"He's literally my Wonderwall. He expanded my view of life, he taught me to not be afraid to express myself. Now I see in colours; before him it was all black and white." - Paola
Hey Paola! Thank-You so much for taking time to talk with us here at Fan Features, it really is a pleasure! There’s a lot to discuss but before we delve into the interview why don’t you introduce yourself?
This is such an honour for me! I'm Paola, I'm 22 years old and I'm from Italy. I study Modern Literature at University, I love to write and one day I hope this will become my job (I already published two tales!)
In today’s interview, we’re going to be continuing the Glambert series where we give fans of Adam Lambert the chance to share their stories and ultimately highlight the wonderful fanbase that supports him. So let’s travel back to the very beginning of your journey...how did you first come to discover Adam? What are your earliest memories of him?
I discovered Adam on Youtube in 2012. I was listening to music when a spot with his new song - Better Than I Know Myself - appeared on my screen. I clicked on it and...It was love at first listen. I've never heard a voice like that before: strong and peaceful at the same time. After that first listen I remember I searched for his name on Wikipedia and read his biography. I was very impressed by the way he wanted to make people conscious about important themes like peace, love, freedom, human rights.
How would you summarise your love for Adam? What does he mean to you?
When I think about Adam and my love for him, I think to Wonderwall by Oasis: "Because maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me and after all, you're my wonderwall". I find in him an example of life and inspiration. He's literally my Wonderwall. He expanded my view of life, he taught me to not be afraid to express myself. Now I see in colours; before him it was all black and white. His voice is a safe haven to me where I can stay with no worries: when I'm happy to celebrate, when I'm sad to turn happy again.
That was so beautifully put, Paola! So do you have a favourite Adam Lambert song?
My favourite of Adam's songs is 'Broken Open' from his debut album 'For Your Entertainment'. His voice during this song is so quiet, it lulls me. And the lyrics make me feel so close to him, he literally says: "Hide here, confide here, so we can be broken open".
In your initial email to me, you mentioned a feeling of “being understood” when listening to Adam’s music. How much has your life changed since discovering his music? In what ways has it helped you to grow as a person?
I feel totally understood by his music. There are so many lyrics which seem to speak about me and situations that happened in my life. My life has changed a lot since I discovered him. When I discovered him I was just a shy 12 years old with a lot of insecurities and few friends. There were things I would liked to do but I was afraid. He taught me to love and believe in myself. So I started to accept my body, I started to believe in my skills. And I started to paint my nails, dye my hair...No more fear! I was not as bad as I thought. I became more extrovert and I started to make new friends. I remember I was very fascinated by the way he used to write his own lyrics. So I started to write and I never stopped. Tales, poems. Everything that was drapped in my mind. I discovered I have a talent too. Thanks to him I understood who I want to be.
Hearing how Adam has influenced just goes to show that a positive role model can make such a difference in our lives. Expanding a little upon the previous question, what do you think it is about Adam’s music that really resonates with fans like yourself?
I think the reason why Adam's music speaks to fans like me is its authenticity. He put himself in his songs, his past experiences, his feelings, his ideas. Adam's music speaks about real things that happen in real life to people. So people can identify with his music and don't feel alone anymore. Adam's music unites, I think that's the key. With his music he gives us critical tools to look at the reality, at the great social changes that are coming.
You’ve been a Glambert for around 9 years and in that time a lot has happened in Adam’s career as he continues to grow not only as an artist but a person. Has there been a highlight or standout moment that makes you as a fan feel particularly proud?
I felt particulary proud of Adam when he went on his first tour with Queen. They're one of the most legendary band in the world and he's living the dream, he totally deserves it. I also felt very proud of him when he launched his own Foundation - Feel Something Foundation - one year ago. He helped so many people through it.
Let’s talk about the fanbase, the Glamberts are such a dedicated fanbase and from what I can see a very tight-knit community? Can you tell us more about the fanbase and how you guys support Adam?
I love the Glamberts and I'm so happy to be a part of this big community. We support Adam through social media sharing his songs to let people know him and his beautiful voice, creating groups to speak about him, fan pages, buying CDs and other merch from his store and donating to his Foundation. We're also very passionate; we constantly send him messages, gifts and love to keep in connection with him!
Earlier you spoke of how Adam helped you become more extroverted and how you made friends as a result. Can you tell us more about the friendships and connections you've made as a Glambert?
I made so many friendship all over the world through Adam, I couldn't believe it! Thanks to him I knew one of the dearest people in my life. I met her on Twitter seven years ago, I remember I replied to one of her tweets about her appreciation of Adam's music and we instantly become friends. Seven years of friendship thanks to him.
Isn't it wonderful, how music brings us together?! I am genuinely so uplifted to hear how Adam brought you closer to other fans! As an onlooker, it’s clear to me that the relationships amongst Glamberts are pretty special. Whilst we're on the subject of relationships, how would you describe the overall bond between Adam and the Glamberts?
