Pop-Culturalist.com

For more than a decade, singer-songwriter David Archuleta has had listeners movin’ with hit songs like “Crush”, “Something ‘Bout Love”, and “Be That for You”. From performing at sold-out venues around the globe to selling millions of albums worldwide, David has proven that he’s a true American idol.

As he’s grown with his craft, David has broken out of his shell, tapped into new layers of his vulnerability, and even shown off a few of his dance moves.

Pop Culturalist recently caught up with David to learn more about his new single “Movin'”, his upcoming tour, and the release of his first-ever children’s book My Little Prayer.

PC: Having been a part of this industry for over a decade now, what’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
David: I wish I would have known that I wasn’t as much of an inconvenience to other people as I believed I was, and even if I believed that, that it was okay to still put myself out there anyway. Because I was afraid of inconveniencing other people, I was inside my shell a lot of times and didn’t pursue friendships, relationships, and opportunities. I was always like, “They wouldn’t want to work with me,” or, “They wouldn’t really like me once they got to know me,” things like that.

PC: Of all the music that you’ve released, if you had to pick one song that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
David: That’s very interesting. The song that fueled my career is “Crush”, but I don’t know if the message necessarily encapsulates all of me, but it’s what I’m known for. But aside from that, I have a song called “Numb”. That’s a really hard question…maybe “Brave”?

Let’s go with “Brave”. There’s a song called “Brave” on my last album. Right now, I would say that song is a lot of who I am and what I struggle with, but that I still have the potential to become more, and I can be brave in spite of all the negative thoughts that I deal with. There’s still hope. It encapsulates a lot for me. I was inspired by Hillsong and Billie Eilish. It’s this weird mix of influences and thoughts, so I’ll go with that right now.

PC: Great answer. You recently shared in another interview that you took a little break from music. Why was that pause so important to you? What did you learn about yourself during that time?
David: In 2012, I took a break from music. A lot of people thought I was pretty nuts for it, but I felt like I really needed it. I was in that group of young teenage pop artists of the late ’00s. You start to feel like you’re losing yourself because you’re trying to be what everyone wants you to be. You’re trying to be cool and be a famous teen popstar, and all this stuff. I was like, “I can keep trying this, but I feel like I’m missing something. I’m feeling empty.”

I went to Chile for two years. I was a missionary. I didn’t have social media. It gave me the time to be like, “Okay, instead of worrying about what everyone thinks of me, if I’m cool enough, if I’m gaining more followers, and if I’m selling more albums, I’m just going to help other people.” It was a complete 180. I was like, “Wow, just a couple of months ago, I was focused on completely different things. Now, I’m just serving people, teaching them about my faith, teaching them how to pray, and helping them paint their houses.”

It taught me that I could still be happy, even if I wasn’t popular anymore. I used to think, “Oh my gosh. I’m going to lose my career and everything I worked for.” That’s what everyone told me. I was like, “What the heck am I doing? Am I psycho?” But it taught me my value isn’t in what other people think of me, how famous I am, or if I’m not famous anymore—I can still be happy; I can still have purpose and still matter. Life isn’t just about being a famous popstar.

PC: That’s a great message. You’ve got a new single out. Tell us about “Movin’”, the inspiration behind the single, and the decision to release two versions of the track.
David: In 2020, I released an album called Therapy Sessions. It was a little heavier, dealt with mental health, and my issues trying to figure myself out. Then we had a global pandemic. In 2021, I was like, “I just want to have some fun. I want something a little more lighthearted. I want to have a good time and take a break from all the heaviness of 2020.” “Movin’” was just that. I wanted to get people moving.

A producer that I worked with in the past was like, “What do you think of this direction?” I was like, “Oh! I really like that, too,” but I’m super indecisive—I can’t make up my mind about anything. So I was like, “Which one? I didn’t know.” I was like, “Maybe I can have people vote?” Then I was like, “No, I’m going to release both because I like them both. I can’t decide.” So, I did. I released “Movin’”, and then I released “Movin’ — After Hours”.

PC: The music video also finds you performing some choreography. Have you always been a dancer? What was that process like?
David: Oh my gosh, no. I’ve not always been a dancer. I wanted to go out of my comfort zone. I like to dance; it doesn’t mean I’m good at it. I’m stiff. I have stiff shoulders, back, and hips. I was like, “2021 is about going outside of my comfort zone.” 2020 was about that as well. I want to do more because it was actually really fun. I really have a fun time dancing, even though I’m not great at it.

PC: You did a great job.

David: Thank you.

PC: Later this year, you’re getting ready to release your first-ever children’s book. What has that transition been like adapting one of your songs into this format?
David: I’m so excited about this children’s book because I love kids. I thought about my nieces and my nephews, also if I have kids in the future, my future kids. It’s called My Little Prayer. It was a song I had in a dream. I didn’t even write it; it just popped up in my dream. I was told to wake up and write it down, so I did. I just looked at it like, “Wow, should I release this song? Or is it too personal?” I’m like, “I’m going to release it because that’s why I was told to write it down.”

