Idol's Adam Lambert Signs Record Deal

One day after American Idol winner Kris Allen signed a record deal, runner-up Adam Lambert got one of his own.

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His debut album, licensed to RCA Records, is set for release this fall. "I'm thrilled that we've come to a creative and collaborative partnership and look forward to developing a really exciting album," Lambert said in a statement Tuesday. "We are 100 percent on the same page and are all anxiously awaiting the start of the recordings. It's going to be ridiculous! Get ready!"

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Lambert, 27, is already preparing to start work on the album and will record it this summer -- while on the road for the 50-city Idol tour, which kicks off July 15 in Portland, Oregon. "To find a talent as exceptional as Adam Lambert is a rare and special event," American Idol creator Simon Fuller said in a statement. "I am thrilled that American Idol was the platform for the world to discover this brilliant young man. He is unique and unforgettable and a certain star of tomorrow."

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The singer has already had four songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart earlier this summer, including "Mad World," "No Boundaries" and "One." "There are no longer any rules in terms of where the world's next superstars may come from,” Barry Weiss, chairman of the RCA/JIVE label, said. "We are thrilled to be getting involved with Adam Lambert as we all at RCA Records believe he is one of those rare, future global stars."