As I’ve told you before, media conference calls can be a very interesting situation. You have no idea what the reporters are going to ask, and quite frankly, it can be a little frustrating…

Such was the case with the Adam Lambert call this afternoon. It was at least 14 questions in before someone asked him about not winning. It’s a good thing that those phone lines are listen only because I was going nuts.

So when the question finally came, what did he say?

“I really feel like I won by getting to the final. It’s not about the title, it’s the experience. I was able to use ‘American Idol’ as a platform, now I have a career. I’m totally okay with it. I couldn’t be happier for Kris.”

And yes, someone did find a way to ask Adam that other plaguing question, and he completely sidestepped it like the pro that he is. When a reporter asked him, “Do you think the constant questions about your sexuality cost you votes?” Adam simply answered, “Um, probably.”

Here’s a sample of the other things Adam had to say today…

On returning to Broadway: “My direction right now is to try to become a recording artist. But I’m not turning my back on it… Of course I could see myself coming there eventually. That’s my family. I in no way will ever forget my roots.”

On being theatrical: “It’s all in the name of good entertainment. I have a flashy, more dynamic way. I’m not saying it’s a better way. It’s just my way.” Adam praised the show for its support since “this was something a little bit new for them.”

On Katy Perry wearing the cape with his name on it: “I was shocked and completely honored. I wasn’t prepared for it.” Adam said Perry gave him a good piece of advice: “Just make sure you keep your friends from before and keep them close to you.”

On whether he’ll front a band or go solo: “Probably solo, but there are options there. I’m not sure yet. It could go either way.”

On his effortless performing: “I don’t think, I do. The thinking comes into play when I’m figuring out what I’m singing. When it comes time to perform, I just go.”

On auditioning in front of Paula Abdul, the first pop star he ever saw in concert: “It was a weird full circle moment for me. There was a lot of symbolism.”

On the post-finale party: “It was crazy. The whole evening was overwhelming. It was so exciting. It was really nice being able to be off the record and interact.”

On his favorite performance: “I really had a lot of fun doing ‘Whole Lotta Love.’ We were really excited it cleared. I felt very empowered.”

On why he hadn’t been discovered before this: “I might not have gone through the proper channels. You have to put yourself out there. Things happened when they were supposed to happen.”

On whether he’ll tone things down for the album: “I never really listen to what people say. In the recordings, things don’t translate as over the top. It’s different. The live performance takes it to a different level…It’s gonna be a really cool album.”

Adam added, not in response to a question, “What an opportunity. I’m so lucky.”

On why he auditioned now: “I just wasn’t satisfied artistically. I said, ‘Is this it? Is this my life? I want more. There’s more I’m supposed to be doing.’ Everything just lined up.”

On the mentors and special guests: “I was starstruck every time. Every single celebrity was coming up to me and they knew who I was. That was weird for me.”

In response to a question about his clothing style, Adam told us about Skingraft, a company owned by some friends of his in LA that designed a lot of his jackets, including the ones for “Ring of Fire,” “We Are the Champions” and “Whole Lotta Love.”

On whether he would change anything: “I don’t have any regrets. I don’t think I would have changed anything.”

On how he’ll “bring it” for the tour: “I’m just gonna do my thing. That will take care of itself on the tour.”

On which mentor he’d like to work with: “I’d really love to work with Slash. I felt so at home with him on stage. I thought, ‘This guy is so rad.’ I was so honored to be on stage with Brian May.”

On his album: “We’re at the drawing board right now. Music, it’s a little too specific lately. They try to draw one box around every artist…Because everyone knows who I am, we don’t have to go about it that way. It can be a collection of different styles with me at the center of it…I don’t want to do one specific genre. I’m more about fusion.”

Later Adam addressed dealing with the Idol machine while working on his album: “I think there’s a bit of a misconception. I think it’s a case-by-case basis. I’ve expressed my desire to have a lot of involvement. I’m about collaboration. I don’t like to be told what to do, but I don’t like to have the reins myself. They’ve been totally supportive of that.”

On his future: “We’ll see what happens. We had ‘What if’ type meetings. I knew that there was interest. I’m just thrilled that now I get to move forward. That’s why I feel like I’ve won, I don’t think the title really matters at this point.”

On whether he would have changed anything about his performances for Tuesday’s show: “No, I had a blast. The ‘Mad World’ thing was really fun. I don’t really like repeating things, so I wanted to take it to a different place. ‘No Boundaries’ is a great song, but it’s hard to sing live. I would’ve liked a little more rehearsal with that song.”

On his Idol experience: “The really cool thing about the show is that they’ve been 100 percent supportive of everything I’ve done. It’s been very positive and creative. Never once for a second did I feel stifled in any way.”

His closing comments: “I’m so fortunate to have had this opportunity. I’m blown away by the support that I got.”

Photo Credit: Frank Micelotta/FOX