It reminded me of when I was in South America for two years and took a break. The number one thing that I did there was teach people how to pray. That’s important to me. It’s a huge part of my every day, and a lot of people don’t know how to pray. I was like, “Maybe this can be an opportunity to teach them something that has been super helpful in my life, let them know that they can speak—even if they can’t see what’s out there, that they can know that they can connect to something bigger than them.”

Things don’t always go the way we want them to go, or how we hope, and what we ask for. Sometimes we’re disappointed. That’s the point of the book and song. Even though you can have disappointments and things don’t go how you wish they would, you can still be happy. You can still find joy and purpose, and there’s a bigger picture for you.

PC: You’re also getting ready to hit the road again in 2022. What can fans expect from this upcoming tour?
David: I’ve had to postpone this for two years now. You never know what will happen in life, but if everything still goes down with the tour, I’m excited to share with them my Therapy Sessions as well as my story and journey, so that it can help people and their journeys.

My journey isn’t exactly like everyone else’s, but I feel like we’ve all felt insecure. We all feel like something’s wrong with us. We can feel like, “I’m not good enough to get through this life well,” but even after all those negative thoughts and questions about if you can do it, I feel like, “You know what? I’m still here. I made it this far. I got through that, and I’m happy.” I’m not always happy, but for the most part I am.

Sometimes you just have to try—that’s where you find the most happiness, whether you make it or not. Just try to bring joy, even though it’s hard. Sometimes you’re like, “I don’t want to do this.” But yeah, I hope they can find some motivation and have fun, because shows are always fun to do. I hope they find some therapy as they come to the show, whether it’s to soothe or just have fun and rock out.

PC: You’ve always been so incredibly vulnerable in your craft. Has it always been easy for you? What has it meant for you to see that it’s resonating with your fans and music lovers?
David: I’m so happy. At first, I was like, “Oh my gosh. People are going to think I’m annoying for being this vulnerable or this open.” I wondered if I was talking too much about what I’m sharing, I’m like, “Maybe I’m an over-sharer. I need to learn when to shut my mouth.” But I feel like it’s just who I am, and I’ve tried to fix it, but I feel like some people need to be able to relate to someone who is also questioning themselves and insecure about a lot of things and feel like they’re not good enough.

My fear has gotten in the way of my progress a lot of times. I’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities because of that, but it doesn’t mean it’s over. I’m still learning. I’m probably still going to miss out on more opportunities because of my fears and anxieties, but I don’t have to miss out on everything, and I can keep trying. I can be brave. I can try and do scary and hard things that I didn’t think I could. Maybe there are things that I’ll learn by trying that I couldn’t do, but at least I know I tried and did my best. If anyone else feels that way, it makes me happy to know that I encouraged someone else to be brave and be courageous when they were scared, too.

PC: Speaking of being brave, you recently crossed skydiving off of your bucket list. What’s left on there?
David: Oh man, that was super fun. I love skydiving. I would do it again. One of my goals is to get abs. I’ve never had abs. I’m sure they’re somewhere in there, but I can’t see them—not necessarily to show off to other people, I just always told myself I could never get them. I was like, “There’s no way I could ever get in that shape,” but it’s one of my goals. I’m dieting. I’m going to the gym. I’ve been going to the gym, but I recently started focusing on my diet to make sure that I can cut off what I want to see those abs. That’s one thing.

It’s hard, and it takes longer than setting up an appointment and jumping out of a plane like skydiving. There are a lot more daily choices. When your friends invite you out for pizza or to go have some burgers, I have to be like, “Do they have grilled chicken there?” [laughs] But it’s been great. I feel great. Some rewards take time to get, so I don’t have them yet, but it’s on my bucket list. I’m committed to seeing through with it.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
David: Bad Bunny.

PC: First album you bought?
David: Avril Lavigne’s first album.

PC: First concert you attended?
David: It might have been an American Idol concert.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
David: I would say Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten. It had songs like “These Words”, “Unwritten”, and “Size Matters”. It was life talk, but she was quirky. She was herself. You felt her light and energy in her songs. It was so encouraging to me because in her song “These Words” she talked about ADD and not being able to focus. I was like, “This is someone I can relate to because I have a hard time focusing and making up my mind. If she can do it, maybe I can, too.” It was super encouraging to me to hear a beautiful girl like her sing soulful pop songs. It felt like there was room for someone like me in this industry. It was definitely life changing.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
David: Red Rocks or Hollywood Bowl.

PC: A must-have on the road?
David: My phone.

To keep up with David, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. Pick up or stream “Movin’” today. Pre-order your copy of My Little Prayer here.

Photo Credit: Zack Knudson