Adam Lambert revealed his album cover for "For Your Entertainment" and it’s as spectacularly over-the-top and jaw-dropping as his memorable “American Idol” performances. The dude is a walking water-cooler conversation. And by golly, he’s done it again.

In the Tweet that linked to the cover, Lambert wrote, “Glam is back!!!” Judging from this album art, however, I don’t know that I’d say it’s back so much as hanging out at the mall Glamour Shots kiosk. (Will this eye-catching retro look help sell albums? We'll find out when it lands in stores November 23.)

The thing is, “American Idol” has a long history of eyebrow raising album covers. Read more...

After a nearly four-year run on Broadway, Monty Python’s “Spamalot” will perform its final show on January 18 at its home the Shubert Theatre, according to The New York Times. The Tony Award-winning spectacle, based on the 1975 movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," is the latest casualty on Broadway, following in the wake of "Hairspray" and "Legally Blonde."

Currently, the show stars "American Idol" alum and new dad Clay Aiken, who will end his role as Sir Robin on January 4. Other castmembers include Michael Siberry, Merle Dandridge, Tom Deckman, Rick Holmes, Bradley Dean, Wally Dunn and David Hibbard. In the past, Tim Curry, Hank Azaria, Sara Ramirez of "Grey's Anatomy" and Monty Python's own John Cleese have all starred in the show.
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This week is the week of coming out: From Lindsay Lohan finally admitting to dating DJ Sam Ronson "for a very long time" to Clay Aiken, proud new daddy and proudly out GAY man (no surprise there), it seems that everyone has decided to jump out of the closet and show Sarah Palin who they are. (Ha! Can Lindsay please hit on Governor P? Please??) And, OMFG, there was even a blind item this week about a famous TV housewife who is getting separated from her real-life husband (her beard?) and is rumored to be coming out SOON!

Anyway, long gone are the days when kissing a fellow contestant in a limo full of models was considered cool or edgy (three years ago, I kissed fellow contestant Sarah Rhoades in front of the cameras on "America's Next Top Model"), or when the statement "Yep, I'm gay" was actually daring — people claimed that would end Ellen DeGeneres' career, and now she's one of America's most beloved talk-show hosts, has a hot wife, and gets all the free episodes of "Arrested Development" that she wants! (Yep, I'm jealous.) Remember the uproar when some people claimed one of the Teletubbies might be gay? Read more...

BREAKING NEWS! Clay Aiken has apparently come out of the closet! Kudos to Clay for coming to terms with his true self, and kudos to People magazine for paying the "American Idol" contestant to talk about his sexuality.

I had the privilege to interview Clay on September 21, 2006 (almost exactly two years ago!), during his "I'm gonna admit to taking anti-depressants and, at the same time, promote my new album" tour. My superiors in the department thought it would be a good opportunity for me to "gently" ask Clay about his personal life. At the time, there were all kinds of unflattering rumors surrounding the singer and his sexuality, and even though he'd recently called Diane Sawyer "rude" for asking about them, I figured I'd try my luck.

Watch Jim's awkward interview with Clay Aiken after the jump!
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It’s hard to imagine an artist as accomplished and beloved as Neil Diamond (trust us -- your mom digs him) has never, over the course of his more than forty-year career, known the feeling of having an album hit the chart at #1. Hard to imagine, but true.

That's why this week is so sweet for the Solitary Man, because according to the latest SoundScan figures, Diamond’s Rick Rubin-produced Home Before Dark has broken that bad-luck streak, selling close to 146,000 copies to top next week’s chart. This was no doubt made possible by the tremendous boost of having some of his classic tunes featured (and, you know, mostly murdered) on that popular singing contest "American Idol."

Check out some other twists and turns in the chart, after the jump. Read more...

An MTV News producer who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of incurring the wrath of the always-intense Claymates just sent this in:

So I watched Clay on QVC last night (it was worth it for the studio audience alone), and he debuted a bunch of new tracks from his super-anticipated-by-very-particular-people upcoming album.

Anyway, during his final song, I'm pretty sure he came out of the closet.

I give you the lyrics to the song "THE REAL ME." [Ed: This is Clay's cover of a Natalie Grant song.] Note the second verse especially...

Foolish heart looks like we're here again
Same old game of plastic smile
Don't let anybody in
Hiding my heartache, will this glass house break
How much will they take before I'm empty
Do I let it show, does anybody know?

[Chorus:]
But you see the real me
Hiding in my skin, broken from within
Unveil me completely
I'm loosening my grasp
There's no need to mask my frailty
Cause you see the real me

Painted on, life is behind a mask
Self-inflicted circus clown
I'm tired of the song and dance
Living a charade, always on parade...

Hmmm...what could he be talking about???

Tragically, the broadcast ended about 90 seconds into this performance, so I have no idea how the song ends. But my jaw hit the ground when I heard those lyrics.

A clip of Clay singing the (cough) provocative tune after the jump. Read more...

· Slick Rick, Vampire Weekend, Mates of State, and Kurt Cobain's favorite songwriter Daniel Johnston are among the acts playing Philly’s second-ever Popped! fest.

· Clay Aiken is debuting his new album on QVC next Monday. Clayniacs are sooo thankful!

· How did we miss this? Pour one out for Robert Reed of Trouble Funk, who helped make the DC go-go scene.

· A former MTV exec is coming out with a book on homosexuality and the hip-hop industry -- as in, how everyone's too terrified to come out.

In a season light on star-making performances from guys not named Archuleta, “American Idol” had a “moment” Tuesday night when an emotional David Cook roughed up guest judge Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby.”

The Train-meets-Nickelback-style cover -- which, for the record, some of us thought was a trainwreck of mush-mouthed, grunty vocals plowing into a car crash of muddy accompaniment, but that's just us, apparently -- drew rave reviews from the judges, who pegged it as one of the most original, gutsy performances so far this year.

The Cook-ie party of praise got us thinking about seven other “Idol” breakout performances that still stick in our brains. Some of those contestants went on to win big -- while others peaked too early. Our list after the jump. Read more...