Singer Adam Lambert thinks Ricky Martin's musical career would have been over if he had come out gay at the height of his popularity.

The 30-year-old Lambert publicly acknowledged he is gay on the cover of Rolling Stone almost immediately after American Idol jump-started his career in 2009.

A year later, Martin, 40, stopped denying evergreen rumors about his sexuality with a terse message on his official website: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

Lambert, whose second studio album, Trespassing, still doesn't have a release date, told gay blog Queerty that coming out gay for Martin wasn't an option if he wanted to keep working.

“Listen, in the time he was really popular, it would've been really hard to be out. It probably would've shot his career in the foot,” Lambert said. “The music industry in general is a tough market for a gay man. It's really conservative. It's hard.”

He added that gay fans are sure to connect with the track Outlaws of Love.

“I got really sad,” Lambert explained. “I thought of the gay community as outlaws. We're always on the run, can't find peace or rest.”