pikepss Weekly on David Archuleta

Good morning Honeybees and Fans!

Good interviews are hard to come by; many who have interviewed David Archuleta have come up short. The exception, in my opinion, is Brian Mansfield. His recent interviews with David highlighting his Nashville writing sessions and his decision to sing ‘Imagine’ on American Idol are fabulous.

Research is one of the most important requirements for a great interview. Know your subject and know them well. Read anything and everything you can about them. Don’t repeat the same questions that have been asked a zillion times. Nothing makes for a more boring interview than asking the same questions that have been covered over and over again. Ask open-ended questions, ones that cannot be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Open-ended questions require a detailed response. Example: “Can you tell me how you come up with the songs you write?” Brian Mansfield’s questions brought out the best of David’s personality and gave us great interviews, but most of all, he showed David a great deal of respect. Thank you, Mr. Mansfield!

Besides interviews, polls, music scholarships and the Anniversary of David winning Star Search, we have twitters that were hilariously funny, Planes, Cheerleaders and Volleyball players, Oh My! Eman headed the pep rally with twitters of his own! Don’t you just love Eman? Haha!!

David gave us a wonderful vlog making sure he apologized for his nasty look??? What nasty look? He also wanted to set the record straight about no cheerleaders in the studio!!!! Haha! That was typical David!!

On AOL Radio blog, “Crush” is #1 of the top 10 American Idol songs! Congratulations, David! Oh, also don’t forget to watch Univision on Sunday 21st (today) for the making of Somos el Mundo!!

Have a safe and happy week everyone!

Media

Reviews and Interviews

14 March
David Archuleta reflects on “Imagine” – Brian Mansfield

I’ve always thought David Archuleta’s “Imagine” was one of the riskiest choices a contestant has made on American Idol. There were so many ways that February 2008 performance could have backfired on David. Simon Cowell acknowledged as much afterward, telling David it was “very, very risky to do a John Lennon song — particularly that one.”

After all, Imagine is an iconic song with a simple melody and a message considered both sacred and profane by different groups of people. Beatles fans could have turned on him David for having the audacity to change the melody so much — or simply for being 17 and sing it. The judges might have thought it was too old — or too weighty — for him.

If David had sung the first verse about imagining there’s no Heaven, he probably never would have won back large segments of the show’s conservative, religious viewers. But starting the song’s on the third verse could have caused problems, too. It might have sent the message that he wasn’t willing to sing that first verse — even though he had time constraints as an excuse.

There were so many reasons that performance might not have worked — and the fact that David sang and smiled his way right past every last one of them made him one of that season’s instant favorites.

It turns out, though, that Imagine wasn’t David’s first choice that week.

“I actually picked another song before I picked Imagine,” David says, though he declines to name the other number. “But I knew I needed to do Imagine.

“It was scary, because everyone else was doing uptempo stuff. It was ’70s Week. It was, like, feel-good week. I didn’t even know that no one else picked slow songs until rehearsals, and I was scared.”

David even went so far as working up the arrangement of the first song, only later telling producers that he wanted to change his performance number.

“They were not happy that I wanted to change,” he recalls. First of all, switching songs made an already tight schedule even tighter. Secondly, they wanted David to sing the song’s first verse.

But David stuck to his guns.

“There are more important things about the song than the first verse,” he says. “I leaves it to what matters — what matters in life and what matters in music. That song captures those things perfectly, and it captured what I wanted to do with music. It captured why I felt like I needed to be there and what I needed to say.

“Some people were, like, ‘Why didn’t he sing the first verse?’ You know what? The third verse is my favorite one. Not everybody focuses on what the song’s about — they just focus on those first words and obsess about ‘how bad it is.’ I’m a religious person. I felt like this song meant more than that, and I wasn’t going to let that distraction get in the way.

“People were upset that I wouldn’t do the first verse — ‘That’s the verse everyone knows!’ You know what? People need to listen to the song. I didn’t want people to think they already knew the song. I wanted people to listen, because there’s more meaning, and it captures a substance in music that is so meaningful to me.”

