David James Archuleta (born December 28, 1990) is an American singer and songwriter. At the age of ten, he won the children's division of the Utah Talent Competition, leading to other television singing appearances. When he was twelve years old, he became the Junior Vocal Champion on the second season of '' Star Search'', known as "Star Search 2". In 2008, he finished second on the seventh season of ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...

''. In August 2008, he released "

Crush Crush may refer to: * Infatuation or limerence, the romantic attraction to another person * Puppy love, feelings of love, romance, or infatuation felt by young people Crush may also refer to: Film * Crush (1972 film), ''Crush'' (1972 film), a H ...

", the first single from his self-titled debut album. The album, released three months later, debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart; it has sold over 750,000 copies in the United States and over 900,000 worldwide. In October 2010, he released a third album, ''

The Other Side of Down ''The Other Side of Down'' is the third studio album by American singer David Archuleta. It was released on October 5, 2010, through Jive Records. It was his final album for Jive. The album was promoted in Southeast Asia by Asian Tour, which b ...

'', featuring the lead single " Something 'Bout Love". In March 2012, he went on hiatus for two years to be a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) in Chile, but stated that he would continue his music career afterwards. As of February 2012, he had sold 1,108,000 albums and 3,327,000 tracks in the United States. Archuleta and his mother have both since left the LDS Church. In March 2012, he released his fourth album, '' Forevermore'', exclusively in the Philippines. This was his first Original Filipino Music (OPM) album, composed of several covers of Filipino songs. The album was certified gold in the Philippines (10,000 units) as of June 2012. His fifth album, ''

Begin Begin or Bégin may refer to: People *Begin (surname) Music * Begin (band), a Japanese pop trio * ''Begin'' (David Archuleta album) * ''begin'' (Riyu Kosaka album) * ''Begin'' (Lion Babe album) * ''Begin'' (The Millennium album) * ''beGin'' ...

'', was released in August 2012. A compilation album, ''

No Matter How Far ''No Matter How Far'' is a compilation album by American singer David Archuleta. It is composed of ten tracks which feature a mix of previously unreleased U.S. songs and new material like "Don't Run Away" and "Heart Falls Out". Its lead single, ...

'', was released in March 2013. His sixth studio album, '' Postcards in the Sky'', was released in October 2017 and his second holiday album, '' Winter in the Air'', was released in 2018. His eighth studio album, '' Therapy Sessions'', was released in May 2020.

Early life

Archuleta was born on December 28, 1990, in Miami, Florida, to Guadalupe Mayorga, a salsa singer and dancer, and Jeff Archuleta, a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

musician. His mother is from

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

and his father is of Spanish, Danish, Irish, and German descent. Archuleta has stated that his surname is of

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

origin. He speaks fluent Spanish and has four siblings. His family moved to the

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

suburb of Sandy, Utah, when he was six years old. He attended Murray High School before appearing on ''American Idol''. He began singing at the age of six, inspired by a ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'' video. "That musical is what started all of this", he said. He started performing publicly at the age of 10 when he participated in the

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

Talent Competition, singing " I Will Always Love You" by

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

; he won the Child Division. When Archuleta was 21, he volunteered for two years as a full-time missionary for the LDS Church and was assigned to serve in Rancagua, Chile. In June 2021, Archuleta came out as queer, and a member of the LGBTQ community. After contemplating suicide, due to being queer conflicting with his religion, Archuleta and his mother left the LDS Church. He is a graduate of

Barbizon Modeling and Acting School Barbizon Modeling and Acting School is an international modeling and acting school headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The school provides instructional courses in the domain of modeling and personal development. History The first Barbizon Sch ...

in Salt Lake City.

Music career

2003–2006: ''Star Search'' and musical beginnings

In 2003, Archuleta sang on several episodes of the television show '' Star Search''. He wound up as the Junior Vocal Champion on Star Search 2, losing the Junior Grand Champion title to

Tiffany Evans Tiffany Evans (born August 4, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Evans rose to fame in 2003 as a contestant on ''Star Search'' (hosted by Arsenio Hall), she became the first contestant in ''Star Search'' history to earn a perfe ...

. On one episode, he competed against then-11-year-old Alexandréa Lushington, who became a top 20 semi-finalist on ''

'' alongside Archuleta. Around the second year of being on ''Star Search'' he started focusing on the lyrics, "I didn't even pay attention to the lyrics when I was 12, 13." Archuleta's competing on ''Star Search'' was preceded by an appearance on '' The Jenny Jones Show'', meeting the finalists from ''American Idol''s first season, for whom he performed a spontaneous

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

rendition of " And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...

