Like receiving props from Simon Cowell after an intense performance, Adam Lambert feels liberated by his recent Rolling Stone admission.

"I'm really happy with it. The cover looks great. It was great working with [photographer] Matthew Rolston," the singer told Us Weekly this at week. "And the title - 'The Liberation of Adam Lambert' - I do feel liberated. I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

Lambert insists he wasn't hiding his sexual orientation during his run on American Idol; he just didn't wanna distract from his mission on that show: to sing and entertain.

"It's not like I was holding back before," he said. "I was being myself, but it's nice to have everything out in the open."

Up next for Adam Lambert: a summer tour with fellow American Idol finalists, a debut album and a lifetime of hit singles.