Now, David Archuleta can sing ‘Crush’ and really mean it
In 2008, fresh off his runner-up finish in “American Idol,” David Archuleta released “Crush”—a breezy pop midtempo about fluttery young love that would become his signature hit.
The song was as relatable as it was catchy. Everywhere he went, people would come up to him and tell him how much the song meant to them, and how they had shared it with someone they liked to confess their feelings. That was really cool, the then 17-year-old thought, seeing everyone connecting with his debut single.
Everyone but him, so it seemed. Growing up unsure of his sexuality within the Mormon Church’s conservative culture, he always felt that he wasn’t allowed to entertain such feelings, let alone act on them, for fear they would clash with the teachings he was raised with.
“I buried those feelings down,” he tells Lifestyle Inquirer in a recent video call. “I was singing the song, but never allowed myself to feel what it was about. I was singing words about something I hadn’t experienced myself.”
In 2021, after years of brewing internal turmoil, the singer finally came out as queer, and—unable to reconcile his identity with the Church’s teachings and expectations—ultimately walked away. Things are still “far from perfect,” he admits, but at the very least, he has come to accept and embrace who he truly is.
Now, he can sing “Crush” and actually mean it—like putting on a jacket he has admired for ages in a shop window, he says, and finding out that, around his body, it’s even better than he imagined. In the song, there’s a line that goes, “Why do I keep running from the truth?” And for a long time, it might have been the only one he could actually relate to.
Not anymore. “I relate to it more than I ever did before, now that I’m in my 30s. Like, ‘Oh, I get it! It makes sense.’ When I sing it, I’m no longer just telling someone else’s story—I’m living it,” he says.
Lover boy era
In many ways, Archuleta’s new EP, “Earthly Delights,” is his way of making up for lost time and for the simple joys he hadn’t realized he was missing out on. Love is at the top of that list—no surprise there. For so long, he lived a calculated life, where romance wasn’t a feeling, but a mere thought or curiosity.
And while he tried to be himself as much as his former religion allowed, the singer knew it’s about time he reveled in love and experienced everything that comes with it. Where he once measured his actions against rules he felt compelled to follow, he can now ask himself, “How do you feel about this, David?”
“Before, I had to hold myself back and keep myself in check, because that’s what I believed in, growing up very religious and conservative. I had to behave, act, and talk a certain way,” he says. “I thought a lot of who I am didn’t fit with who I was supposed to be, mainly because I’m queer.”
Perhaps that explains the sensorial themes of “Earthly Delights,” which, as its title suggests, tackle indulging in sensuality, finding something sweet in something naughty, and experiencing the pleasures he believed “would keep me out of heaven.”
The Sabrina Carpenter-esque “Crème Brûlée,” for instance, is a metaphor for the “sweetness” he now gets to taste—and for the thrill of dating and connecting with people. In “Dulce Amor,” which melds English and Spanish lyrics, he captures the rush of falling hard and fast through breathy, sultry falsettos.
“I’m in my lover boy era—flirty, playful, confident but also grounded,” says Archuleta, who drew inspiration from female pop acts like Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX while working on the record. “I’m just enjoying what life has to offer.”
The EP isn’t all flirty saunter, though. “Can I Call You” is a cozy, synthpop midtempo about the tentative excitement of early romance. Harkening to old-school R&B, “Lucky” expresses disbelief at sharing a room with a special someone, as the sun creeps through the curtains.
The shift isn’t the drastic 180, it may seem. Here, Archuleta also stays true to his ballad roots, showcasing the powerful vocals he became known for early in his career. “Give You the World” is a haunting vow of total devotion. A yearning for safety and peace, the piano-driven slow burn that is “Home” gradually builds into subtle gospel chants toward the end.
Like a free-range chicken
All together, the songs create a collection that’s diverse yet sonically cohesive, fresh, and yet, familiar. There’s a lot more packed into his songwriting these days, he says. He likened himself to a former caged chicken, now laying tastier, more nutritious pasture-raised eggs after being allowed to roam freely.
It’s a “super weird analogy,” he admits, laughing, but you get the drift. “Now that the walls have been lifted, I can venture out of the box and explore more. Not that I’m a chicken!”
He couldn’t be more thankful for the love and support his new personal and musical direction has received. And he’s excited to show just that to his Filipino fans, when he returns to Manila this November for the Playback Pop It Up Music Festival. After all, Archuleta has always had a soft spot for the Philippines, having starred in the 2012 drama series “Nandito Ako.”
But not everyone back home has shared the same enthusiasm. Expectedly, some have pushed back—like those who once saw him as a shining example of their values and beliefs. But he’s in a much different place in his life now, he points out. “We’re not family or friends. Why still hold me accountable?”
Then, there are those who got “pissed off,” admonishing him and telling him he would go to hell. Well, it’s not something he hasn’t heard before. And if that’s where he’s headed, he takes comfort in the face that he won’t be alone. “My mother said, ‘If you’re going to hell, then I’m going to hell with you,’” he shares.
Indeed, too much of life’s sweet treats can make one sick. But for now, Archuleta will have his fill of dessert, may it be creme brulee, dulce de leche, or other earthly delights. “I’m okay with the mess that comes with making mistakes,” he says.
