American Idol's Adam Lambert brings the glamour to Hong Kong

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By Chris Lau
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At his concert last Tuesday, American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert shared his story with Chris Lau

By Chris Lau |
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Last Tuesday, Kitec's Star Hall was packed with eyeliner-wearing, placard-holding fans.

Backstage, having a pre-show chat with Young Post and two Junior Reporters, sits smoky-eyed Adam Lambert - the star of the night.

This is the second time the former runner-up of American Idol has performed in Hong Kong, having previously visited in 2010.

"I love [Hong Kong fans] so much," he says. "You guys are so sweet, and I'm excited to see everybody sing along and dance."

Lambert shot to fame after taking part in the eighth season of American Idol. The singer, finishing second in the show, was critically praised for his fierce vocals and unremitting onstage energy.

In 2009, his debut album For Your Entertainment, featuring singles Whataya Want From Me and If I Had You, topped charts around the world. Three years later, the singer released his second album, Trespassing, and saw the title track topping the almighty US pop chart, the Billboard 200. Lambert promised fans would experience a totally different show from last time, with loads of new tunes, and remixes of his oldies.

Touring has been part of Lambert's yearly routine, and the singer is no longer a stranger to Asia. Of course, the languages and cultures are very different from both his home town of Indianapolis and from San Diego, where the star was raised, but he's become used to that - and to the different tastes of his Asian fan base.

One song that he released before his smash hit For Your Entertainment - proves this. Featured at the end of the apocalyptic disaster movie, 2012, it was far more popular in Asia than the US. "We're doing Time of Miracles tonight in the show - for the first time ever on tour," he says. "It's a short version of it. But we decided to do it because it's so popular here," Lambert said.

Comfortable singing a range of genres, Lambert said his favourite funky dance tracks to perform are Fever (written by Lady Gaga), Shady and Trespassing. But, he says, it all depends on his mood: "I have songs that are great when you want to feel more romantic, sentimental or sad."

For Lambert, nothing can compare to his joint performance with legendary rock band Queen, last year in London.

"That was crazy," he says. "Performing with Queen was really exciting. [It] was a ... big honour."

Sadly the singer remained schtum when asked about his new musical direction, chuckling before saying: "It's under wraps."

But the entertainer promises us a change. "Whatever comes next, of course it needs to be different or I'm going to be bored," he says. "I like changing it up, evolving and experimenting, and learning something different about music.

"I think part of what's exciting about being an artist is that I'm [constantly] learning, as are my fans. We're learning something new together."

Like any visitor in town, the excited singer looks forward to exploring the city.

Lambert says his extensive touring experience has given him a few tricks to use as a tourist. "I learned a long time ago, when I first started travelling, that eye contact fixes a lot [when it comes to language barriers]," he says.

"When you can't understand somebody, you kind of just laugh and go and point at something, and make a sound ... It's awkward and kind of silly, but it works."

As a world-class city, Hong Kong boasts top-notch shopping and dining experiences, and Lambert has made his to-do list.

While he may not have revealed his next move in music, he was happy to share his Hong Kong plans. "I heard shrimp balls are good," he said, heading out to his adoring fans.

Read our review of the concert HERE

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