Adam Lambert or Freddie Mercury? Queen's Brian May Says 'American Idol' Alum Has Better Range

You know those people who say they were "born in the wrong era" and wish they could have been a teenager in the 1960s or '70s? That is basically Adam Lambert, who rose to pop fame with American Idol at the turn of the decade. He was as close to late Queen singer Freddie Mercury as a new star could get, but he could not nail down a perfect fit in the music world.

Until Queen came calling in 2011, that is. Then the pieces fell into place immediately. One of the world's most storied rock bands got a third wind — after a forgettable era with Paul Rodgers — and Lambert got his chance to eschew pop for the coolest cover gig ever.

Now — get this — Brian May is throwing out some serious compliments.

"They're difficult songs to sing, Queen songs," he told Japan's Universal Music, via Billboard. "There's too much range. So many people can't sing them in the original key — even if they are good singers, Adam comes along, [and] he can do it easy. He can do it in his sleep! He can sing higher than even Freddie could in a live situation. So I think Freddie would look at this guy and think, 'Hmm ... Yeah. OK.' There would be a kind of, 'Hmm ... You bastard. You can do this.'"

Better range than Freddie? That is borderline blasphemous, but roll tide.

"He doesn't have to try," May said. "He is a natural, in the same way that Freddie was. We didn't look for this guy, [but] suddenly he's there, and he can sing all of those lines. ... He doesn't imitate; he just does his own thing."

The group is set for a slew of dates in 2015, with a New Year's Eve gig coming up in London. Check out Lambert do his thing below:

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Queen, Adam Lambert, Brian May