You might think American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert would be used to brushing shoulders with celebs by now, but meeting Madonna still left him a little starstruck.
"[Madonna] was incredible. I was a bit intimidated, but she was very, very warm," Lambert told E! News during a visit to the studio where he's recording his debut album. "She gave me some advice on how to deal with the fame and the craziness. She said, 'You know, just keep your eye on the prize. Remember what it is that you want to accomplish. And try to ignore all the other crap.'"
Lambert, who is busy laying down tracks with producer RedOne at the Jim Henson Company in Los Angeles, insists he got exactly what he wanted from A.I., despite coming in second place.
"Look, I'm in the studio with this guy—a wizard," Lambert said. "And I'm getting to make an album. I mean, that's why I entered the show. I wanted an opportunity like this and I'm getting it."
Meanwhile, RedOne had very strong feelings about Lambert from the moment he saw him onstage.
"Before the finals or anything, I called the label," RedOne told E! News. "I was like, if that guy wins, I gotta work with him. And if he doesn't win, I gotta work with him."
Both, however, are being tight-lipped about Lambert's new songs, which RedOne predicts will "shock the world." But it does sound like the singer will be sticking with his signature, glam-pop sound, saying the vibe "is going to be rock at the center of it, but in a pop fashion," and will have a '60s and '70s rock feel.
While the disc is scheduled to drop some time this fall, a tune Lambert recorded before becoming famous started making the rounds on the Internet last week. "Want" will be available on iTunes beginning Tuesday—much to singer's chagrin.
If you haven't heard it yet, take a listen and let us know what you think. Does it feel like the Lambert we've come to know and love, or is he definitely capable of a whole lot more?