''. He received praise from Season 1 winner

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...

, and the episode led to appearances on CBS's ''

The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999, to January 7, 2012, replacing the original incarnation of '' CBS This Morning'', and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the n ...

''. The year after ''Star Search'', he found out he had partial vocal

paralysis Paralysis (: paralyses; also known as plegia) is a loss of Motor skill, motor function in one or more Skeletal muscle, muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory d ...

but declined risky surgery and has said he feels he is almost fully recovered. He limited his singing to specific occasions, like Stadium of Fire, the

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

celebration at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

Stadium. Archuleta made initial attempts at songwriting and arranging music after his ''Star Search'' experience and has written at least three songs. His first singles in 2002, written by his father and Sunny Hilden, were "Dream Sky High" and a song he had written by Yani Gileadi titled "Don't Tell Me".

2007–2008: ''American Idol'' and ''David Archuleta''

Archuleta received his ticket to the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

auditions at the

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

tryouts – held at

Qualcomm Stadium San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in San Diego, California, United States. Opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium; it was renamed Jack Murphy Stadium for sportswriter Jack Murphy (sportswriter), Jack Murphy from 1981 to 1997. From 1997 t ...

at the end of July 2007 – with a performance of

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...

's " Waiting on the World to Change" with judge Randy Jackson spontaneously joining in to sing the background "waiting" in the song. He was sixteen during the Hollywood auditions and attended school while a part of ''American Idol''s seventh season. A parent/guardian was required to be there because he was a minor. Archuleta took advantage of the decision to allow contestants to play musical instruments when he accompanied himself on piano for his performances of "Crazy", "Another Day in Paradise", and "Angels". During the 1970s themed week Archuleta sang the

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

song " Imagine", omitting the earlier verses in favor of the last one. ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' columnist Ann Powers speculated that he wanted to avoid singing "no religion too" because of his faith. "As a

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

, he's unlikely to espouse the song's agnostic ideal", she wrote. However, he did sing the entire song on "Good Things Utah" when he was 13. Asked by judge

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing b ...

why he did not sing the first verse, Archuleta said the third verse was his favorite because it has "a great message". After his performance of "

We Can Work It Out "We Can Work It Out" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was first issued as a A-side and B-side#Double A-side, double A-side single with "Day Tripper" in December 1965. The song was rec ...

", which judge

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...

called "a mess", ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Par ...

'' reported that Archuleta was feeling pressure from his father, Jeff, who "reportedly yelled at" his son after a recording session the previous night. Jeff Archuleta, in an interview with ''

Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is an American weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, which sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to Ameri ...

'', denied the claim. A May 2008

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

article reported that Jeff Archuleta had his son add a lyric from the Sean Kingston song " Beautiful Girls" into an interpretation of " Stand by Me" (from which "Beautiful Girls" samples its bass line), increasing the costs for licensing, and that this had resulted in Jeff Archuleta being banned from ''American Idol'' backstage rehearsals. Archuleta defended his father, calling him "a great guy" who keeps him grounded. During the Top 7 results show, the contestants were split into two groups. In one group was Syesha Mercado, Brooke White, and Kristy Lee Cook. In the other group was David Cook, Carly Smithson, and Jason Castro. Archuleta was the only one not sorted into a group. He was declared safe after the groups were formed, then was asked to choose the group he thought was safe. He refused, and sat down on the floor of the stage, much as Melinda Doolittle had done the previous season. In the finale he sang "

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is a song with music written by English musician Elton John and lyrics by songwriter Bernie Taupin. It was originally recorded by John for his eighth studio album, ''Caribou (album), Caribou'' (1974), and was ...

", "In This Moment" and "Imagine". Judge

declared that Archuleta won the evening and even David Cook, who ultimately won, thought Archuleta would win: "I have to concede it, the kid came out all three songs and nailed it", said Cook. In the final tally, Archuleta received 44 percent of the votes. During the finale show, identical commercials featuring Archuleta and fellow finalist Cook mimicked the

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962) is an American actor and film producer. Regarded as a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood icon, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Tom Cruise, various accolades, includ ...

scene from '' Risky Business'' where he dances in his underwear playing an air guitar; they were promoting the game franchise ''

Guitar Hero ''Guitar Hero'' is a series of rhythm games first released in 2005, in which players use a guitar-shaped game controller to simulate playing primarily lead guitar, lead, bass guitar, bass, and rhythm guitar across numerous songs. Players match ...

