March 8, 2010 – LA Times – Idol Tracker
Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta has a new album in the works, a book about to hit the shelves, and a very busy few months staring him in the adorably dimpled face. But the 19-year-old native of Murray, Utah, still made time to talk to us between his travels to Nashville for songwriting sessions. The follow-up to David’s gold-selling debut is slated for release later this year, but read on to learn about its progress, as well as David’s experience with the Spanish-language “We Are the World” and his thoughts on the new season of “American Idol.”
What do you think of Season 9 so far?
I just really feel for the contestants. I want to talk to them, to tell them: I went through this, and I know what it’s like. While you’re there, you’re overwhelmed with so many different things. It’s a lot of work but you’re gonna learn so much from it, and there will be so many opportunities that you wouldn’t even imagine coming to you. And all the people who work on “Idol” — so many of them made what I thought was an impossible dream come true. These are the people who can really change your life.
Talent-wise, do they measure up to previous contestants?
I think they’re really talented. They show a lot of their own personalities, and I liked that about them. And there’s some really good singers, too. Like Andrew Garcia, I like the character that he’s shown. I feel like there’s a lot of pressure for them because people are now expecting them to change up the songs, and they’re not sure exactly what to be showing people. It’s matter of balance — changing the song enough to show who you are but still preserving the song for what made it magical.
Is that the secret, David? You would know, having made it all the way to the finale.
It’s difficult. You only have so much time in the day to think about that. Especially for the kids who are in school who study and are supposed to use their brain in another way for a lot of the day. Sometimes it’s hard to focus on both things at once, especially when you have to sing in front of millions of people. But “Idol” is like boot camp — that’s what I always say. It just makes you strong and gives you the knowledge and experience that you’ll need in the future. I’m excited to continue watching.
Continue reading ‘Catching up with David Archuleta’