DAVID ARCHULETA
Archie’s the first “Idol†star raised on “Idol.†The now-17-year-old started watching the show’s first season as an 11-year-old; his dad even brought him to the finals where he sang “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going†for the finalists.
But if being weaned on pop music’s biggest launching pad helped Archie become an “Idol†runner-up, it hasn’t helped him record a decent debut.
“Idolâ€-ators love the show because big voiced divas (and divos) sing hits everyone knows by heart. But out in the real world, Archie has to sing new songs. In this case, bad new songs. Songs his bean-counting, tone-deaf handlers think have market-crossover potential. Songs nobody wants to know at all.
Album Reviews
David Archuleta is going to top the charts and not only because of the masterful way it appeals to young girls. Archuleta is an extremely talented singer with a voice that defies his age, height and personality. From album-opening single “Crush” to the several ballads for which he is revered, every song shows off Archuleta’s flawless clarity and diction. He is successful at tortured-soul whisper-singing, angsty bellowing in an echo chamber and quivering falsetto. This album is pure, perfect pop music, the stuff of romantic middle school slow dances, and David Archuleta is perfect as a wholesome pop idol.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Love songs from an ‘Idol’
David Archuleta, 2008’s second-place winner and one of the show’s youngest stars, releases his debut album tomorrow, and it comes as no surprise that the singer’s self-titled collection is built on the wholesome naivete that won over millions of “AI” fans. Overflowing with connect-the-dots choruses and platitudes, these piano-based songs communicate in the broad-brush vocabulary of smitten youth - striking just the right tone for a 17-year-old boy with a tender heart, a warm voice, and an understandably slender stable of interpretive skills.
“Crush,” the first single and lead track, sets a template from which Archuleta rarely strays: pensive, midtempo love songs that explore - again, age-appropriately - the wide-eyed angst of affection rather than grownup-grade heartache or joy.
DAVID ARCHULETA
David Archuleta has a lovely, foggy R&B voice out of scale with his small body and, as many 10-year-old girls know, he came in second in May behind David Cook on “American Idol.†That he lost gives his first album a better story line. Could he have retained so much innocence as the winner?
Innocence, in pop, is a form of boldness: the powerful gesture of putting faith in not knowing. It’s old news in record-making, but the trick is in how far to push it and in finding music that can stand up to it. The crinkly-eyed Mr. Archuleta, a pudding of tongue-tied respect as opposed to the straight-shooting Mr. Cook, is a virtuoso of that gesture, and part of his persona on this album is that he may not even know it. He doesn’t mope; he just smiles in wistful acknowledgment of the eternal mystery of everything. The love stories on “David Archuleta†are all sort of subliteral. He can only trust good omens and kind eyes.
David Archuleta
The very adorable David Archuleta. Did you know he was part Hondurian? He talks life, love, girls and his new album dropping on.
David Archuleta On Dating & His Debut Album
LOS ANGELES, Calif. –
David Archuleta is thankful for his success – so much so that in the liner notes of his self-titled debut album, due this Tuesday, he said he thanked the entire state of Utah.
“I got carried away,†he told Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush in an interview for “The Billy Bush Show.†“There are a lot of people to thank.â€
Fans may soon be thanking the “American Idol†Season 7 runner-up for his album, on which he told Billy there’s “at least one song†for everyone.
“We experimented on this album and that way I didn’t get stuck in a niche,†he said. “I wanted to make sure there was a variety.â€
Archuleta eager to show he has more to offer than syrupy ballads
LOS ANGELES — David Archuleta, who broke millions of young hearts with his soulful piano ballads on American Idol, wants his first album, due in record stores this week, to prove he’s more than just a pretty face.
He’s still a giddy and excited 17-year-old who’s not quite ready for serious dating. But six months after coming second in the top-rated television show, Archuleta is about to embark on the music career he has dreamed of for 10 years.
“I think the album shows a variety of styles. One song has a reggae-ish feel to it, there are slower ones and others with a different feel,” Archuleta told Reuters.