''.

Archuleta's first appearances on music ranking charts were with the three songs he performed in the ''

'' finale: "

", "In This Moment", and " Imagine" debuted on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

chart the week of June 7, 2008. "Imagine" entered at number 36, giving Archuleta his first top-forty hit, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" at 58, and "In This Moment" at 60. That same week he had three songs on ''Billboards

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart as well, where his versions of " Longer", " Think of Me", and "

Angels An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

" debuted at number 15, number 19, and number 24 respectively. Archuleta signed with

Jive Records Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...

in June 2008. His self-titled album, ''

David Archuleta David James Archuleta (born December 28, 1990) is an American singer and songwriter. At the age of ten, he won the children's division of the Utah Talent Competition, leading to other television singing appearances. When he was twelve years ol ...

'', was released in November 2008. His first single, "

", was released in August 2008 on Z100, a New York radio station. On August 12 "Crush" became available on

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

. It debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, beaten only by

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...

's " Disturbia". It was the best chart debut in more than 18 months. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the track sold 166,000 downloads in the first week in the United States. It has sold 1.92 million digital copies in the US. Along with ''American Idol'' winner David Cook, Archuleta placed second on ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

list of "Breakout Stars of 2008". The two co-presented an award at the 2008

Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards were an annual awards show that aired on the Fox television network between 1999 and 2019. The awards, based on a popularity vote that could be overridden by the producerswho reserved the right to choose the winnerscovered ...

in August 2008. Archuleta also received the Teen Choice Award surfboard for "Most Fanatic Fans".

2009–2011: ''Christmas from the Heart'', ''The Other Side of Down'', Asian Tour and ''My Kind of Christmas Tour''

Since the release of his debut album, Archuleta has released three new songs: "Let's Talk About Love (The Build-A-Bear theme song)", "Save the Day (released only in Japan as a bonus track in his album)", and "Zero Gravity". In February, it was announced that Archuleta would be touring the United Kingdom, supporting British band

McFly McFly are a British pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the ''Back to the Future (franchise), Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Da ...

on their "Up Close...And This Time It's Personal" tour. The tour began on April 21, 2009, and continued until May. Archuleta became the opening act for

Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series ...

's tour which began June 21, 2009. David Archuleta Paparazzo Presents

On April 22, 2009, Archuleta returned to the ''American Idol'' stage in its eighth season and performed the third single from his debut album, " Touch My Hand". On April 30, 2009, he made his first UK television appearance, on '' The Paul O'Grady Show'', performing "Crush" and chatting about his album, which was released there in May. In May, Archuleta and fellow American Idol David Cook visited the Philippines. Two days later he made live appearances on two of

GMA-7 DZBB-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Metro Manila, Philippines, serving as the flagship of the GMA television network. The digital service is known as DZBB-DTV by only a few people. It is owned and operated by the network's namesa ...

's shows, '' Sis'' and ''

Eat Bulaga! ''Eat !'' (; stylized as ''Eat... Bulaga!'') is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine television variety show broadcast by Radio Philippines Network, ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5 (Philippine TV network), TV5. Originally hosted by Tito S ...

''. He also confirmed that month that he was working on two new albums, his sophomore pop album and a Christmas album. In August 2009, Archuleta won three Teen Choice Awards for Breakout Artist, Love Song, and the Music Tour category with Demi Lovato. In September he won the Year in Music – Rising Male Star award at the ALMA Awards and performed a cover of the standard " Contigo en la Distancia". Archuleta's acting debut was when he appeared as himself on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

's show ''

iCarly ''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...

'', in "iRocked the Vote". The episode aired February 7, 2009. He made a special guest appearance in Season 3 of the

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

show ''

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll, and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cy ...

'' in the episode " Promma Mia" as himself, and he sang a duet (" I Wanna Know You") with

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...

, who played the

title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

. The song was featured on the soundtrack '' Hannah Montana 3'' and also appeared later on the compilation '' Best of Hannah Montana''. On May 16, 2009, Archuleta and David Cook performed in the Mall of Asia concert grounds for their back-to-back concert in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, Philippines. On June 1, 2010, Archuleta released '' Chords of Strength: A Memoir of Soul, Song, and the Power of Perseverance'', a memoir which refers to "the partial vocal paralysis he suffered in 2004 but has now fully recovered from". He went on a book signing tour beginning in

Ridgewood, New Jersey Ridgewood is a Village (New Jersey), village in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Ridgewood is a suburban commuter town, bedroom community of New York City, located approximately northwest of Midtown M ...

