Last season's "American Idol" runner-up, singing sensation Adam Lambert debuts his new album "For Your Entertainment" today. Colorful, confident and charming, the 27-year-old garnered a lot of attention for his talent and later, his orientation. He talked about being gay in a Rolling Stone cover story, which ran after the television competition was over. He grew up outside San Diego and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his entertainment career.

OK, some people love the new album cover, some don't. Are you happy with how it turned out?

Yeah, I like it a lot. I love it. I mean I wouldn't have picked it had I not liked it [laughing]. You know, good art and good entertainment is not going to please everybody. That's the way I look at it.

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Do you think finding the right person is going to be harder because of your new-found celebrity?

Probably, yeah. You kind of have to take note of people's intentions. You know what I mean? I'm trying to not let it bother me or not let it affect me and try to remain just as normal as possible.

How has that been going? Is it overwhelming?

At times, yeah, there have been moments it's been overwhelming, but overall I kind of feel like this is something I've wanted for so long, to be in this position. It feels like a relief almost. Like, "Oh I made it!" Now the real race starts. This is the beginning of what I've always wanted.

So far, is it what you expected, dealing with the paparazzi and all that comes with it?

I'm 27 and I've lived in L.A. for about eight years, so I've seen it and that kind of helps a lot. I've been on the sidelines for a lot of this stuff. I've been to clubs and have had friends that were on TV shows and walked out of a club with them and had the paparazzi get up in their face and take a bunch of pictures. I've seen it and it took some of the shock away for me. It comes with the territory. I think it's a fair trade, considering.

You talked in your Rolling Stone interview about going to the Burning Man counterculture festival and realizing you should go on "American Idol," but you won't be anonymous in places like that anymore.

No, I know. It's funny, that Burning Man story -- because I think she [Rolling Stone writer] used a little bit of poetic license there. I wasn't like at Burning Man deciding to do "American Idol." It wasn't quite that simple. It was more like the experiences I had at Burning Man changed my perspective and encouraged me to take some chances and to be more proactive in my career and really go after it. It gave me the confidence, spiritually that I needed to go for it. But obviously I'm not going to be anonymous anymore. That's the price you pay. The reward is totally worth it.

With all the accolades, did you feel your ego getting away from you at any point ?

I don't know. I think this is my work. This is my job. I definitely feel like I have a higher sense of self-worth, but I don't necessarily feel like I'm, you know, becoming arrogant. I have great friends and family around me that I've known for a long time that help keep me grounded. I try to keep things in check, in that, this can all go away in 15 more minutes. Do you know what I mean? Who knows? Knowing that keeps you with one foot on the ground.

What kind of high do you get from singing live? When did you first experience that?

I remember a real distinct event when I was like 14. I was doing a play, a musical, and I stood up on a desk and I had to sing this really high note. I had to hold it a long time, and I remember kind of feeling the energy in the room shift. It felt really amazing.

So when you are singing certain lyrics do particular people come to mind, or times in your life? Or are you just in the moment?

Sometimes I have a story going on in my head, yeah. You know especially if it's a more emotional kind of vulnerable song. I really try to-- it's kind of a form of acting in a way -- I try to recall the emotion, like sense memory. I try to put myself back in that place, or a place that recalls a similar feeling. By me going there, hopefully, it can transport other people there. The songs I wrote on the album are all derived from personal experiences and personal philosophy.

So, you are putting yourself out there with your own songs. It must feel kind of weird.

It is kind of weird, but there is a liberation that comes with that in a way. It's like being an open book and not hiding from the public and being open. I don't know. It kind of feels good.

Many entertainers have succumbed to substance abuse. Do you have a plan to avoid that?

It's never gotten to the point where I felt like it was so out of hand that I was harming myself. Not physically anyway. There were times that I've talked about where I was a little bit down and kind of numbing out, and in a routine that didn't really have any forward motion. I think my only plan is to just to stay grounded.

Finally, has being gay been an asset or a detriment to your life and career so far?

It's just another part of who I am. I wouldn't look at it either way, as an asset or a detriment. There's definitely not a lot of gay artists out there. So, as far as it being an asset in its novelty, possibly. I think that it's different but in actuality, it really shouldn't matter. I know we don't live in an ideal world, and I'm not claiming that we are, but I hope that some day it doesn't [matter]. It really has very little to do with what I'm creating. I'm here to entertain people, and my sexual preference doesn't really affect how I entertain people, I don't think.

Mackenzie Carpenter's video program, "Omnivore," is available exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.