David says he also understood that, with switching verses, he ran the risk of being considered “cheesy,” but “it didn’t matter, because I said what I needed to say.

“Same with this next album. Maybe it’s cheesy, but there’s a point where you have to be brave to be cheesy, because you know it’s what you’re supposed to do. Maybe I’m a cheesy person, but that’s who I am. I’m not going to pretend to be somebody else just to humor society.”

15 March
Brian Mansfield Interviews David Archuleta – Nashville, Songs & Memoir

Great interview from Brian Mansfield from Idol Chatter on David Archuleta’s feelings about songwriting, his time in Nashville and his upcoming memoir! It’s a must read! Enjoy!

Brian Mansfield Interviews David Archuleta – Nashville, Songs & Memoir

15 March

The making of Somos El Mundo update
From Snarky Archies, According to Kirsten

The behind the scenes Somos El Mundo show isn’t airing today after all. For some reason, they waited until today to change the schedule. I found this on the TV guide website.

Somos el Mundo – Voz y Alama
UNI 26 Sun, Mar 21 1:00pm

…so be prepared to watch it NEXT Sunday at 2pm eastern/1pm central time.

16 March

Femalefirst.co.uk
Justin Bieber Vs. David Archuleta : Who Wins? You Decide.
Posted by Ruth

When I started out as a music journalist, never did I think id be writing about two US popstars, both kids, both loaded and both teenage heartthrobs. I mean, fair enough, I can see why kids fancy vampire Robert Pattinson, or even Justin Timberlake, but Beiber and Archuleta, come on, have their voices even broken?

So, we’re looking to bring an end to the Justin Bieber Vs. David Archuleta nonsense, and once and for all let you, the fans decide who is best. We know making you pick is like asking a mum to pick her favourite child or asking me to choose between Sebastian Vettel and Giovanni Ribisi, but because we’re mean (and we can) we’ve decided to throw it open to the fans.

Okay, so this kinda means that is one boy has more fans than the other they’re bound to win… and whilst we reckon JB might have just a couple more teens on his side, our love for Mr Archuleta means we’re going to be ringing round all our mates and getting them to vote. No, we’re just joking, we wouldn’t want our ’scientific findings’ to be biased or anything.

Thank you for voting!

Team Archuleta 97%
Team Bieber 3%

Pictures

16 March

Ortho Office

Besides getting his haircut frequently, David spends a great deal of time at the ortho office!! Check out the picture! He loves the TV on the ceiling!

17 March

German Magazine

19 March

Latter Day Bride Magazine
Kaycee Stroh from SLC played Martha in Disney’s High School Musical

Chart/Book Sales

19 March

In Chords of Strength David shares his unexpected and inspiring journey, including how he overcame vocal cord paralysis to achieve his dream of being a singer. He reveals insecurities he felt about his voice before he realized that he loved the way singing made him feel more than he disliked the way he sounded. In this personal memoir, David opens up about the strength he draws from his unshakable faith and unyielding family. He pays tribute to those who continue to inspire him and through their example help him believe in himself, his talent, and his abilities.

Intimate and uplifting, Chords of Strength allows a unique glimpse of the man behind the music and offers hope to anyone with a passion and a dream.

About the Author
David Archuleta is a singer and songwriter who got his first big break on American Idol. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Product Details
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Celebra Hardcover (June 1, 2010)
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #23,829 in Books
Popular in these categories:
#3 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Pop
#9 in Books > Entertainment > Music > Musical Genres > Popular
#15 in Books > Entertainment > Pop Culture > Music

David’s vlogs, blogs

18 March
At Eman’s Studio David twitters and apologizes for his nasty appearance and weird laugh!

20 March
Random Singing from David

Forgot about this little video….Makes me smile and laugh every time I see it…hope it does the same for all of you!

Twitters

DavidArchie & Friends

15 March

DavidArchie – Back home for a few days! Had such a great week in Nashville! Thanks to @JoyWilliams and @ NateYetton for the awesome time!

DavidArchie – Not to mention all the other people and writers I got to meet and work with. And hang with haha.

DavidArchie – So last night Tsuki the cat went missing. I just found her in the hood of a car lol. She’s safe but how’d the heck she get there?

