Adam Lambert Shares Mental Health Struggles with Rejuvenating New Song

Glamberts rejoice! Adam Lambert has just dropped his first new music in four years with the yearning ballad "Feel Something."

Just before the song was released last night, the openly gay American Idol runner-up penned an emotional letter to his fans detailing his depression surrounding the direction his life and career and the steps he's taken with his music to climb out of that hole.

"I wanted to give a gift to you to kick off this new era before I drop my first official single," he tweeted. "It’s a preview of the upcoming album—and a song from me to you."

The full letter:

"Hi. I know you’ve been waiting! Well I’m finally ready to bring new music to all of you.

First: Let me offer a most sincere thank you for your patience and continued faith in me. You've pushed me to keep going even when I felt discouraged. I love making and performing music, but there have been many times where I've had to compromise on my artistic vision, with executives making decisions based on money and not art. Don't get me wrong - I'm VERY proud of my body of work. But I'm coming out of a dark period of second-guessing my own artistry and having my mental health suffer because of it. I started asking myself, 'is all this hustle really worth it?' I put all my focus on work and started to feel detached in my personal life. My self-worth was suffering. I was lonely and becoming depressed. 

Luckily, I have also been touring with Queen which recharges me with tons of positive energy. The fans we perform for are so full of love, and Brian May and Roger Taylor are a joy to play music with and always remind me of my value. Together we have collaborated creatively on our tours and this helped me to reaffirm my confidence in my artistry. Working with Queen helped keep my head above water, and I am so grateful to the spirit of Freddie Mercury who has always inspired me to push ahead boldly.

With a bit of professional help and the support of colleagues, friends, and family, I pulled myself out of the darkness. I decided to begin my next album on my own so I wouldn't be influenced by anything but my passion for music. I reached out to fellow writers and artists that I'd met over the years and began booking sessions with them. I wanted to make the music I wanted to make, and to get in the headspace I was in when I first dreamed of being a singer-before playing industry game started messing with my love for music.

After the first few songs were written, I began to realize that the only way to get this new project released the way I envisioned it was to change up my team. So I hired a new management company and signed with a new record label. A fresh start!

I wanted to give a gift to you to kick off this new era before I drop my first official single. It's a preview of the upcoming album - and a song from me to you. It's called 'Feel Something.' This was written about me climbing out of the low period, defying my disillusionment, owning my needs, and opening my heart. The life of a bachelor can be a laugh, with plenty of flings, but after awhile it starts to feel empty. Between frustrations with my career and many lost connections, I felt numb- and though I wanted to fall in love, I knew I wasn't ready. That's what inspired me to cry out, 'I don't need to feel love, I just wanted to feel something!' It was in this realization that I took my first step toward self-care and nursing my spirit back to health. This song is the emotional starting point of my new album.

The tracks will chronicle the journey of taking responsibility for my own happiness and strength, and searching for intimacy. Since writing this song, I've found the joy I was missing and I'm back in my power. I can't wait for you to hear more!

-A"

Listen to "Feel Something" below.