Turning back time: Adam Lambert performed that 'Believe' cover on American Idol

This week’s #ThrowbackThursday comes with a musical bonus: On Wednesday, CBS aired the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, including acting Queen frontman Adam Lambert delivering a cover of “Believe” that moved Cher to tears. But that wasn’t the first time he performed that rendition.

The former American Idol contestant sang a slightly tweaked version for Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi on the reality talent show’s eighth season. Their critiques of that particular performance weren’t aired, as it was during round 3 of the Hollywood auditions, but prior to that, DioGuardi mentioned that he sounded too much like musical theater.

Cowell responded well to Lambert’s hope of offering a “twist” to those songs “we’ve heard a million times.” The singer did just that and it worked in his favor, being that he made it on the show.

Fast forward to the tail end of 2018 and the same “Believe” cover, coming from a now more experienced set of vocal cords, stands as an ode to Cher’s mighty career. People don’t think he sounds too “music theater” anymore.

Related content:

• Cher announces she’s writing her ‘life story,’ book to publish in 2020
• The Cher Show brings an icon and her hits to Broadway: EW review
• Cher visits her own Broadway musical — and poses with the three actresses playing her