Maps of Music

Trespassing (2012)

Where the lyrics of Trespassing take you, and where it was really made.

With this album Adam Lambert became the first openly gay artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200.

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Originally scheduled for March 20, 2012, then pushed back two months to add more songs and collaborations
Lambert moved from the glam rock sound of his debut For Your Entertainment to funk and pop
Dance-oriented record made with a new team of producers including Dr. Luke, Pharrell Williams and Bruno Mars
Lambert took creative control as executive producer and co-wrote most of the songs
Album split into a lighter side with uptempo party tracks and a darker side with ballads on anxiety, love and heartache
Several songs were inspired by his relationship with Sauli Koskinen
Outlaws of Love, co-written with BC Jean, is about legalizing gay marriage
Lambert first played Outlaws of Love in July 2011 at the Sainte Agathe en Feux Festival in Quebec, Canada
Lambert describes the album as a very funky-sounding record and says he feels more grounded with it

American singer, songwriter and actor born January 29, 1982 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Raised in San Diego, California; began performing with the Metropolitan Educational Theatre network at age 9.
Attended California State University, Fullerton for a musical theater major, then withdrew to move to Los Angeles.
At 19 got his first professional job on a cruise ship; later toured in Hair and appeared as understudy for Fiyero in Wicked.

Rose to fame as runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol in 2009.
Debut album For Your Entertainment debuted at number three on the Billboard 200; lead single "Whataya Want from Me" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Second album Trespassing debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making him the first openly gay artist to top the album charts.
Third album The Original High (2015) debuted at number three; fourth album Velvet (2020), fifth album High Drama (2023), and sixth album Adam (July 10, 2026).
Has performed with Queen since 2012, replacing Paul Rodgers in the reunion project Queen + Adam Lambert.
Made his Broadway debut in 2024 as the Emcee in the revival of Cabaret.
Founded the non-profit Feel Something Foundation in late 2019 focusing on LGBTQ+ and human rights causes.

Trespassing received generally favorable reviews from music critics upon its release
Metacritic, based on 10 reviews, gave an average score of 66, indicating generally favorable reviews
Rolling Stone gave a positive review and called it the great pop album fans had hoped Lambert would make
AllMusic credited Lambert's confidence and catchy hooks in Kickin' In, Shady and Cuckoo
AllMusic said the songs sound like inevitable hits and prove Lambert is a genuine pop star
USA Today's Brian Mansfield found it more cohesive and personal than For Your Entertainment, drawn to electronic dance music
The Hollywood Reporter's Shirley Halperlin found the album takes the listener full circle in one sitting
Entertainment Weekly gave it a B-, finding the second half laughably over the top
Slant Magazine praised its current sound and Lambert's control of his voice, but criticized Better Than I Know Myself and Never Close Our Eyes as soulless studio-slick work
Billboard was positive about Lambert's vocal charisma and power
PopMatters' Josh Langhoff found it disappointing because Lambert plays on pop's terms
AP editor Wayne Parry noted Lambert narrows his focus to dance pop tracks

Debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 77,000 copies sold in its opening week
First number one album by an openly gay male artist on that chart
Sold 197,000 copies in the US as of May 2015
Better Than I Know Myself peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100
Never Close Our Eyes became a top 10 dance club hit and Lambert's first top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 17
Trespassing peaked at number 38 on the Hungarian Airplay Chart
Voted the best album of 2012 in the Rolling Stone Reader's Poll

Around fifty tracks were recorded for the album, but seventeen were officially released
At one point Underneath was considered as the album title
Lambert said he feels much more grounded with this album than before
The album's sound is described as very funky