SongsInexplicably, the judges on American Idol took great pains to complain that contestant David Archuleta sang ballads. Even more inexplicably, the producer and one judge chose two ballads, “And So It Goes” by Billy Joel and “Longer” by Dan Fogelberg, for David to sing in the Top 3 performance.

Ballads have been sung for centuries. With many variations in tone, rhythm, and rhyming scheme, they are pure poetry in song. Anyone who can sing ballads can probably sing anything. David has a natural talent as a great ballad singer. On his debut album, he sings “You Can” with tenderness and warmth that would melt the hearts of even tough-minded AI judges. David has said that “You Can” is one of his favorite songs from the album.

If ‘you can,’ explain to me why “You Can” was not a huge hit single!

“You Can”
by David Archuleta

“You Can” on AOL Live Sessions

YouTube video credit: annalisasinger84
3:54 minutes

• Written by Antonina Armato and Tim James
• Released by Jive Records, November 11, 2008
• Performed on AOL Live Sessions, late November 2008
• Purchase the album, David Archuleta, on Amazon.

A Masterclass review of David Archuleta’s new CD

by Rosanne Simunovic, MasterClassLady, Canadian Vocal Teacher & Blogger Extraordinaire
5 December 2008
Read more: MCL reviews

I love the lovely acoustic guitar introduction in this song, followed by David’s heartfelt humming. This more subdued song provides wonderful contrast to “A Little Too Not Over You” and is wonderfully placed in the programming format of this CD. Could this be a future single at some point down the road? It should be!

This song has a beautiful message and a gorgeous melody and you can hear that David is in love with this song. His emotional commitment to this song is palpable and the expressiveness coming through his voice is very real, very genuine.

This is a song that would be perfect for a wedding as the first dance for the bride and groom. Oh yes, I can most definitely smell a huge hit here, can you? And the sustained note at the 2:43 mark, followed by the few seconds of silence, was artistically perfect. It adds an element of surprise and anticipation of what is to follow.

And what follows is more good Archuleta stuff. I am truly in love with this song – everything about it is perfect. And the lovely head voice that David effortlessly exhibits toward the end is one of the reasons I fell in love with his voice from the minute I heard him sing on American Idol.

Oh my, I need a break to digest this song. Gorgeous, just gorgeous!

Billboard Review

from Billboard Magazine, reprinted by Reuters
7 November 2008

Most teen Disney heroes have got nothing on David Archuleta. The 17-year-old “American Idol” contender has one of those once-in-a-decade pop voices: A silky tenor with a natural melancholy that makes him a heartbreaker by default. His charming debut exploits that very quality with some strokes of pop genius….

KathleenC, fan comment

from Metacritic.com
19 November 2008

For having such a short amount of time to put this CD together, David Archuleta did an amazing job! His voice is incredible and there is a great mix of song styles on this album! Whether it is a beautiful ballad like “You Can” or a deep song like “Desperate” to a funky song like “Your Eyes Don’t Lie”…there is something for everyone!

isayholaa, fan comment

isayholaa on YouTube comments
1 year ago

i love this song, it is such a good song. it gives me the chills, his voice sounds like a chorus of angels. go david!!

EntertainerGeek, fan comment

by EntertainerGeek, Last.fm ShoutBox
November 2008

Love, love, love it. The acoustic guitars go nicely with everything else in the song. I’d love if someone sang this to me.

Read about “You Can” on Katie’s “Song of the Week” column, written on 15 February 2010.

Listen to Katie’s collection of Songs of the Week.

Last week’s Song of the Week

David Archuleta, the Voice

DA week that was in the life of David Archuleta

Media   David’s World   Fandom

Follow links above to the relevant sections below.

Keeping up with the über-talented, awe-inspiring, world-travelling David Archuleta can be a full-time job. Even the most (D)avid fans among us don’t always have time to follow David. Here are some of last week’s top stories about the awesome David Archuleta.

