Adam Lambert says his next album was born out of a breakup, a relocation and a decision to start over. The pop singer, calling from his home in New York City, said he moved cross-country after ending a five-year relationship and that the shift fed directly into ADAM, his sixth album, which is set for release on July 10.

That timing is why the project is coming into focus now. Lambert already put out the high-energy lead single, Eat U Alive, on May 8, and the full album is now on a summer runway that gives listeners a first look at where he is headed musically and personally.

Lambert spent the last 25 years in Los Angeles before deciding last year that it was time to make a change. He said the new headspace and the new physical space shaped much of the music, and he described the record as the result of closing one chapter and opening another. He also said he had checked off his wish list for the album, calling it the kind of project he had wanted to make all along.

The sound he was chasing leans darker and more electronic. Lambert said he was referencing music from the 90s, including Nine Inch Nails, Bjork and Massive Attack, as he built what he described as a moodier alternative record. That direction also tied into where he said he thinks the culture is right now, with darker vibes feeling appropriate for the moment.

There is also a business side to the change. Lambert said taking control of the album felt rewarding, and that he is in the driver’s seat this time, releasing ADAM through his own label with The Orchard handling distribution. He said that in the past, working with companies could compromise creative vision, a friction point that helps explain why he wanted more control here.

He also brought in a team that fit the new approach. Jessica Thomas handled his A&R, and Pete Nappi served as executive producer. Lambert said he had worked with Nappi before, called him a fan of his sonic style and said he was grateful to have him so deeply involved in shaping the album’s sound.

What remains unclear is how directly the songs map onto the breakup and the move, but the release date is fixed. ADAM is due July 10, and Lambert appears ready to let the full record show how far the New York reset pushed him.