Does anyone else find it’s funny that David seems to be the pet wrangler at home? Haha! He’s so cute and sweet to make sure things are in order! How’d the heck he realize she was in the hood of a car????

DavidArchie – It makes me sad when people say they looked for my CD in stores and stuff to get it and couldn’t find it anywhere lol.

DavidArchie – Changing the kitty litter box. Exciting, I know.

DavidArchie – Oh man, have I really been on Twitter for a year?? Crazy haha. Thanks!! RT @sandritangel Happy twitter anniversary!!

DavidArchie – Hope my aunt had a good birthday today haha. Wish I was there to celebrate with everyone.

Twitter Party
15 March

16 March

DavidArchie – Good morning. Time for an ortho visit.

DavidArchie – http://twitpic.com/18xvjr – I like the TV’s on the ceilings here ha

DavidArchie – Man! These dogs destroy all of the stuffed toys around here.

DavidArchie – Watching American Idol!

DavidArchie – Just finished watching Alice in Wondrland. Very interesting haha. But I thought the moral of the story at the end was inspiring.

17 March

DavidArchie – Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Don’t forget to wear some green.

DavidArchie – Mmm Thai food with my sister = good times

DavidArchie – I’m disappointed with how many people aren’t wearing green today. lol. Only one person in the security screening line is in green.

DavidArchie – On the airplane….There are a lot of cheerleaders and volleyball players on board..Uh…lol.

DavidArchie – Now running away from all the cheerleaders and volleyball layers! Ahh!!

DavidArchie – Watching @TheDavidCook rock out on the American Idol results show. I’m a little behind from traveling haha. Thanks Tivo.

18 March

DavidArchie – Working with @Emanuelkiriakou again today. Gonna get some more recording done!

DavidArchie – My aunt got me an old French travel hand steamer to steam my clothes haha. Cool!

EmanuelKiriakou – We’re taking a break from recording and playing volleyball now…some cheerleaders are here too…

DavidArchie – @EmanuelKiriakou Hahaha you’re an odd one.

EmanuelKiriakou – Jeez it took me FOREVER to get these damn cheerleaders out of the studio…David David he’s our man if he can’t sing it NO ONE CAN!!!

EmanuelKiriakou – GIMME A D!!!!!!

EmanuelKiriakou – Gimme and A!!!!

EmanuelKiriakou – ok gimme a V-I-D!! Or a VID! Or a video?? Bubbletweet anyone???

EmanuelKiriakou – PSHYCH!!!!!!!!!! maybe later..2 busy cutting this song that I wrote with @claudekelly and @jesscatesmusic!!

DavidArchie – Finished recording an awesome song written by @EmanuelKiriakou, @ClaudeKelly, and @JessCatesMusic!!

DavidArchie – Just uploaded a vlog on youtube! I apologize for my nasty appearance and weird laugh lol—>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RKsaNDBIPM

DavidArchie – Just had dinner with my aunt and my teacher while I was on American Idol! So good seeing her again haha.

19 March

DavidArchie – Hey guys, Amie Miriello’s band SO&SO has a show today at sxsw in austin, texas! It’s at THE HIDEOUT THEATER at 1:45pm! Go support!

DavidArchie – Walked my aunt’s dog. A nice day outside. Going back to Eman’s today to record another song.

DavidArchie – Finished recording for today.

DavidArchie – Eres Tu just came on the TV on the 70’s music station! I love this song! Eres tuuu, como el agua de mi fuente! Ha…

20 March

DavidArchie – Went for a nice little stroll at the beach. Now going to another writing session.

DavidArchie – Still in traffic. Lol

DavidArchie – FINALLY made it to the studio. Working with @PriscillaRenea and Kojack today.

DavidArchie – Sorry, I meant Kojk. @KooolKojak and @PriscillaRenea haha.

DavidArchie – We have a song written now for today. Now time to record some vocals. At least some rough vocals.

Past Appearances

Star Search Anniversary

19 March

David’s Anniversary Win on Star Search – It’s been 7 years!!!!

