American Idol star Adam Lambert, 42, has been dating Oliver Gliese, 29, for almost four years – and he’s obviously in a good and naughty place musically as well.
In an interview with People, Lambert shared details of the music on his new EP, Afters, which he released in July. Describing it as “setting a mood” for “a bedroom conversation”, Lambert said the project marked a bold new chapter in his career.

Adam Lambert (left) and Oliver Gliese officially began their relationship in 2021. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
Adam Lambert (left) and Oliver Gliese officially began their relationship in 2021. Photo: @olivergliese/InstagramHe also revealed that the pandemic gave him some space to reflect and that his relationship was a huge inspiration. “I’ve been able to have a bit more of a personal life for a little while, and I’m in an amazing relationship, and we socialise a lot and put on a lot of parties, and we go out, and I just wanted to make music that sort of reflected that experience, that reflected that reality,” he said.

Adam Lambert – in an “amazing relationship” with Oliver Gliese. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
Adam Lambert – in an “amazing relationship” with Oliver Gliese. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram

Lambert shot to stardom on TV show American Idol and became a solo sensation. Not only did the Grammy-nominated artist make history as the first openly gay performer to top the Billboard charts, he’s also a passionate LGBTQ+ and human rights advocate.

Oliver Gliese works for a non-profit organisation promoting sustainability in fashion. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
Oliver Gliese works for a non-profit organisation promoting sustainability in fashion. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram

Lambert has reportedly been dating Gliese since February 2021. Sparks first flew between them in 2020 during a PDA-packed getaway to Mexico; they made it official the following year.

Curious about the man stealing Lambert’s heart? Keep reading to learn more about Oliver Gliese.

Oliver Gliese hails from Denmark

Dane Oliver Gliese is multilingual. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
Dane Oliver Gliese is multilingual. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram

Although Gliese calls West Hollywood home now, he originally comes from Denmark. Hailing from a Danish family, he’s fluent in Danish, English and German. Details about his parents are scarce and he hasn’t revealed their names. It’s also believed that he’s an only child.

He’s in the fashion industry

Oliver Gliese is an experienced fashion industry player. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
Oliver Gliese is an experienced fashion industry player. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram

According to his LinkedIn page, Gliese has been building a career in the fashion world for a long time. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and project management from the Copenhagen Business School. He is now partnerships manager at Copenhagen-based Global Fashion Agenda, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion.

Oliver Gliese made his professional mark at Ganni. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
Oliver Gliese made his professional mark at Ganni. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram

He also previously served as innovation forum coordinator for the same company and had a stint at luxury brand Ganni, where he excelled as head of office management and client adviser.

When did Adam Lambert and Oliver Gliese meet?

How Adam Lambert and Oliver Gliese met is uncertain. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
How Adam Lambert and Oliver Gliese met is uncertain. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram

While how and where they met remains open to some doubt, Gliese and Lambert went public with their romance in 2021. Per the Daily Mail, they were first linked in 2020 after being spotted on that Mexican romantic getaway. By May 2021 Lambert had made it Instagram official, posting a sweet Date Night snap with his boyfriend.

Adam Lambert stepped up to defend Oliver Gliese

Adam Lambert’s boyfriend Oliver Gliese was the target of homophobic comments. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
Adam Lambert’s boyfriend Oliver Gliese was the target of homophobic comments. Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram

In August last year, Lambert took to Instagram to defend Gliese against a wave of homophobic comments, after paparazzi photos of the couple out in West Hollywood surfaced online. “Lifts my spirits to see support in the comments. Also appalled to see the obnoxious homophobia and ignorance plaguing people right now. Oli identifies as a he. He has wicked style and refuses to conform to the societal norms regarding his fashion choices,” wrote Lambert on Instagram:

Adam Lambert defends boyfriend Oliver Gliese in an Instagram post. Photo: @adamlambert/Instagram
Adam Lambert defends boyfriend Oliver Gliese in an Instagram post. Photo: @adamlambert/Instagram

He continued complimenting his boyfriend, calling him beautiful, brave, daring and a leader, not a follower. “One of the many things I love about him! We are very happy together and if the haters don’t like it, we don’t really give a f***,” he added.

He gives straightforward feedback on Adam’s music

Oliver Gliese in Gucci – making his followers green with envy? Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram
Oliver Gliese in Gucci – making his followers green with envy? Photo: @olivergliese/Instagram

Chatting with ET Canada, Lambert revealed that Gliese never sugarcoats his feedback on his music. Having different tastes, Gliese isn’t shy when saying he thinks a Lambert song isn’t great. “That’s fine. I just like to hear an opinion about it,” the singer said.