Idol Chartwatch, November 10: Idol Castoff Hits the Charts
David Archuleta fans are gearing up for the release of his first album this week, and while it’s too soon to predict where he will end up on the charts, judging from the popularity of his single, “Crush,†and the large promotional push behind the album, he should do very well.
Archuleta is up against some stiff competition, though, with new releases from Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, T-Pain, and Hillary Duff also hitting the racks. In addition, a new CD from the “Now†series is also being released this week. Two Idols are featured on the new disc – Jordin Sparks with “One Step at a Time†and Daughtry’s “What About Now.â€
American Idol’s Ace Young
Q: What’s your first experience on Broadway in Grease been like?
-Javier, Miami
A: When I got the Idol tour, I turned down everything that came in except working on my album. I wanted everyone to know what I stood for musically before I did anything else. They found me from Idol and this is my one chance. When I finished it, I sat down with my agents at CAA and they asked if I’d be interested in doing other things. I said I wanted to dive back into acting they asked if I’d be interested in doing Grease. They said would you like to play the role of Kenickie. And I had just finished doing [the tv show] Bones and they pulled 1.5 million viewers than Bones had ever had. They cut my head off, it was great! I said Kenickie is the only part I’d want to play since he’s the opposite of me. Everybody knows I’m a nice guy from Idol. Kenickie is blunt and rude. There’s a playfulness in that. I’ve really made him my own and the response has been amazing.
Sparks Fly at Wet Seal This Holiday: Wet Seal and American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks Partner on Collection to Launch in November
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Wet Seal will launch a new collection designed by recording artist and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
The Wet Seal, Inc. (Nasdaq:WTSLA), a leading specialty retailer to young women, today announced the launch of a collection designed by American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks. The collection, appropriately named ‘Sparks’, will begin with an assortment of holiday dresses delivering to stores just in time for the busy Thanksgiving weekend. The collection will later include casual apparel and accessories. Each piece will reflect Jordin Sparks’ youthful and collected sense of style. The line is currently set to launch on November 19, 2008 and will come in sizes XS to XL.
“Jordin is a great role model for the young girls that shop Wet Seal. Not only does she have a youthful, yet refined, fashion sense, she has not lost sight of who she is through her rise to stardom,†said Ed Thomas, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.
In photos: ‘2nd Annual A Salute to Our Troops with a Coast Guard Tour of New York Harbour’
Constantine Maroulis at the 2nd Annual “A Salute to Our Troops” with a Coast Guard Tour of New York Harbor Presented by Microsoft and the U.S.O. in New York City. Photo copyright by Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos.
Bo Bice of ‘Idol’ bringing his sound to Cultural Arts Center
A cast of one will rock in the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts today with a little Southern rock, pop rock, hard rock, country rock, the blues and Christian music.
“American Idol” runner-up Bo Bice will be making his first appearance in the United States tonight following a tour in Iraq with his show.
Bice, who also plays the acoustic and electric guitar, lap steel guitar, mandolin, harmonica, piano and saxophone, will be performing some of his hits, two of which landed on the charts - “The Real Thing” and “Inside Your Heaven.”
‘Idol’ concert features Ogie, Ramiele
MANILA, Philippines—Ogie Alcasid will perform together with American Idol Season 7 finalist Ramiele Malubay and the hit reality TV talent competition’s local contestants in a pre-Christmas concert at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City.
Titled “The Idol Experience: Ogie Sings with the Idols,†the concert slated for Dec. 20-21 puts another milestone to the ace singer-songwriter’s phenomenal year, his 20th in show business. Set only three months after his successful “20/20†concert at the Araneta Coliseum, this show provides another career highlight for Ogie—sharing the stage with the young singing ‘Idols’ who were part of the hit reality TV show’s franchise.
Mariah Carey’s Pitchy Sitchy on The X Factor
Yeah, Mariah Carey is a superstar who’s sold more albums than everybody else in the world combined (more or less). But she sounds like she’s having an off night here on Simon Cowell’s U.K. TV show, The X Factor, singing her hit “Hero,” backed by the competition’s 12 finalists.
While she seems to improve as she goes along, we’re gonna have to channel Simon’s American Idol cohort Randy Jackson for our take on Mariah: A little pitchy, dog, a little pitchy.
