Adam Lambert on covering Billie Eilish: “I respect her artistry and her individuality”

nme.com:

Adam Lambert has discussed his choice to cover Billie Eilish‘s ‘Getting Older’ for his new album ‘High Drama’, citing her “timeless’ and “profound” lyrics.

Watch our interview with the singer above.Speaking to NME for the latest in our In Conversation series, Lambert opened up about his upcoming covers album which features reworked songs by the likes of Kings Of Leon (‘Sex On Fire’), Lana Del Rey (‘West Coast’) and Sia (‘Chandelier’), among others.Of his choice to cover Eilish’s ‘Getting Older’, Lambert said: “I was listening to the lyrics and I was like, ‘How did a 19-year-old land on this feeling that I feel at 40, and that I’m sure someone feels at 30?’ It’s a universal feeling the idea of getting older.

All of the things she talks about in the song are timeless, you can be any age and feel that way. I thought that was pretty profound.”Lambert went on to explain that Eilish was on the shortlist of artists he wanted to cover on ‘High Drama’, because: “I respect her artistry [and] her individuality.”Musically, for Lambert’s version of the track, the landed on a ’70s pop world with some “Queen guitar homages”.For ‘High Drama’ Lambert has also covered Lana Del Rey’s ‘West Coast’. “It’s my favourite Lana Del Rey song,” he explained to NME of the choice, adding: “Probably because Dan Auerbach from Black Keys produced it.

I love the Black Keys. It’s just a sexy song.”Musically for ‘West Coast’, Lambert explained he listened to the “moody” and “bluesy” guitar work on the track, and looked at “the roots of the chords” and thought “this could be like [Led] Zeppelin.