Adam Lambert's risky CD cover

Fans and critics are torn over the "glamtastic," "hideous," "cheesy" cover of Adam Lambert's debut album, For Your Entertainment (a pre-release sales smash on Amazon.com). The openly gay American Idol belter says the retro-'80s artwork is "deliberately campy," but some worry its androgynous rendering of Lambert might play badly with middle America. What was his record company thinking? (Listen to clips from Adam Lambert's new album.)

The cover is provocative, but so what? The awesomely cheesy photo—so reminiscent of 1980's Xanadu—might put off "closed-minded" mainstream fans "too embarrassed" to take the album up to the cash register, says Lindsey Parker at Yahoo! Music. But you know what? It's "their loss."

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