Fremantle funds for Spike
Spike TV has pacted with FremantleMedia Enterprises for worldwide financing, marketing and distribution of three upcoming original skeins.
FME, the brand-extension arm of U.K.-based FremantleMedia (producer of the “American Idol” franchise, “America’s Got Talent” and “Hole in the Wall”), will contribute coin for “Jesse James Is a Dead Man,” “Deadliest Warrior” and the tentatively titled “Surviving Disaster,” all of which are set to bow on the MTV Networks cabler in 2009.
‘Dancing’ pros fake it till their stars make it
On “Dancing with the Stars,†the celebrities change each season, but most of their moves remain the same. Of course, that’s to be expected in a competition centered around a familiar staple of ballroom standards. Those samba steps and whirling waltzes are strictly by the book.
But many of the recurring moves have nothing to do with ballroom basics. Over the years the show’s professional dancers have relied upon a variety of choreography tricks to make it look as if their partners always put their best foot forward.
Long tour a learning experience for ‘So You Can’ dancers
Shortly before 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, the dancers from “So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2008″ slowly started appearing in the hallway of Petersen Events Center, the petite women lugging large rolling suitcases behind them.
It was about time for press interviews and the tour made four of the young performers available — contemporary dancer Courtney Galiano, 20, of Commack, N.Y.; ballroom dancer Chelsie Hightower, 19, of Orem, Utah; breakdancer Gev Manoukian, 22, of Salt Lake City, Utah; and all-around dancer Will Wingfield, 21, of Nashville, Tenn.
So you think you can dance!
Joshua Allen admits that at times during the competition on the most recent season of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” he just didn’t want to get out of bed.
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The days for the 20 contestants were grueling: Up at 5 or 6, in rehearsal less than an hour later, rehearsing up to three or four dance routines each week, in bed sometimes by 1 or 2 a.m. (after more rehearsal at home), then starting all over again just a few hours of precious sleep later. Then there was the stress of the Wednesday-night show itself, and the weekly possibility that they could be cut from the show.
“So many times I wanted to give up,” Allen said in a phone interview. “I just wanted to stay in bed for just a few more hours. I kept thinking, ‘Can I get through this?’”
Backstage Dantrum
DANNII Minogue had a furious backstage bust up with X Factor bosses after accusing them of badly editing footage of her.
The judge, 36, was shown in a clip on Saturday’s show appearing to give troublesome singer Rachel Hylton control of her performance.
The tape showed the ex-crack addict blasting Dannii’s mentoring skills and song choice — and the Aussie telling Rachel to let me know what you’re singing.
After the tape was played Dannii — who last week denied rumours she had been sacked by Rachel — stood up and frostily told the studio audience: I just want to clear up one thing, we work on songs together every week. It was misconstrued in that video.
MJ-just wondering if you got the pictures I sent you of Michael & Carly at Tony Hawk’s Stand Up For Skateparks event in Beverly Hills from yesterday. Here’s the link to the Michael Johns Online gallery where I found them.
http://michaeljohnsonline.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=281&pos=0
http://michaeljohnsonline.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=281&pos=1
Wow, lots of headlines today.
Here is another Archuleta review from an obvious fan.
http://bringdabeatback.blogspot.com/2008/11/album-review-david-archuleta-david.html
Wow so much David!!!! The critics are fun… is amazing how some are liking the album and some others just hate the hold thing…
The reviews of David Archuleta’s CD these past few days are giving me whiplash. NYTimes–yes; Entertainment Weekly–no; Boston Herald–no; Boston Globe–yes. (The Globe is THE paper in Boston anyway.) I hope he doesn’t read any of it for a month or so when these reviews can be scanned for actual constructive critism.
^lol LK08 he give David 5/5… and I agree… love the songs that he is recomending at the moment…
Not getting caught up in the reviews, one way or the other… Though the one from the “Grey Lady” (NYT) is clearly throwing shade in what appears to be their like for David’s album… HAHAHAHA… I am excited and content to let the music buying public settle the matter regarding David’s debut…..
