"Whataya Want from Me" is a song by American recording artist 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 A ...

'' eighth season 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 ...

from his debut studio album, '' For Your Entertainment''. It was released as the second single from the album. The song peaked at number ten on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

, becoming his highest charting single. The song was well received by music critics and charted within the top 10 of the charts in thirteen countries. The

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

song was written by

Pink Pink is the color of a namesake flower that is a pale tint of red. It was first used as a color name in the late 17th century. According to surveys in Europe and the United States, pink is the color most often associated with charm, politeness, ...

, Max Martin, and Shellback and was recorded by Pink for her fifth studio album, '' Funhouse'', but did not make it to the final cut. Lambert's vocal performance of the song received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The song was included on the set list of Lambert's first concert tour, the 2010 Glam Nation Tour where he performed an acoustic rendition of it during the "ballad" section of the show. The song is also featured as one of the numbers in the 2019 jukebox musical '' & Juliet''.

Background

The track was originally recorded and co-written by

for the album '' Funhouse'' but did not make the final cut. On November 18, 2009, Lambert announced via his official website that his second single from his debut album would be "Whataya Want from Me". The song was the second single announced before the CD was officially available to the public. The song became available as a legal download in the United States on November 20, 2009, when the album was officially released. In 2010, Pink's recording appeared exclusively on the German and Australian releases of her first greatest hits compilation album, '' Greatest Hits... So Far!!!''.

Critical reception

"Whataya Want from Me" has received generally favorable reviews. Jonathan Keefe from ''

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'' praised the song and called it "phenomenally well-crafted pop single(s) that give Lambert the opportunity to shine". In the ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...

'', Joey Guerra wrote that the song "... sprobably the disc's most straightforward cut, with a bit of a Backstreet Boys vibe. Not bad". Huffington Post noted that this song deploys "some tired pop cliches" in the chorus but continued praising "one of the album's more poignant emotional statements, anticipating the heavy burden of expectations the singer is likely to carry while expressing vulnerable appreciation for the acceptance he has received." AllMusic called this song "terrific pop tune" and "P!nk's pained ong. Entertainment Weekly was also positive by calling it "hooky, heartfelt lament". Detroit News wrote "Credit Team Lambert for pairing him with a host of top-notch, like-minded collaborators" including Pink. LA Times praised that singing is "pleading and soulful." On the other hand, Greg Kot of the ''

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'' disliked the song and wrote "Lambert throws his hands up in the whiny 'Whataya Want from Me', a trifle from the team of Pink and Britney Spears svengali Martin." This song took 22nd place on "Top 100 'American Idol' Hits of All Time" by Billboard.

Chart performance

"Whataya Want from Me" debuted at number 72 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on the week of January 2, 2010. Following his appearance as a mentor on American Idol (season 9), the song reached number ten, becoming Lambert's second Top 20 single (the first being his cover of " Mad World", which peaked at number nineteen) and first Top 10 single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. As of January 2014, the single had sold approximately 2,006,000 copies within the US. The song is the only Adam Lambert song to appear in the Billboard Year-end, ranking at number forty-five in 2010.

Promotion

To promote the album's release, several songs from the album were performed live on AOL Sessions – including "Whataya Want from Me". Following Lambert's American Music Awards of 2009 performance of " For Your Entertainment", Lambert was dropped from a few upcoming performances and shows, including ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...

'' and '' Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' Lambert started a very long string of interviews and performances to address the controversy and promote his new single. "Whataya Want from Me" made its live debut on CBS's ''The Early Show'' on November 25, 2009. He performed two songs, and did a live interview discussing his performance at the American Music Awards that caused much controversy. In addition to "Whataya Want from Me", he performed "Music Again". His appearance on the morning show drew fans from all over the world to come watch him live. Lambert performed "Whataya Want from Me" on '' Late Show with David Letterman'' on November 25, 2009. Lambert was interviewed and performed on ''

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pr ...

'' on December 1, 2009. After much controversy with ABC canceling several of Lambert's performances (and due to accusations of homophobia on the behalf of the network), the network finally decided to let Lambert interview and perform on '' The View''. As a precaution, they pre-taped the interview and performance, to prevent any mishaps or improvisation with Lambert's performance, and to avoid a repeat of his AMA performance. He performed on December 10, 2009. The night before he was on Barbara Walters 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009, also on ABC. Lambert performed on '' The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' on December 14, 2009. Lambert returned to his

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roots with a live performance of his new single on the season finale of '' So You Think You Can Dance'' on December 16, 2009. He performed on the show with other performers including Jennifer Lopez, and Mary J. Blige. MTV called his performance "show-stopping". Lambert performed on ''

The Jay Leno Show ''The Jay Leno Show'' is a talk show created and hosted by Jay Leno. Premiering on NBC on September 14, 2009, the program aired on weeknights at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET/Pacific Time Zone, PT through February 9, 2010. The program w ...

