minutes. Six songs have already been part of VELVET: Side A, an EP released in September 2019.

1. Velvet

The album starts with the title track – Velvet is a striaght (and good pop track), nice for the dancefloor. Nice prologue of this 13 part storybook.

2. Superpower

There’s something missing, and I’m pissed
And I got something to say (Oh, yeah)
All of the witches and the demons
Better get out my way (Ayy, ayy, yeah)

Yeah, there is an [Explicit] behind this track on Amazon Music. It is a straight and clear track against discrimination. On the music side, you will find a lot of funk elements in this song.

3. Stranger You Are

Now I’m rockin’ Versace with my dog
In my shades, I’ma slay one day, y’all
I’ma fuck up a check and spend it all
I’ma have a tequila kind of day (Hey, woah)

The third track is more melodic, but still feels a bit like a 1970s one. The lyrics do not really lack a big portion of self-confidence.

4. Loverboy

It is just the fourth track of the album – but I already feel some sort of boredom. Loverboy is not a bad track, but it is so similar to the last two ones – how was the Stranger You Are thing like again?

5. Roses (feat. Nile Rodgers)

Having Nile Rogers (who, for example, produced Le Freak by Chic) in this track feels to promise some new groove and soul. Roses may be a bit deeper and better than the tracks before, but it still feels to limited.

6. Closer to You

The slower Closer to You, which has stronger piano elements and partially even sounds like lounge music, feels to be a potential turning point. The ballad is the best track on the album so far.

7. Overglow

Overglow definitely brings some new sounds to the Velvet album. The chorus has a lot of potential to me – but the verses are rather lame. Still a track I appreciate.

8. Comin In Hot

If you ask me about the best thing about this track – I am sorry to say that it is the shortest song on the album. I just do not get in touch with Comin In Hot, even after having heard it multiple times.

9. On the Moon

Unfortunately,On the Moon is longer. 3:58 minutes. The chorus might have quite nice lyrics, but the track itself is as thrilling as a live coverage from a closed down soccer stadium under the current Corona conditions. The album started promising, went on average – unformately, the downwards trend continues.

I just wanna feel what it’s like
To be underneath your glow
Like we’re on the moon, baby
Tripping on the, tripping on the moon, baby
I just wanna feel the dark side
Be your nocturnal midnight
Like we’re on the moon, baby
Stars dripping on the moon, baby

10. Love Dont

The most interesting about this track is likely to speculate about why Lambert went for this intentional misspelling in the song title. Otherwise, I recommend a potty break or the forward button – even though guitars in this track given an iinteresting riock element.

11. Ready to Run

There are songs which are nice for a party or for some drinks. Some make you think and tell you a nice story. Some make you smile and give you enjoyable three to four minutes. If you love music, you may also be amazed by a great mixing, production. The elements of Ready To Runare not bad, you might even have a nice track if you produce it differently. But this version does not work at all to me.

12. New Eyes

I would not say that New Eyes is some sort of ice breaker, which is bringing Velvet at least back to an average. The song is still just too weak in my point of view. But at least it is significantly better than the previous ones.

13. Feel Something

The lovely ballad Feel Something at the end of the album is far away from a chart-topper as well – but it so nicely shows the huge talent of Adam Lambert. Bad luck that it has been wasted in major parts of this album.

Adam Lambert – Velvet – Spotify

Here is the Spotify widget to listen to Velvet:

Adam Lambert – Velvet – My View

I felt so ashamed when writing the album review: Adam Lambert is such a talented artist, the album starts so well – but overall, Velvet gets weaker the longer it runs. At a couple of songs, it feels like the song itself has some potential, but the chosen arrangement and production does not touch me at all. Less than average, definitely.

Adam Lambert – European Tour

In late summer, Adam Lambert will also head to Europe and play some shows there. Maybe, there is also some show for you?