Have the feeling lots of cash registers are going to be singing in the key of Archuleta after today :)
I am jazzed by the NY Times review, since it’s one of my hometown papers. I expected it to be pretty much like this. A mixed bag. Not bad at all. Not great, but then I sure hope he wouldn’t peak at 17. The best is yet to come.
Reading some of these reviews I dread when cooks cd comes out lol. He will get it worse cuz he is the winner. I like reading reviews, but really dont put much stock into them. If I like the cd, what the reviewer says doesnt really sway my opinion one way or another.
Nobody ever gets all glowing reviews. I think both davids know this from being on AI.
Best of luck to both davids.
How cool is this picture form Singapore:
How the look in stan…
The cool poster they are giving…
Credits to www.snarkyarchies.com
In other news, Elliott now joins the ranks of platinum-selling Idols, with Wait for You now certified platinum.
Wait For You Yamin, Elliott 3/13/2007 Platinum Hickory Records 10/16/2008
Billboard.com
Anybody know how many now have a platinum-selling single or album? Eight or nine, maybe? Not too shabby, given how rare platinum sellers are these days.
According to this post in IDF TMH is already playing in some radios in Philippines
Platinum-certified albums: Kelly Clarkson (3), Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken (2), Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood (2), Taylor Hicks (although nowhere near 1 million sold), (Chris) Daughtry.
Platinum-certified singles: Kelly Clarkson (3), Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood (2), Elliott Yamin, (Chris) Daughtry (2), Jordin Sparks (2)
Total Idols on either list: 9
I think this is the third time this item has been posted lol. So, enough we get it. :).
Regardless, congratulations to Elliott.
The David Cook interview from Mix 98.5 is up now:
David Cook - Mix 98.5
He talks about performing in Iraq next month, and that his favorite Christmas song is John Lennon’s “Happy Christmas (War is Over)” They play it for him after the interview is done.
I would imagine the reviews that “matter” would be in the larger mainstream papers, major music magazines or in established trade publications. So, Billboard, Rolling Stone, EW, LA Times, NY Times, Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Variety, etc. Those are the ones I imagine other writers quote, and those are the ones people source when they are doing research. Someone added allmusic.com to that yesterday but I don’t know how true that is. He’s not doing to badly among those sources - kind of a mixed bag. Billboard gave a great review, the Boston Globe and NY Times gave good ones, EW trashed it (but not HIM so much). I think he’s doing okay on the review front.
Yeah Idol is one of the few things launching new top selling acts these days, that’s why expectations are so high. A huge chunk of new top sellers came from TV shows (Danity Kane, etc). Amazing, and kinda scary at the same time.
Hey, MJ, there’s a link to a Seattle interview with DC in this DCO forum. Some interesting information on the persons who cried during the tracking of Permanent.
OMG the Boston Herald??? That paper is a joke!!
Did Wait For You recently reach a million or did he just have to wait for a long time to get his certification? I’m so proud of him!
Singapore? Not the Philippines? I went to the snarkyarchies site and, looking at the photos there and reading the text, it looks to me like those girls are at the Music One store (where I buy most of my CDs myself) in Greenbelt (the mall where MJ is playing next week). Heh.
Hmm. It looks like the Pinoys are getting their Idol CDs first. I also read at the local Cookie thread that Cookie’s album will be available in local record bars on the 17th.
Why am I feeling that I would also be getting to see Archie in our shores soon? ;)
Yay for Elliott!
I was just listening to a new Elliott song that leaked called The Bridge Is Burning (produced by The Clutch) and I’m not sure I’m liking it. A little too pop for me. (Sorry I can’t provide a legal link to it at the moment.)
This is a great interview! EEEE acoustic set for the Rockefeller tree lighting FTW!!
David Archuleta’s new vlog! smiles and lols an TOML in the background at one part LOL
eta: I can’t get the link to come up from my end, hope one of the DA fans here post the link.
