Why Some People Love to Hate American Idol's Adam Lambert

Well, the competition is down to eight after Megan Joy was eliminated from the show. Joining her in the bottom three were some familiar faces: Anoop Desai and Allison Iraheta. Someone who has never even seen the shadow of the bottom three? Adam Lambert.

This has been an interesting competition to watch. I had only recently returned to the "American Idol" spectrum after vowing to never watch again after Taylor Hicks' triumph. But then there were rumors of changing up the format, there was another judge added and a female one at that. I was intrigued. Thus began my return to "American Idol."

So far there has been the interesting (Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle), the odd talent (Megan Joy) and the just plain crazy (Tatiana Del Toro). With all the many different singers this year, you either love them or you hate them. Each one has a large and fiercely defensive fan base. One singer with possibly the biggest fan base and the most diverse look and sound on "American Idol" is Adam Lambert.

The very name 'Adam Lambert' has been associated with greats like Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger by the judges. Praised for his ingenuity, style and impressive vocal range, Lambert established himself as a frontrunner from the very beginning. However, it's amazing that same person with such impressive skill can also inspire such dislike. The differences are clearly noted in the "American Idol" forums:

"I'm sorry, but I just don't think he can sing as well as others on the show. He screams notes and I don't know, to me his vocal tone is a bit on the obnoxious side. Everyone seems to love him, but I just can't see why."

"I had trouble breathing or speaking, I nearly lost consciousness. . .tears are welling up in my eyes just like when he performed it that night, everything...I almost couldn't go back to work, afterward, for crying out loud!"

Even anti-"American Idol" website, Vote for the Worst.com considered naming Adam their contestant after their choice Megan Joy was voted off.

"I CANT STAND Adam. If I have to look at his tounge [sic] again while he screaches [sic] out another rift I think my ears are going to start bleeding."

Early in the competition, I liked Adam. I thought he was different and exciting, albeit a little loud. I could definitely see the Broadway shining through. As the competition progressed, it was clear that he was the chosen favorite. I acknowledge that he is a fantastic singer and truly creative with his work. However, what has always bothered me is how overly showy and often over-the-top his performances tend to be.

After his performance of "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, I nearly stopped watching, agreeing completely with Simon's comment that it was "indulgent rubbish." Then in a complete turnaround came Adam in Motown week. At first I was terrified. "Tracks of My Tears" is of my all-time favorites. I didn't want him to pull a "Ring of Fire" on the classic.

However, during that performance, I "reconciled" myself with him. Why? Because what I saw was a bare, stripped down singer and performance. Gone was the makeup and the unavoidably emo-style hair. I could see his face and for the first time recognized the Elvis resemblance so many fans gushed about. Gone were the often absurd flashing lights and the, albeit in-tune, screaming. It proved to me that Lambert could tone down and still be a wonderful performer, something I wasn't sure he was capable of.

So many people complain about Adam because of recently released "compromising" pictures of him, because of his sexual orientation and a variety of other reasons. I don't care about any of those things. I acknowledge his talent. I just don't always click with his singing style. But there's still quite a bit of time left for him to try to change my mind.

"American Idol" Forum: Adam Lambert, American Idol.com

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