Over the years we have seen a lot of LGBT performers achieve the commercial success that some of us, myself included, never thought would be possible. Sure, we had Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Boy George, and a few others. But they claimed bi-sexuality to appease the mainstream audience until times changed and it became much more acceptable to come out as gay. The other thing about some of these early artists is that their talent was unmistakable. Elton John continues to amaze as a composer, Freddie Mercury had a voice that could challenge the heavens and Boy George continues to record music and has become an international superstar DJ. Their talent was and still is, at the core of their success. But what does it say about their success that there needed to be an incubation period before they could reveal they’re true selves to the public?
There’s a new generation of LGBT musicians that have taken a position in the mainstream and indie airwaves. Some incredibly talented, others not so much. Names like Adam Lambert, Perfume Genius, Gossip, Scissor Sisters, Rufus Wainwright and MIKA, Brandi Carlile and Troye Sivan have now been added to a growing list of high profile LGBT indie & pop acts that have achieved varying levels of success based purely on their talent.
Adam Lambert, for example, was the goth, glam-rock darling of American Idol fame who came out of the closet shortly after being the runner up to all-American Kris Allen. A lot of people on social media and in my circle of friends felt that Adam Lambert was robbed of the title that year because he was gay. He hadn’t come out during the competition, but it was very difficult to quiet one’s gaydar whenever he was on stage. Whether that was the case or not, his success after the show ended has been unquestionable.
Why was Mr. Lambert so successful despite his coming out after his Idol run while Allen has faded away into singer/songwriter obscurity? I think there are a few reasons. First being that Mr. Lambert was a far superior singer and performer. His brand image came across as just the right amount of “dangerous”: his gayness was not threatening but it was definitely there. He was wholesome, de-sexualized, but with just the right amount of gay swagger.
The one time that he did express himself as a sexual being during a performance on the 2009 American Music Awards, the backlash was swift and furious, from not only sensitive heterosexual watchdogs but from the LGBT community as well. He never did anything like that again. And that is what Adam Lambert and several of the new breed of LGBT artists are faced with: they have to be marketed as safe!!! Their sexuality needs to be beside the point. It cannot take center stage at a performance and it cannot be at the core of every story they tell.
This brings me to a few artists who try to make it in the mainstream but fail to crack the charts. They actually try to use their sexuality or gender non-conformity as part of their raison d’être. Perhaps with the exception of RuPaul, not many LGBT artists have been able to successfully use what sets them apart from “mainstream” society as their core brand message successfully.
With his 2010 breakout single, Ice Cream Truck, Cazwell came pretty close to success. The song went on to be a YouTube sensation, with over 1 million views over a period of a week in spite of the fact that the video being flagged for adult content. But with its overtly sexual content, the song never broke into the mainstream.
Adore Delano has tried to use her success on RuPaul’s Drag Race to launch a pop music career as well. Right after the show ended, Delano released his debut album, Til Death Do We Party. The album charted at 59 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart but quickly fell off. As much as America is willing to embrace gay men, drag queens, and transgendered persons on their TV, film, and stage they don’t care about it too much in their music.
Azealia Banks and Kelly Rowland can have songs about getting eaten out, Nicki Minaj can rap about having her booty licked and Beyonce can sing about going down on her husband in a limo. But a few hot, oiled up men licking ice cream and a talented drag queen who actually writes and SINGS (no lip-syncing here) seems to be more than the American public can take.
So we’ve made a lot of progress as far as LGBT rights and our visibility in mainstream America. But they are still scared of us. They still don’t want to truly know us. The oh so subtle message we get from America is, “We don’t mind who you love or who you sleep with, but please, we don’t want to see or hear about it.”
6 Comments
Great article. Adam hasn’t “done anything like that since”..at an awards show. His Glam Nation Tour was full of sexuality and boy/boy action. He’s toned down a bit in the last few years, but he’s gotten older, more mature, wanting to make it more about the music. But rest assured, Adam’s sexuality is not repressed or tamed at his concerts. I don’t think he could if he tried. lol
What exactly constitutes ‘coming out’ for Adam Lambert? Is a press release really necessary to meet the criteria of ‘coming out’? A bit of research of his after Idol interviews and you will hear Adam Lambert say (paraphrased) he was living an openly ‘out’ lifestyle for 8 years prior to his run on Idol and that hiding it never occurred to him. He explains that Idol restricted media interviews (put them in a bubble) and that he felt the purpose of the competition was about singing and not focusing on his sexuality.
Not subtle at all. They call it “shoving your sexuality in our faces” – as if that’s not what heterosexual artist do every single day. But it doesn’t help when our own artists agree and promote the same attitude…. I’m looking at YOU Sam Smith. Sam made a very clear public statement or two that he didn’t want to be like “other gay artists” and “shove his sexuality in people’s faces” but would instead just rely on his talent to be a success. His implication here is that other gay artists use their “otherness” to be successful rather than their talent. Not only is this insulting to other gay artists but it shows a frightening lack of understanding of what happens if you are openly and proudly gay (not to mention a profound lack of appreciation for those who paved the way for his easy romp into fame). Artists like Adam Lambert, Alex Newell, Brandi Carlile & others are slowly making progress but at the expense of their own careers & only a little bit at a time. Meanwhile, it would be nice to see our community giving them more support instead of constantly throwing everything behind straight artists who cynically milk the “pink dollar” for all it’s worth, or the “I might be gay/bisexual oh, wait no I’m not” crowd who play games with issues that mean everything to the rest of us when they think it might benefit them. By the way, I don’t think Adam Lambert is “desexualised” at all. In fact, he is very boldly & blatantly sexual & not at all “safe”. That is why he hasn’t been as successful as he should be, at least in his home country where this stuff matters. But his outstanding talent & pure determination have made him a success worldwide regardless.
Adams sexuality is obvious to fans who pay more attention to him than is in mainstream media, he does tend to ‘behave’ himself on mainstream TV especially in the US, but when he comes to Europe it’s a different story. Also when he’s onstage during a live show he is much more sexual. Fans know this because we go to shows and when we can’t we watch live streams and you-tube videos.
He really lets rip when he’s onstage with Queen, It’s practically required then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZiP3Mx0xsI
The premise of your Adam Lambert theory is entirely flawed. First, I suggest that you read my book, “American Idol Vote Scam”. I convincingly prove that Adam’s loss was not caused by his suspected gayness, but by the 30 million votes created in a Conway, Arkansas university stadium, that Allen attended, with the help of a rogue AT&T executive. For you to suggest that Adam Lambert was de sexualized on American Idol or anywhere else, you have clearly lost your mind. Many people claim that that “Ring of Fire” was the song that cemented their attraction to Lambert. Yes, his vocals were stunning, but the question on everyone’s mind was,”just how did he get his tight low cut jeans zipped up over his very impressive man parts?” Many devoted Glambert’s Googled to find Adam’s Zodiac Club performances, such as the searingly sexual “Crawl Through Fire” and “A Change is Gonna Come”. The fans found “Crazy” with Adam bulging is tight red pants. American Idol saw a toned down Adam but when the tour started his stage was strewn with women’s undergarments every night. How can you call a man with fans who announce “Glambulge alerts” de sexualized? Your premise is backwards. The main stream media has no problem embracing a neutered, safe male like Sam Smith, who can’t kiss Lamberts blue suede shoes vocally or any other way, but hods back on the sexiest entertainer since Elvis with his multi gender appeal. There are a whole lot of people around the world acknowledging that Adam Lambert is the premier vocalist and live entertainer of this generation and the sexiest man alive.
Did you forget how many times Adam kissed Tommy Joe while on tour?