The connection between Adam and his fans is very strong. He's very lovely with us, he always try to make everyone comfortable, he's very empathetic with us. He loves to keep a connection with us too, especially through eye contact during his live performances, meet and greets or through social media (he often does Instagram lives to interacts with us and also videocalls some of us during it!) I think the love we send to him is completely exchanged.
I noticed on your Twitter page that you are an admin for the Adam Lambert Italia page? How did your role as admin come about?
My role of co-admin of Adam Lambert Italia was born not so long time ago. The main admin who created the page, Stella, was searching for someone to help her to manage the contents. I instantly decided to join to write about Adam and to give fans info related to him.
I don’t think people entirely appreciate the impact a page such as ‘Adam Lambert Italia’ can have within the artist’s community. Why is it so important that pages such as yours exist and how can we utilise these outlets to support our favourite bands or artists?
I think that creating pages to support the artist is very important. Through pages we can promote the artist and make him known to more and more people. With the information we constantly share we can tell people about the artist; about his point of view and why it could be so inspirational for others. Pages can be a reference point for fans so they can always be up-to-date about the artist and they can share their opinions about him, interact with other people and learn new things.
Tell us more about the page, what kind of content could fans expect to find there? How do you find inspiration for the page?
Most contents of our page are related to what Adam's doing daily; performances, interviews, messages that he wants to share with us and fans love it! So I think that's exactly what they can expect from the page. We also promote initiatives to let Adam knows Italy's here and loves him so much! I find inspiration to carry on this amazing project from the passion I have for Adam and that aids my heart everyday; I also get inspired by what people like the most, what they want to share to Adam and what they want to see about him.
Have you ever had the chance to meet, interact or see Adam perform live in concert? If so, can you tell us more about your experience?
I had the chance to interact with Adam on three occasions but I've never meet him or been at a live performance (I hope I'll be able to see him live as soon as possible). The first time I interacted with him (the 27th of March 2014) was on Twitter, I sent him a digital drawing and he thanked me and posted it on his Instagram account. I couldn't believe he had seen my tweet, I didn't think it was possible! He really made my day! I remember I jumped on the bed with happiness. The second time (the 27th of October 2019) he liked a tweet that I wrote about his first live performance of ''Superpower'', a solo from his last album Velvet. In that moment I felt really close to him: he liked what I wrote, he was agreeing with what I was saying. The third time is the most recent (the 7th of October 2020) I joined the "Live Around The World" streaming party on Queen's official site, there was a chat where we all could interact with Adam while we were listening to the album's songs. I asked him how was Rome because he visited Rome in that period. And he replied to me saying it was amazing and I was so happy to hear that! Adam loves Italy and Italy loves Adam.
Awww that is so cool! It's always an exciting moment when you favourite artist connects with you! Moving on a little...from the word go, Adam’s significance in the world of Queen was destined to become a reality as he blew viewers of American Idol away with his rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody and has since joined the band on the road, giving fans a chance to experience the legendary group live. So what are your thoughts on the collaboration?
I think Queen+Adam Lambert is one of the best collaborations in the music industry nowadays! Adam is celebrating Freddie Mercury in his own way, he's a powerful showman and he knows what he's doing when he's on stage. And through his voice, he's letting Queen's music known to younger generations, I think that's a big task.
I completely agree...having seen the guys perform together on a number of occasions, I too, feel grateful that my generation is also able to experience the music of Queen through Adam! And it doesn't end there, Adam’s contribution to the band’s legacy continued with an appearance in the critically acclaimed film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. How cool was that?! What was your reaction to his appearance?
Bohemian Rapsody Film was an absolute masterpiece. When I saw Adam on the screen I was at cinema with my friends, the room was full and I couldn't talk at all. I really appreciated his cameo, I immediatly recognized him and I would liked to see him acting in the film longer!
As we’re approaching the end of the interview I wondered if you had a chance to sit down and chat with Adam, what would your message be to him?
My message for Adam would be this:
"One day you took my demons and you danced with them without fear.
Your voice was the soundtrack of that dance and at the end of it, my demons were in a place far from my mind. Your music gave the birth to the best part of me and I will never stop thanking you for this".
What a sweet thing to say...and so beautiful written Paola! One final question I'm afraid! If you could recommend one song to someone who’s unfamiliar with Adam’s music what would it be and why?
I would recommend to listen to "Closer to You" because in my opinion, it is a meaningful song. It explains how important it is to have someone in your life to share all you have. You have nothing if you don't have someone to share it with. This is his point of view and if you want to know something about him, you have to listen to this song!
Over the past few months, I've been luckily enough to speak with a number of Adam's fans and Paola like other Glamberts, has genuinely been so sweet and welcoming to me with her insight of Adam and his music. I feel touched by Paola's story which is a true example of the power of music and the good that it can have in our lives.
If you're a fellow Glambert and would like to connect with Paola be sure to give her a follow via one of the links below:
Instagram: @xadamsfever
Twitter: @xadamsfever
Adam Lambert Italia Official Twitter: @ItalyLovesAdam