Rufus Wainwright: while other singers play it safe, this one is not afraid to speak—or sing—his mind. Here, Elton John gets under the skin of one of the music world's unique talents

I wanted to Interview Rufus Wainwright because in my opinion his new album, Want One, is an incredible piece of work. As a musician and a songwriter, I find every facet of it--the way the songs are written, the chord sequences, the melodic sweep of the album, the lyrics, the production--formidable. Want One was released last fall and got great critical acclaim, but not enough as far as I'm concerned. Since then, Wainwright's record company has been sold, and he's now on the Interscope label, which is relaunching Want One and trying to make more people aware of it. A companion album, Want Two, will be released later this year.

ELTON JOHN: Rufus, even though you worked on Want One in England, it still reeks of America. How did that happen?

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: When we started the album in New York, the war was just breaking out in Iraq. There was a real sense of tragedy about how after 9/11 things had gone in the opposite direction of healing the wounds caused by the terrorist attacks. When I went in to start Want One, somehow I filled it with all the dashed hopes and fears that my country had. So even though we finished it in England, it was started at a very critical time historically in America, and I think part of that probably came through.

EJ: I love America. It's given me so much in my life. But I found it disappointing that more people did not speak out about the war, especially journalists. It makes me crazy.

RW: I have a feeling things are starting to get better. I believe that anyone in their right mind has to be active now. It's really boiled down to an individual level: Either you're going to do something to save America, or you're aiding and abetting the bad guys. I talk a little about this on Want Two. The cover of Want One is me dressed as a knight in shining armor. My idea was to go back to fairy tales, where the good guys win. When I made Want One, I wanted to uphold that tradition of songwriting and fabulous production, which I think is scarce right now.

EJ: I've sat here before at this very table with Ryan Adams and John Mayer talking about the same thing--that great music in this country just doesn't get its due. Right now there is a core of terrific American songwriters at work--you, John Mayer, and Ryan Adams--and you are as diverse as you could possibly be. But it kills me that you're struggling to get this record noticed. You're quite stoic about it.

RW: I'm a tough cookie. I will survive this business because in the end it boils down to whether you can entertain 10 people with your piano. I can always go out on the corner and, as Edith Piaf did, make a couple of bucks. [laughs] I think a lot of it had to do with coming out of the closet when I was quite young. I was 14 when I knew what was up. I immediately caught on to the fact that there is going to be a strike against me if I'm honest about this. I'm such a terrible liar that I knew I'd have to be honest about being gay.

El: So you think coming out hurt you?

RW: I do. I think that because I'm quite vocal about my opinions and because the music I write tends to be challenging, I've hit a glass ceiling.

EJ: It's not very fashionable to speak your mind in this country now. But I don't think your sexuality has hurt you. I just think it's the fact that your music is so much more complex than what you hear on the radio. You're not making Britney Spears-style music. But I also remember you saying, "Well, I want to be famous."

RW: I didn't want to be Britney, though. I have a funny story about her. I met Britney Spears twice, but each time we literally stood in front of each other with nothing to say. I appreciate her, but we're like apples and oranges.

EJ: Would you like to be that famous?

RW: It would've killed me [both laugh], that type of fame, that excessive fame. But, at this point, fame is more a game I wouldn't mind winning.

EJ: Not at any price though.

RW: Not at any price at all. But more for the enrichment of culture. I know I sound arrogant when I say that, but I really think that young people today are being shoveled bucket-loads of shit. That's why I want to be famous. It's to--

EJ: -- To improve their lives. [laughs] Your album is joyful in a way, even though some of the subject matter is depressing.

RW: A lot of my young male contemporaries have died. Whether it's Jeff Buckley, Kurt Cobain, or recently Elliott Smith, those were all such losses. But in a weird way, I feel that you can hear the sadness in their music. When Jeff died, I wasn't that surprised. With my music, it is important for me to have hope and some kind of silver lining. I believe that music is essentially prophetic and that it really directs my life.

EJ: Is there any chance that we will see you with a six-piece band at Radio City? It would be fantastic to see this album staged orchestrally.

RW. When I figure out the status of Want Two, which delves even

further into the dramatic, operatic side of my crazy self, I would love to have sets and lighting of some kind.