'' on December 21, 2009. Adam also cleared up some rumors that were spread around over the past month. Lambert performed and interviewed on '' The Oprah Winfrey Show'' on January 20, 2010. It was his first performance of 2010, during which he discussed the controversy surrounding his AMA performance, his life since his rapid rise to fame, and his brief meeting with Madonna. Lambert performed it on the Australian morning program ''

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology ...

''. The interview can be viewed on the show's website. The single has peaked within the top ten in Australia. In March 2010, Lambert performed on

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...

's "''Unplugged''", where he sang a stripped-down performance of this and other songs off his album. In April 2010, Lambert performed the song on

, having acted as mentor to the Season 9 contestants during the "Elvis Theme Week". During April and May 2010, Lambert promoted the single internationally, performing on Finland's X Factor, in Sweden, in the Netherlands, in Germany, in the UK on the GMTV morning show, and in Switzerland.

Music video

The music video for "Whataya Want from Me" was directed by Diane Martel and shot on December 20, 2009. It premiered on January 15, 2010, on

. The video features Lambert becoming frustrated with his partner, which the audience cannot see (Some of the times, the camera/screen is being the eyes of his partner). There are also performance clips throughout the video of Lambert performing with his band. One scene features Lambert making his way through a crowd of paparazzi and fans into a car. At the beginning of the song, Lambert switches the TV off, and then begins singing "slow it down, whataya want from me," leading one interpretation to be that what he was watching was actually the AMAs. Lambert himself explains in several interviews that this song is something that everyone can relate to: going through the stresses of a changing personal environment and its effects on a relationship. It is also a reflection of both his own personal life as a rock star as well as his relationship with his audience and fans. He can be seen having an argument throughout the video with the camera, presumably representing his significant other. In one scene, he walks away saying he has had it and his significant other packs their bags and leaves a frustrated Lambert alone and miserable. At the end of the video, he is shown very happily greeting the camera after waking up, hinting at a reconciliation. He also goes to explain in an interview with Pop Couture that the feel was intended to be more "accessible," unlike his "For Your Entertainment" video. This resulted in softer textures and less architectural styling, with the use of cotton and sweaters and the like.

Track listings

*CD single No. 1 # "Whataya Want from Me" (Album Version) – 3:47 # "Whataya Want from Me" ( Jason Nevins Electrotek Extended Mix) – 6:22 *CD single No. 2 # "Whataya Want from Me" (Album Version) – 3:47 # "Whataya Want from Me" (

Fonzerelli Fonzerelli is a DJ and music producer from the UK. Biography His 2006 single, "Moonlight Party", charted in the Netherlands, Finland and Australia. Fonzerelli's remix of J. Majik & Wickaman's "Crazy World" is featured on the Grand Theft A ...

's New Romantic Club Mix) – 5:52 *Australian digital download # "Whataya Want from Me" – 3:47 # "Whataya Want from Me" (Fonzerelli's Electro House Club Remix) – 5:52 *Remixes (Part of Remixes album) # "Whataya Want from Me" (

Brad Walsh Brad Walsh (born June 15, 1982) is an American singer and record producer known for his own pop and experimental music, as well as his dance remixes of pop artists including Britney Spears, Adam Lambert, and Lady Gaga. Career Walsh has relea ...

's A-Vivir Mix) – 4:31 # "Whataya Want from Me" (Fonzerelli's Electro House Club Remix) – 5:52 # "Whataya Want from Me" (Jason Nevins Electrotek Extended Mix) – 6:22

Credits and personnel

Recording *Recorded at Maratone Studios, Stockholm, Sweden, House of Blues Studios, Los Angeles, California, and Germano Studios, New York City. *Mixed at MixStar Studios,

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city (United States), independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 United States cen ...

Personnel * Songwriting –

, Max Martin, Shellback *Production – Max Martin, Shellback *Keyboards – Max Martin *Drums, guitar and bass – Shellback * Recording – Max Martin, Shellback, Al Clay, Ann Mincieli *Recording assistant – Chris Galland, Doug Tyo, Christian Baker * Mixing – Serban Ghenea * Mix engineer – John Hanes *Mixing assistant – Tim Roberts

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Radio and release history

References

External links

Adam Lambert official site"Whataya Want from Me" music video
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whataya Want from Me 2000s ballads 2009 singles Adam Lambert songs Number-one singles in Poland Music videos directed by Diane Martel Songs written by Pink (singer) Songs written by Max Martin Songs written by Shellback (record producer) Song recordings produced by Max Martin Pop ballads Rock ballads Song recordings produced by Shellback (record producer) 2009 songs Pink (singer) songs RCA Records singles 19 Recordings singles