The Masked Singer 9 runner-up David Archuleta – Every Macaw performance RANKED!
Season 9 of The Masked Singer was arguably one of its most memorable, with masked contestants sharing some heartbreaking journeys and equally emotional performances that all led up to a heartwarming finale between Macaw and Medusa.
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The upset of Macaw coming in second was heard around the world, and it felt all too familiar to viewers when Macaw was revealed to be none other than American Idol Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta. Let’s take a look back at Macaw’s flight from Country Night to Finale and rank Archuleta’s performances from worst to best.
6. “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw – Country Night
It was somewhere in the middle of Season 9 introducing all of its masks that Macaw hit the stage for the first time with a song you wouldn’t typically find among Archuleta’s genres.
For his debut on Country Night, this performance of a Tim McGraw classic perfectly introduced Macaw and the journey his portrayer had been on since coming out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in 2021.
5. “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction – Semi-finals
Despite being an insanely popular pop song of the early 2010’s, this is another one you might not expect from the “Crush” crooner.
I feel a little bad sticking this one so high up on the list, being an unapologetic One Direction lover, and also because it’s not bad in the slightest. But compared to the rest of Archuleta’s performances throughout the season, I think it’s perfectly placed in fifth.
4. “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran – The Supreme Six
If I was going to make this an entirely biased list, this performance would be number one. Between my own personal connection to this song and Archuleta’s tender vocals, it’s one I’ve watched countless times.
With no specific theme to persuade song choice during this episode, this performance earned Macaw his rightful spot in the semi-finals.
3. “Hold Back The River” by James Bay – Finale
In comparison to the other classics Archuleta sang during the show, this song came entirely out of left field as his first finale performance.
Joined by a background choir and a group of dancers, Macaw had panelist Robin Thicke commenting on his “beautiful tone” before he belted out the second half of the song, certainly not holding back.
2. “Your Song” by Elton John – British Invasion Night
By this point in the competition, it was pretty clear to most who was behind the Macaw mask, which begged the question: what famous ballad by a Brit would Archuleta choose for British Invasion Night?
Best remembered for his tear-jerking rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” during American Idol, Archuleta took a different route for this reality show and crushed it with this Elton John love song.
1. “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen – Finale
Of all Macaw’s performances, this was the one that shot me right back to 2008. Archuleta’s voice beneath the mask during this often-sung competition song sounded like something straight out of American Idol.
Known as a balladeer from the start, it was no surprise Archuleta killed this one with a heart wrenching desperation in his voice. It’s performances like this that make the world continue to wonder how on earth this guy always comes in second.
