Let’s dive into an amazing performance by Adam Lambert! He sang his biggest solo hit, “Whataya Want from Me,” at the YouTube Space Studio in New York City in 2019—and wow, what a show it was! There’s a lot that makes this video so special.
Back when Adam first started his solo career, things weren’t easy. After he came second on American Idol in 2009, people paid a lot of attention to his personal life, especially his sexuality. Some critics even called him “too much” and said he was trying to cause controversy by being too dramatic or “campy.”
When Adam released his first album, “For Your Entertainment” (2009), and began performing songs from it—like “Whataya Want from Me,” which reached #10 on the US Billboard chart—he got a lot of criticism on TV. But by 2019, things had changed in a big way. Adam was now known as the powerful voice standing next to Queen’s legendary guitarist Brian May. Together, they were rocking stages all over the world as Queen + Adam Lambert.
You can really see how much Adam grew as a performer during that time. His YouTube Space Studio performance shows off everything he learned from playing to huge stadiums around the globe. And let’s not forget the incredible band backing him up—an all-female band that totally shines!
There’s more behind this performance, too. After spending several years touring with Queen, Adam clearly felt ready to give some love back to his solo career. That energy comes through in every note. Fun fact: Adam first sang with Queen on the finale of American Idol 2009, where he and winner Kris Allen sang “We Are the Champions” with Brian May and Roger Taylor.
Fast forward a bit: In November 2011, Adam started doing a few shows with Queen, and by 2012, they went on a short tour together. Then in 2014, things got serious—they started touring regularly. In 2019, Queen + Adam Lambert kicked off their third major tour, The Rhapsody Tour, which took them across North America, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. Although COVID-19 paused things, the tour finally wrapped up in Tokyo on February 14, 2024.
And Adam didn’t slow down. Just a few months later, in September 2024, he took on a brand-new challenge—he became the Emcee in the famous musical Cabaret on Broadway. What a way to kick off his first night! Fans got a little teaser of what was to come with a clip from the opening night. It was fierce, dramatic, and pure Adam.
So, what’s next for Adam after his six months in Cabaret? Will he keep doing musicals? Before Idol, he had already acted in musicals like The Ten Commandments: The Musical (alongside Val Kilmer) and the national tour of Wicked. Maybe he’ll go back to that world—or maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a brand-new solo album!
As for Queen + Adam Lambert, there’s no news yet about future shows. Sadly, Brian May had a mild stroke in 2024. Thankfully, he’s doing better and can play guitar again, but fans will have to wait to see if more concerts are on the way.
On a brighter note, Queen just got a huge honor! In 2025, they were named one of the winners of the world-famous Polar Music Prize. The other two winners are jazz legend Herbie Hancock and brilliant classical singer Barbara Hannigan. Queen shared their excitement, saying:
“We are highly and deeply honoured to be given the Polar Music Prize this year. It’s incredible, thank you so much.”
Big congrats to Queen, Herbie Hancock, and Barbara Hannigan from everyone at Notes Like These!