. The book was a bestseller. Archuleta came back to the ''American Idol'' stage on April 7, 2010, on the show's ninth season and performed

's "Imagine", which David had performed previously in the Top 20 Week when he was a contestant on the show. After his performance, he mentioned that he was working on his third studio album. Archuleta sang "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...

" and " Stand by Me" at the 30th anniversary of the annual A Capitol Fourth concert in Washington, D.C., on the

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

. The show was aired on PBS at 8 pm EST live and tape delay PT. David Archuleta 2010

Archuleta sang live at the Tejano Music Awards, covering

Selena Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...

's songs, '' Como La Flor'' and No Me Queda Más at the event as a tribute on July 11, 2010. In an interview with AOL's ''Something Pitchy'', Archuleta revealed that the release of his next album was planned for Fall 2010 (he did mention a late September release, but then went back to the Fall). On June 24, 2010,

announced that his new single would be released on DavidArchuleta.com on July 13, and iTunes on July 20. However, on June 30, 2010, the full version of " Something 'Bout Love" became available to play on his website. His album ''

'' was released on October 5, 2010. On October 7, 2010, it was announced that David Archuleta would be the guest star at the annual Christmas concert of the

Mormon Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for o ...

. Archuleta sang in performances on December 16–19. On September 6, 2011, '' Glad Christmas Tidings'', a concert CD and DVD of the choir and Archuleta's performance, was released. On February 18, 2011, it was announced by Jive Records that David Archuleta had been released from his contract with them. It was also announced on February 17, 2011, that Archuleta left his management Wright Entertainment Group. Archuleta intends to spend time working on writing original material. On July 2, 2011, Archuleta joined

Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His first success came in 1997 as the writer of David Kersh's "Another You (David Kersh song), Another You". After this, he signed with ...

to perform at the Stadium of Fire, where he performed the national anthem in addition to his five-song set. From July 16 to 26, 2011, Archuleta toured Asia, performing in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

(Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh), and

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

. At the conclusion of the December 19, 2011, show of the My Kind of Christmas Tour, Archuleta announced his intention to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years. He stated that he would return to music upon the completion of his mission.

2012–2014: ''Nandito Ako'', missionary work, ''Forevermore'', ''Begin'', and ''No Matter How Far''

In early 2012, Archuleta signed a contract with TV5 to shoot a prime-time mini series in the Philippines, '' Nandito Ako'' (''I'm Here''), which was broadcast from February to March 2012. An

Original Pilipino Music The music of the Philippines () includes the musical performance arts in the Philippines and the music of Filipinos composed in various local and international Music genre, genres and List of music genres and styles, styles. Philippine musical ...

album was released on March 26, 2012, in the Philippines, '' Forevermore''. This album contains covers of classic Filipino songs, including "Nandito Ako" by Ogie Alcasid, "Forevermore" by Side A, "Rainbow" by South Border and Nexxus's "I'll Never Go". As announced at the end of 2011, Archuleta would serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The singer, who was reportedly assigned to Chile, entered the

Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Utah County, Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front, and lies between the cities of Orem, Utah, Orem to the north and Springville, Utah, Springville to the south ...

, Missionary Training Center on March 28, 2012. On August 7, 2012, a pre-recorded album, ''

'', was released in the United States.New Album in August
(May 7, 2012). Retrieved May 7, 2012 The album consists of cover songs as well as a new original track, "Broken". On February 12, 2013, a new song called "Don't Run Away", which had leaked online back in October 2012, was released on iTunes as the lead single from Archuleta's second release while serving on his mission. A compilation album, ''

'', which consists of tracks previously only available in Asia and two newly released original songs, was released on March 26, 2013. Archuleta confirmed on March 24, 2014, that his mission had been completed and he was back home in Utah. Archuleta embarked on a Military Tribute Tour.