Google Alerts

Google Alerts

16 March

CTM.com
David Archuleta Writes More Music in Nashville
by Alison Bonaguro

I’m sorry, but if there is an American Idol finalist who DOESN’T want to get a piece of the country pie, I’d love to know about it. That’s because the latest in a long string of Idols Gone Country is that adorable little David Archuleta. He was just in Nashville again last week, working with singer-songwriter Joy Williams, and together they collaborated with Cary Barlowe, Hillary Lindsey, and Danny Orton — all practically guaranteed hit-makers who have written for Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw and more. When it was all said and done, Archuleta had about 20 songs for his new album. Oh, and he got to hang in the studio with iCarly’s Jennette McCurdy while he was in town because she’s been in Nashville making her own country album. I’m not saying they are a couple. But if they were a couple, they’d be an awfully cute one.

19 March
GZO: Idol voters get it right this week
by Jamie Graham – Lincoln Journal

I’m holding strong on my elimination predictions. Bottom three. Check. Going home. Check. I don’t wanna brag, but… yeah I kinda do. I’m awesome. Actually, thinking about it, it’s kinda sad that I’ve watched and spent enough time analyzing this TV show that I know what viewers are looking for, which demographic likes which type of singer and which are the likeliest to vote. *Sigh, you gotta spend your days doing something I suppose.

So the latest cast-off, and subsequently missing the right to go on the Idol tour this summer, is Lacey Brown. America got it right this time. Her encore was far from save-worthy. I’m not sure whether there’s a place for her in the industry. Definitely not mainstream or anywhere close. I doubt we’ll hear much of her again.

One of the things I love most about “American Idol” is that the contestants, after the show is all said and done, can actually sing live. David Cook sounded amazing with Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” He knows how to interact with the audience without losing his vocal pitch. He’s a true artist. He probably would be up there with Chris Daughtry if he didn’t have the constraints that come with winning the title. If someone HAD to beat David Archuleta for the Idol crown, I’m glad it was him. Way to show ‘em how it’s done!

Sounds like she is a big fan of David Archuleta!

Fans

blogs, vids, VIPs

19 March
Fan Poll – Who is better David Cook, David Archuleta or Justin Bieber? – Guess who’s winning???

David Archuleta – 53% David Cook – 9% Justin Bieber – 36%

http://fun140.com/taken_polls/1939048

Human Interest

Scholarship Updates

David Archuleta Music Scholarship

17 March

19 March

David Archuleta Music Scholarship Video

pikepss’ Pick of the Week

Crush

Crush is #1 Idol Single on AOL!

Top 10 American Idol Songs
Posted by Boonsri Dickinson — AOL Radio Blog

With each American Idol season, without fail, we fall in love with these unknown, small town voices and vote on our favorites. We listen to the judges’ critiques; Simon Cowell’s bickering (with this season to be his last) and Randy Jackson’s belief in promising stars (for he fortuitously predicted Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson’s success on day one). But in the end, we, the viewers, decide who stays in the running, where finalists hope the show will jump-start their careers, and soon after commercialize their talent. Over the past eight seasons, here are the Top ‘American Idol’ Songs that have been successful on the airwaves and rated by AOL Radio listeners. Let us know in the comments which idol songs are your favorite!

1. David Archuleta: ‘Crush’

The seventh season runner-up finished strong, receiving 44 percent of the 97 million votes. But it’s not surprising ‘Crush’ was such a hit (and our No.1 ‘American Idol’ song) — Jackson said Archuleta could “sing the phone book” and it would still sound great. Growing up in the ‘American Idol’ generation, he became one of the youngest contestants to participate in the show. To keep better tabs on him, check out his frequent tweets.

2. Chris Daughtry: ‘Home’
3. Kelly Clarkson: ‘Breakaway’
4. Carrie Underwood: ‘Before’
5. Adam Lambert: ‘Wantaya Want From Me’
6. Jordin Sparks: ‘No Air’
7. David Cook: ‘Permanent’
8. Elliott Yamin: ‘Wait For You’
9. Kris Allen: ‘Heartless’
10. Katherine McPhee: ‘Over It’

DA Weekly Buzz about David Archuleta!