Adam Lambert's Worst Hair Transformations Over The Years
When it comes to his look, the truth about Adam Lambert is that he plans everything from the top of his head down to his shoes. The "American Idol" alum is always meticulously groomed, and we've yet to see him with just-rolled-out-of-bed hair. Unfortunately, his elaborate hairstyles don't always pan out. When fans first saw Lambert in the singing competition in 2009, he had a jet-black spiky 'do that looked a lot like Kate Gosselin during the early years of "Jon & Kate Plus 8." During his time on "Idol," Adam Lambert dramatically transformed his hair into different styles, such as a pompadour and the "Justin Bieber," giving him a brand new look for each of his songs. But, again, some hair changes worked better than others.
The singer has experimented with everything from dying his hair blue to rocking a fresh undercut. And, while Adam Lambert debuted a stunning new look in 2023 with his make-under, there were plenty of other hair transformations that would have had Randy Jackson saying, "It's a no from me, dawg."
Adam Lambert's bouffant shag in January 2011
In January 2011, Adam Lambert ditched his spikes for a more relaxed style at the Elton John Concert for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, but it didn't do the rock star any favors. Instead, the haircut looked like a cross between a shag and a mullet with an oddly-placed bouffant on the top of his head. The 'do was reminiscent of the 1970s feathered look favored by Andy Gibb. When shown a picture of his hairstyle four years later in an interview with the Brazilian outlet Deezer, Lambert laughed, "Um, she's a lady. I don't know what I was going through there."
Unfortunately, Lambert's layered look wasn't a one-and-done. Later in January 2011, he wore it even shaggier to the premiere of "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 3. When asked by FNL Network which singer inspired him as a kid, Lambert answered, "When I first heard Freddie Mercury, I was like 'What the?!' I was kind of floored. He was so intense, in your face." Given that the "Bohemian Rhapsody" singer was a fan of the shag haircut, it's no wonder Lambert is as well.
Adam Lambert's spiky teal 'do in August 2011
It's safe to say that Adam Lambert was a fan of spiky hairstyles early on in his career, but he went overboard at the Do Something Awards in August 2011 with a sky-high hairdo tinted blue-green on the ends. While the "Whataya Want from Me" singer gets points for creativity, the look was a mix between Marge Simpson and Johnny from "Hotel Transylvania." Perhaps he was going through a goth emo phase, but he eventually pulled himself out of it.
This was the first time that Lambert rocked a hair color that wasn't entirely black. Although his fans would be surprised to know that Lambert's natural hair color is nowhere close to pitch black. In 2015, he shared a throwback picture of himself as a kid with honey-colored hair. "I love the 90's (natural color!)" the singer captioned on Instagram. Who would have guessed he was a natural blond? That must be why it's been so easy for him to switch up colors.
Adam Lambert's clown-red dye job in 2017
In June 2017, Adam Lambert took a break from his black hair and went red with a much shorter cut to kick off his North American tour with Queen. While the shaved sides were pretty cool, the bright fire engine color was reminiscent of a clown's wig and washed out his complexion. The "For Your Entertainment" singer even admitted to startling himself with his shocking red hair in an interview with ET Canada. "I love how it looks on stage, but every time I get in front of a mirror in person, I'm like, 'Oh, god, so red!'" he laughed. Lambert admitted that when he showered, the bathtub looked like the movie "Psycho," and he apologized to all the hotels for leaving them with red pillowcases.
Thankfully, the red hair was short-lived and a month later, Lambert went for a more subtle brown shade. "Back to Earth," he posted on Instagram in late July 2017. "No more red," a fan commented. Another shared, "Your hair is now hair colored."
Adam Lambert's frosted streaks in January 2020
Adam Lambert must have been yearning for Y2K days when he hard-launched his icy-blond streaks in January 2020. "Frost by @dustinnbakerr," he wrote on Instagram. The rest of his hair was a dark brown and he had the sides and back of his head shaved into a dramatic fade. Lambert kept up this throwback dye job throughout his tour with Queen as the lead singer then settled for a more muted brown shade with caramel highlights during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Back in 2012, Lambert was asked if he would ever go back to his natural hair color, per Digital Spy. He shrugged and stated, "It's funny people, when you ask me these questions. It's like, I don't know. I don't have it all planned out." He added, "I'm pretty impulsive. Like, if I have an idea, that's when I chase it down. I come up with ideas all the time." There you have it — when Lambert changes his hair, it was likely an impulse decision.
Adam Lambert's Two-Face hairstyle in April 2023
With Adam Lambert's ever-changing whims when it comes to his hair, it's not surprising that he didn't know what color to go for, so he picked two: silver and chestnut brown in April 2023. "Me & my honey @olivergliese at the @lalgbtcenter annual Gala!" he shared on Instagram with his new 'do. While the gray hair looked great on Lambert, the lone patch of brown stood out awkwardly against the lighter color. Lambert kept the small streak of brown in his hair for the rest of the year and went completely silver at the beginning of 2024.
The light color wasn't the only time Lambert went gray. In 2012, he debuted his silver fox look at New York Fashion Week. When a fan asked the singer-songwriter on X, formerly known as Twitter, if he would dye his hair again in 2020, Lambert answered, "I will be dying my hair the rest of my life. All sorts of colors." We'll just have to wait and see where his next whim will take him.