2015–present: ''Meet the Mormons'', ''Postcards in the Sky'', ''Winter in the Air'', ''Therapy Sessions'', and ''The Masked Singer''

Archuleta was reportedly shooting a music video in Costa Rica for an untitled track, following a tweet from his road manager, Kari Sellards, with a picture that shows sets for shooting. The tweets included the hashtag #DA2014, which fans had been tweeting on his absence for 2 years. On September 25, photos surfaced online of the "Nunca Pense" music video. The song and its video were to debut on February 12–15, 2015, to be performed at RootsTech 2015 with comedy sketch group Studio C. On September 28, he released a new single "Glorious" as a free download. The song was used in the motion picture '' Meet the Mormons'' and later included in the holiday album '' Winter in the Air'', released in 2018.Archuleta performed in the group performance of " One Voice" on the fifteenth season finale of ''American Idol'' in April 2016. He returned to his music career in 2016 with the single "Numb", which premiered on November 4, 2016. The official video premiered on November 17. In 2017 he released the singles "Up All Night" and "Invincible", followed by the release of his sixth studio album '' Postcards in the Sky'', which was released on October 20, 2017. He started his tour in the Philippines with a one-night concert at the Kia Theater and toured around the United States. On June 15, 2018, Peter Hollens released a video on his YouTube channel of a collaboration between Archuleta and Hollens singing the Scottish folk song "

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; ) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault (HBF), often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands.Tom Weir. ''The Scottish Lochs''. pp. 33-43. Published by ...

". On August 27, 2019, he released the single "Paralyzed". On November 14, 2019, Archuleta released a deluxe version of his 2018 album ''Winter in the Air'' with three bonus tracks ("The Christmas Song", "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays", and "Still, Still, Still"). He released a music video for "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays", with special appearances by

Lance Bass James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, actor, and producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the Bass (voice type), bass singer for the boy band NSYNC. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of ...

and

Chris Kirkpatrick Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick (born October 17, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, podcaster, and actor. He founded the pop group NSYNC, in which he sang countertenor. The band has sold over 70 million records, becomin ...

. Archuleta released his eighth studio album, '' Therapy Sessions'' on May 20, 2020. The deluxe version titled "Therapy Sessions - The Lost Sessions" was released on October 21 of that same year. On April 30, he released "Just Breathe" as a single and released a music video dedicated to the people working on the frontline during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Money earned from YouTube views would be donated to Direct Relief towards

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

relief. On March 26, 2021, Archuleta collaborated with BYU Vocal Point to make the "What a Beautiful Name" video. A self-written song, "I Know He Lives", was released in March 2021. David explains: "I've performed this one live before, but I've never recorded it in the studio... until now. Can't wait for y'all to hear it!" Two singles, "Be That for You", and "Losin' Sleep", were released in April and May 2021, respectively. Archuleta also has a children's book, ''My Little Prayer'', that was released in 2021 through Bushel & Peck Books. In 2023, Archuleta competed in the ninth season of '' The Masked Singer'' as "Macaw" and finished in second place. In 2024, Archuleta went viral on

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

for performing a cover version of

Sabrina Carpenter Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter (born May 11, 1999) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She first gained prominence starring on the Disney Channel series ''Girl Meets World'' (2014–2017). She signed with the Disney Music Group, Disney ...

's "

Espresso Espresso (, ) is a concentrated form of coffee produced by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee beans. Originating in Italy, espresso has become one of the most popular coffee-brewing methods worldwide. It is cha ...

" in a concert held in New York City. He also performed a cover version of

's " Please Please Please" for

SiriusXM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...

's TikTok Radio channel.

Philanthropy

Along with Do Something and the Dunkin' Brands Community Foundation, Archuleta is involved with helping willing teenagers make a difference in others' lives with

disaster relief Emergency management (also Disaster management) is a science and a system charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actu ...

. He was also one of several teen celebrities taking part in DoSomething.org's Teens for Jeans charity initiative, which donates denim to

homeless Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

teenagers nationwide. In January 2010, Haiti was hit with a major earthquake. On January 22, 2010, Archuleta joined other celebrities for a two-hour fundraising telethon, where he answered phones and even stayed afterward to keep answering the phones. Archuleta partnered with ChildFund International for his My Kind of Christmas Tour in an effort to increase awareness and recruit new sponsors for children in need worldwide. Archuleta also surprised some of ChildFund's children in their Philippines program, when he sang ''Bridge Over Troubled Water'', and then met with the children in small groups. He has also been one of the most consistent artist supporters of Invisible Children, rallying fans to donate to protection initiatives in Central Africa, and performing at events held by the organization. In January 2011, Archuleta travelled to Chennai, India, with Rising Star Outreach, a non-profit charity giving children from leper colonies a first-class education and a chance at a future in India. Archuleta was one of the many Latino singers who participated in '' Somos El Mundo'', the Spanish version of " We Are the World 25 for Haiti". In April 2020, David Archuleta collaborated with Billboard for a Live At-Home concert to raise money for Direct Relief. He chose the organization due to their global efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. During the

, Archuleta participated in ''

'' Live At-Home sessions, where he performed piano versions of "OK, All Right", "Crush", and " What a Wonderful World", and released a music video for "Just Breathe" dedicated to the frontline workers; both were fundraisers for Direct Relief.