Media Headlines

News, Reviews, and Interviews

David Archuleta 2010 Teen Choice Awards
by Disney Dreaming
9 August 2010

Wohoo! David Archuleta walked the red carpet at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards on August 8th. David didn’t just walk the red carpet though, he also took home an award for Choice American Idol Alum!!…

Source: Disney Dreaming

American Idol Needs a Facelift
from OMG Music
11 August 2010

David Archuleta feels as though American Idol is in need of a change. The 19-year-old rose to fame on the seventh season of the hit singing contest and was asked what he thinks about the show now that producers are planning to bring in brand new judges….

Source: OMG Music

Archuleta collaborator selected for Sundance fellowship
by David Burger, Burger with Relish, Salt Lake Tribune
11 August 2010

Six composers have been selected as Fellows to the Sundance Institute Film Composers Lab taking place at the Sundance Resort in Utah from August 11-26, the institute announced Wednesday, including a composer who has worked with Utahns David Archuleta and Kurt Bestor….

Read more: Burger with Relish

Keck’s Exclusives: David Archuleta Picks His Dream Idol Judging Panel
by William Keck, TV Guide
13 August 2010

American Idol Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta shares with me his dream team to step in as Idol’s new judging panel….

Thanks to Honeybee Katheryn for this news at TV Guide! Go there to find out who David would choose to be AI judges, sign up, and leave a comment.

David’s World

Blogs, Tweets, Appearances

Blogs and Vlogs

Congratulations David!
from DavidArchuleta.com
10 August 2010

Congratulations David! Thanks to all of his amazing fans, David took home a surfboard last night at the Teen Choice Awards! He won for Choice Idol Alum, and he couldn’t have done it without you, so exchange your congratulations and pats on the back for a job well done right here in the comments!

David Archuleta TCA Backstage Video Interview
from DavidArchuleta.com

After winning a Teen Choice Award for “Choice Idol Alum” David stopped to talk to reporters to break down the recording of his new album, American Idol, and being “kind of a dork”!

YouTube video credit: eksnead

Join the Official David Archuleta Website and sign up to receive newsletter updates of his appearances, music, photos, blogs, and more.

Appearances – Recent & Future

Quick-glance Appearances Schedule:

August

• 9 August, presenter on Teen Choice Awards, Los Angeles; nominated in two categories
• 21 August, Greenville, SC, WFBC Greenville “Zoo-a-palooza” Radio Show
• 22 August, Louisville, KY , WDJX Louisville Radio Show
• 27 August, Providence, RI , WPRO Providence Station Lounge
• 27 August, will perform at “Ticket to Ride” concert, Six Flags New England, Agawam, MA
• 28 August, will perform at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, US Open: Arthur Ashe

September

• 3-12 September, Delta Fair & Music Festival, Memphis, TN
• 24 September, WLAN FM97 Birthday Barndance, with Shontelle Layne

Chords of Strength, David Archuleta’s Best Selling Memoir

David has had several book-signing events in July. We’ll let you know when more dates are scheduled. If you don’t have a copy of Chords of Strength yet, buy today!
Amazon: $14.05 today
Penguin Books: Hardcover $22.95; eBook $10.99
Barnes & Noble: $16.52 online
Borders: Hardcover $22.95

DavidArchie on Twitter

Monday, 9 August

> Had a fun day yesterday at the Teen Choice Awards! Even though I made an idiot out of myself lol. It airs tonight on Fox!
> Man, I’m hungry!
> FSteven RT @Shell_eeeyyy: Something Bout Love video by @DavidArchie is available for purchase on iTunes NOW!!!! Wooooot!!!

Tuesday, 10 August

> > Just ran into Megan Joy my fellow Utahn idol contestant! What the random haha.
> Just saw that “Something ‘Bout Love” is #5 in music videos on iTunes! Thanks you guys!! Glad you’re liking the video!
> @AmandaArchie Oh wow that sounds really good. I’ll have to try and make one sometime. [Reply to: i’m drinking a strawberry peach smoothie. WANT SOME? :)]
> @ILoveArchie123 Woo hoo!!! I ran into someone from Canada today who said I need to come do a show in Toronto soon haha. I really want to!

