"Aftermath" is a song by American pop vocalist and ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' season eight runner-up

Adam Lambert Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...

. The song was written by Lambert,

Alisan Porter Alisan Leigh Porter (born June 20, 1981) is an American pop, rock & country singer, actress, and dancer. As a child, Porter made acting appearances in '' Parenthood'', '' Stella'' and ''I Love You to Death''. Her breakout role came in 1991, when ...

, Ferras, Ely Rise and produced by

Howard Benson Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008. Early life and education Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philadel ...

for Lambert's debut album, '' For Your Entertainment''. It was released as a charity single on March 10, 2011.

Background

'Aftermath' is a rock-anthem that shows off Lambert’s spectacular range - with his lower register very prominent and his now-familiar riffing on the high notes. The uplifting message in the lyrics to 'Aftermath' is touching without being sappy. It is, as Lambert has said, a self-empowerment anthem. "And what better song to bring attention to the Trevor Project while also providing encouragement and support to LGBTQ youth and anyone with self-esteem issues

Critical reception

The album version received mixed reviews. Slant Magazine praised the vocals: "he favorably recalls some of the strongest '80s hair-metal vocalists like Axl Rose and David Coverdale. It's a style that suits Lambert well since it capitalizes on his vocal power and his flair for the dramatic." Allmusic called this song "anonymous" and "anthemic AAA pop." Detroit News disliked this song:"less effective than others (...) kind of "keep pushing on" claptrap every "Idol" album seems to be saddled with." Huffington Post wasn't positive and compared: "perhaps the lone glaringly weak track, hearkening regrettable Idol anthems like "No Boundaries." However, the remix version was met with positive reviews. Robbie Daw from

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...

said, "We’re digging the dreamy feel of the Billboard remix of "Aftermath," particularly the parts where Adam’s upper range is more prevalent. That said, we love the album version, too, and we really can’t place one above the other." Pat Ryder said, "Maybe it's not perfect, but overall 'Aftermath: Remix' is a good effort by Billboard. Clearly Lambert is happy with the mix and eager to promote it to bring attention to the universal message and to the Trevor Project".

Live performances

The song was performed on Lambert's 2010

Glam Nation Tour The Glam Nation Tour (also known as GlamNation International) was the first headlining concert tour by American singer/songwriter Adam Lambert in support of his debut album, '' For Your Entertainment''. The tour included over 100 shows in North A ...

during the "ballad" section of the show. Lambert also performed an acoustic rendition of the song on

in 2011.

Track listing

;Digital download # "Aftermath (Billboard Remix)" – 5:24

Personnel

*Adam Lambert - songwriter and vocals *

- songwriter * Ferras - songwriter *Ely Rise - songwriter *

- producer Source:

Release history

References

{{authority control 2011 singles Adam Lambert songs Songs written by Adam Lambert 2009 songs Song recordings produced by Howard Benson RCA Records singles Jive Records singles Songs written by Ferras