Whatever you think of American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert's debut album cover, it was supposed to be that way. Aight, bro/mom? But as Movieline discovered last night when talking to Idol sixth-place finisher Anoop Desai at Gen Art's 12th annual "Fresh Faces in Fashion" runway show in Los Angeles, the now-famous sleeve could've ended up much different -- and funnier.
The 22-year-old balladeer (and hardcore Swingers fan) told Movieline that he not only saw the final For Your Entertainment's artwork, but he saw other contenders.
"I have seen the album, I have," he said. "He was in between two album covers, and I actually picked the one that didn't get chosen. I liked the other one a lot; I don't know if he wants me to talk about it -- but it was edgier. His album cover now is totally the glam thing, what he's going for. I'm proud of it."
As for what "edgy" meant, Desai remained mum, but he acknowledged that the runner-up cover had nothing to do with the glittery Michelin garb we glimpsed before.
"No, he was not, he was not [considering that]," Desai said. "There were rumors on the internet about that, but I actually heard about it from him, and he showed me some of the first pictures. And I just laughed at them."
Now that the Idol tour is over, Desai says he's relocated to Los Angeles where he plans on maintaining the momentum of his prime-time popularity, which means scavenging for breaks and that elusive recording contract.
"I think the important thing is just to not slow down," he said. "I was home for two weeks and then I moved to LA. I'm busy writing, recording, shopping a record deal right now, and you just can't take a day off. Now we're in the big leagues with everyone else, you have to be on your A-game. When I went home, I tried to make it as normal as possible. I tried to go out with my boys and just have a good time. But it was definitely different."