^Dang it… why do he has to do a vlog when I´m at work… what did Archie said…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCLaDdcH-x8
Thanks Cruz. this one is easily the best vlog from David to date. talked about going back to Utah, taking his little sisters to lunch, taking his mom to a concert. then he tried to remember the name of the band and go blank face, haha then he switched off the camera and turned it back on to tell the band name. random singing of Come on Higher and TOML “Cook is awesome”
just look at the tags of the vlog
and Archuleta at blogging Break concert David Matt Method Nathanson New Repair Suck The York
Bet the original tag was Suck at Blogging… oh David …lol I will watch tv series of this kid… oh! wait I already did ;D…
^^ I guess he originally typed in, as tags:
David Archuleta
Suck at blogging
The Break and Repair Method (the name of the band he forgot and had to look up)
New York
Matt Nathanson concert
His blog tags are pretty funny… best was when he mispronounced Pittsburgh, “Picksburgh” and then used “Picksburgh” as a vlog tag.
cruzceleste–a whole series of Archie would be the most hilarious thing ever. He cracks me up.
HEHEHE Soundscene we should sent the Idea to Azzof or Jeff, guess E!will have interest in a new Reallity Show…something like Keeping up with The Archuletas!!!!
And another review for David…Hhe gets a B
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-etdrops5921076nov11a,0,166977.story
Popeater article on Permanent.
Nice to see a mix of reviews for Archie. I was getting skeered they’d all be negative but it’s a good mix. They NY reviews are actually much better than what most Idol albums get. Very respectful and all.
He was probably teasing. “Picksburgh” is the way some locals pronounce it. It probably came from the “Pittsuburghese” test that he took, which had me ROTFL. I know this, because I grew up there. No, I don’t pronounce it “Picksburgh” lol.
I actually think it was a mistake. He does his usual spacey look when he says something off or wrong or can’t remember something. He then corrects himself immediately. I know he talked Pittsburghese in another interview he did, but this vlog was during the tour and way before that.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/2008/11/david-a-the-off.html#uslPageReturn
Ken Barnes’s official review of Archie’s album (3/4 stars). Pretty good. :)
That was a nice article. Even more fun though, is the Rockers in Guyliner:From David Cook to David Bowie photo gallery that’s embedded in the story. They picked a photo of DC from the Teen Choice Awards where the guyliner is barely visible- a far cry from the raccoon eyes we saw sometimes during the tour! He’s in good company with the guyliner, anyway. Some of them make his worst look downright subtle!
Ken likes “Don’t Let Go” too. It’s a winner, I’m tellin’ ya. I hear Archie’s future when I listen to that song…
Great, Ken Barnes, NY Times, Newsday…..way to go David. I bet he is on pins and needles, but he can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s gonna be okay!
I can’t wait to listen to the itunes deluxe later on tonight…..I’ve been doing that second virginity thing, as I haven’t listened to the full cd since the first day it leaked. I cannot wait….
They didn’t have the guys in guyliner embed earlier. Heh. They definitely did not select the best example for DC, by far.
Brooke blogs another long one…
ADVENTURES IN MUSIC CITY!
LO Hot AC adds from All Access:
That was a pretty good review from Ken Barnes. I agree with a lot of what he says, especially the part about the album being a pop-fest for teens and pre-teens. That is the type of album David should be making right now and obviously how he is being marketed…teen pop. All the teens are going to love him.
MJ, this morning I woke up with Don’t let go ringing in my head. That’s strange I thought since tht song is ranked 3rd or fourth bottom in my list lol. but I’m liking it more.
lol MJ… you are totally fangirl of Don´t Let Go… and I like it
Yep. MJ is a fangirl.
Darn. I wanted to bring over the Newsday review, but I was busy today. It’s my home paper. I was a little bit concerned because Glenn Gamboa, the main critic, was lukewarm on Archie throughout the season and for the L.I. concert, but he has surprisingly given the duties to someone else this week ( so that’s a relief) who gave Tinsley an A grade (wow)
Two more mainstream papers came up
L.A. Times: a little ouch (1 1/2)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2008/11/album-review-da.html
and Sacramento Bee: not bad, middling
http://www.sacbee.com/122/story/1383337.html
I finally listened to the stream a couple of hours ago. It’s sweet. I’m a lyrics girl so I can’t say it’s for me ultimately, but I do like Archie and will download the album for my 10 year old niece.
Another one: http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/ny-etdrops5921076nov11,0,3164367.story Grade: B