Wednesday, 11 August

> RT @jimmyosmond Excited for @davidosmond1 releasing his new CD ‘Road Less Traveled’! Check it out http://tinyurl.com/2wsu3de
> Mmm coconut popsicle with real coconut.

Thursday, 12 August

> “What is done cannot be undone, but what is left to be done, should not be left undone.”
> Eating lunch at a pupuseria today :). Gotta love Central American food!
> So excited I’ll be performing at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on the 28th in NYC! Follow @AAKidDay for updates! Info here: http://bit.ly/bpr2Yb
> @mavARCHIE No way that’s awesome!!! [Reply to: DAVID! did you know SBL passed 2million views today!??????]

Friday, 13 August

> Got to watch a little bit of TV this morning. Some of Yo Gabba Gabba was on haha.
> Much ado, much ado!
> Had Korean BBQ for my first time earlier this evening! It was good. So exhausted though. Good night!

Saturday, 14 August

> Awesome! RT @jennettemccurdy “Just Jennette” night on Nickelodeon this evening! Episodes of iCarly, True Jackson, & my music video premiere!
> @Palrice8 I wanted to so badly! I’m overdue! But I think I’d have to wear a mask or something if I did lol. And I don’t have a mask 🙁 [Reply to: You should make a video blog today!! :D]
> I love days where you can just look like a bum and not worry about looking too fancy.

Follow David Archuleta on Twitter. He has nearly 433,500 followers, but who’s counting? —I am!!! During the past sixteen weeks, David has averaged an astounding 4,906 new followers each week.

Fandom

Blogs, Stories, Charities

Blogs

Chords of Strength: Chapter 10, “Staying True”
by goldstar, Archuleta Fanscene
31 July 2010

Chapter 10′s opening quotation is “Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it, piece by piece.” –H.J. Brown

David devotes a whole chapter to the concept of staying true to yourself and how important that is for your personal development and your life.

Stories

Teen Choice Awards Fashion Face-Off: David Archuleta vs. Greyson Chance
from The Hollywood Gossip (THG)
9 August 2010

Throughout the day, THG has posted a number of Fashion Face-Offs based on celebrity appearances at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards…But this is the first time we must give our readers a warning: do not attempt to reach into your computer screens and squeeze the cheeks of the following two competitors…We understand this urge when it comes to David Archuleta and Greyson Chance, but please try to resist. THG bears no responsibility if anyone gets injured attempting such an endeavor.

Who looked cuter at the Teen Choice Awards—David Archuleta or Greyson Chance?

How can a 19 year old be compared to a 14 year old? I supposed it’s just in fun, but I hope young Mr. Greyson wasn’t hurt that Archuleta’s fans voted for him overwhelmingly. Greyson is certainly very cute and adorable, but I wouldn’t ‘squeeze his cheeks or Archuleta’s’. Don’t older people know that young people HATE that!?

Did you miss last week’s Weekly Wrap? If you’ve fallen far behind, you should seriously search the Archhives! It’s not too late to reclaim your status as a David Archuleta fanatic fan!

DA Weekly Buzz about David Archuleta!

Other Side of Down is the title of David Archuleta’s next pop album. In June he was at Coney Island shooting the photos for the album and the first single, “Something ’bout Love.” David says the photo shoot was the most fun he has had in front of the cameras. And his relaxed enjoyment certainly shows in the pictures. The Photo of the Week may not be the final album cover, but it was released in the exclusive fan pack. Have you pre-ordered yours?

Photo of this week is…!

David Archuleta relaxes on the Other Side of Down.

• Thanks to David Archuleta and Jive Records for the photo.

Did you miss the “Shape-ups” photo last week?

David Archuleta, a Photographer’s Dream