The 'Mad World' of Adam Lambert

Last night, Adam Lambert's haunting rendition of the 1982 Tears for Fears hit, "Mad World," hit a high note with the American Idol judges. On Tuesday, April 7, 2009, the top eight contestants on American Idol performed songs from the year they were born. Dipping into the sea of hits from his birth year, 1982, Adam Lambert chose to close the show with his stripped down performance of "Mad World," which was fashioned after the Gary Jules' interpretation of the song used for the 2001 movie, "Donnie Darko."

Adam Lambert is a genius at reading his fans and once again made a smart choice with his song selection, artistic interpretation of the song and stage presence. Instead of choosing a fun, upbeat number, Lambert went with a soft, controlled interpretation of the song. From the first note, which began with Adam sitting center stage in a blue haze, the 27-year old performer held the American Idol audience and judges captive. Not only was his voice spot on, his artistry showed through in the hauntingly beautiful arrangement of the song. Adam's uncanny ability to draw in the audience with his expressions and stage presence was also unmistakable, as always. I'm forever impressed by his stage presence. Adam Lambert performs as a seasoned artist, not a young man uncertain of his talent...his talent is undeniable.

For this week's performance, Adam Lambert opted to go with a stripped down version of the song and his appearance, both of which I felt were excellent choices. Instead of the sometimes heavily made-up and gothic Adam, fans saw a subdued version of the singer. While that look is appropriate for many of his song selections, the scaled-back look was a smart choice for this performance. Instead of distracting from his amazing, emotion-filled vocals, the subtle look enhanced them. At least it did for this fan. Lambert made the wise decision to perform a softer, more emotional song this week, as opposed to his renditions of "Ring of Fire" and "Play That Funky Music White Boy." While both of these prior performances were unquestionably well executed, I feel "Mad World" allowed listeners to fully understand and appreciate Adam Lambert's vocal range and ability. In fact, I dare say Adam may have won over some new fans after last night's performance.

Adam Lambert's performance of "Mad World" also struck a chord with the American Idol judges and fans in the audience. The fans' love was loudly apparent by the cheering and screaming throughout his song. The only downside to Adam's night was the fact that American Idol ran over it's time slot and viewers may have already tuned out and missed his performance. That would be a shame. Although there was very little time for the judges' feedback, the overwhelming acceptance from Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, and Paula Abdul was summed up by American Idol's toughest judge. Simon Cowell apologized for the show running out of time before Adam could receive his due praise from the judges, then rose to his feet and gave Adam Lambert a standing ovation. That, by itself, sums up the magnitude of the chilling, yet breathtaking, performance.

To download Adam Lambert's performances or any other performances from American Idol's Top 8 Contestants, visit Itunes Performance Downloads - American Idol.