Arts, Music

Lambert’s ‘Ghost Town’ Abandons A Promising Premise For Flair

3.5 stars

Adam Lambert’s music video for his infectious new single “Ghost Town” has a whole lot of dance, fashion, and sexuality—not exactly what you’d expect from a song that claims his “heart is a ghost town.” The video opens up to the expected scene of abandoned trailers and gas stations, but soon takes an unanticipated turn.

The camera zooms into Lambert’s face until the audience is left with only the impression of his eyes against a dark background—this is when the video strays from the personal and becomes more of a fashion film. The scene explodes into a milieu of dancers, each one dressed in an exciting ensemble seemingly inspired by many different eras of fashion. As the video progresses from scene to scene, as many of the images overlap, it begins to give off a sense of strobe lighting. The scene begins to feel more like a house party than a ghost town.

Although the song definitely has a somber tone, it’s still an upbeat dance track, and this music video makes that exceedingly clear. In this way, Lambert creates a balance that is often hard to achieve. From the vulnerable close-ups that allow the audience insight into what Adam is going through to the bursts of dance and fashion and vivacity, this video covers all the bases and makes for a very unique viewing experience that is unlike any other so far this year.

Featured Image Courtesy of RCA Records

April 30, 2015