Artistry

Archuleta's mother is from

, and much of the music he listened to as a child was

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

-influenced, including watching his mom sing at events with her sisters. She also "was big on dancing" according to Archuleta, and would "make" him dance to traditional music with his older sister. He also listened to jazz music, he said, from his father's collection, as well as

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

, pop, rock and "

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

ful music". In a later interview, he revealed that his father was a jazz musician. Archuleta also said he enjoys Broadway musicals. Archuleta has been described as having a

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

vocal range, which ''Today'' described as "one of those once-in-a-decade pop voices". Michelle Drown of the ''

Santa Barbara Independent The ''Santa Barbara Independent'' is a news, arts, and alternative newspaper published every Thursday in Santa Barbara, California, United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a ...

'' described it as "silken" with a "gentle vibrato". When the singer released his single " Something 'Bout Love" in 2010, a writer for ''Billboard'' theorized that fans might miss "his unadulterated tone that was best showcased by ballads" on earlier releases. On his ''American Idol'' "Fast Facts" page, Archuleta cited his musical influences as

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to prominence in the mid-1970s, with the release of her debut ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American Gospel music, gospel musician. One of the List of best-selling gospel music artists, best-selling gospel music artists, his accolades include 20 Grammy Awards. ''Variety (magazine), Var ...

and

Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...

. Like

Elliott Yamin Ephraim Elliott Yamin (born July 20, 1978) is an American singer known for his hit single " Wait for You" and for placing third on the fifth season of ''American Idol''. His self-titled album, released March 20, 2007, debuted at number one on ...

and another singer he admires,

, Archuleta tries to infuse his pop selections with a soulful vibe. In a '' Seventeen'' interview, he cited

Sara Bareilles Sara Beth Bareilles ( ; born December 7, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. She has sold over three million albums and over 15 million singles in the United States. Bareilles has earned various accolades, including ...

as a clever singer-songwriter whom he looks up to.

Personal life

In an interview published in November 2022, Archuleta described himself as

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

. He said that after he was able to accept his sexuality within his own spirituality, he spoke with LDS Church leaders about the religion's views on being queer. He said the conversations were pointless and made him feel defeated. He described his relationship with the church as "very complicated". He said that at one point, he considered suicide, figuring that God would more readily forgive him for committing suicide compared to being queer. He also noted that, before his coming out in 2021, he had an anxiety attack while on a date with his then-fiancée and called off his engagement to her soon afterwards. Archuleta said he had also been engaged to women several times previously. In June 2023, Archuleta stated that he is no longer a participating member of the LDS Church. In 2024, Archuleta further clarified his sexuality by identifying as gay and demisexual. Archuleta was a member of the

Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...

and completed the final requirements to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout in 2008, three days shy of his 18th birthday, while competing in ''American Idol''; he did not receive the award until two years later. Since 2015, Archuleta has resided in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

Discography

;Studio albums * ''

'' (2008) * '' Christmas from the Heart'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) * '' Forevermore'' (2012) * ''

'' (2012) * '' Postcards in the Sky'' (2017) * '' Winter in the Air'' (2018) * '' Therapy Sessions'' (2020)

Filmography

Television

Web

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Archuleta, David 19 Recordings artists 1990 births 21st-century American LGBTQ people American child singers American gay musicians American gay writers American Idol participants American LGBTQ singers American LGBTQ songwriters American male pianists American male pop singers American male singers American Mormon missionaries in Chile American people of Honduran descent American pop keyboardists American pop pianists American tenors Demisexual people Former Latter Day Saints Gay Christians Gay singers Gay songwriters GLAAD Media Awards winners Hispanic and Latino American musicians Jive Records artists LGBTQ Hispanic and Latino American people LGBTQ people from Florida LGBTQ people from Utah Living people People from Murray, Utah Singers from Miami Singers from Nashville, Tennessee Singers from Utah