“I Voted for Archuleta”

This is more US-centric than international, but the US presidential election has global implications, so I can be forgiven.

Jim Cantiello from MTV News is absolved of all responsibility for the outcome of the presidential election, because he voted for Archuleta. Watch the 60-second video till the end.

Jim Cantiello is the same guy who wrote “David Archuleta Is Not Who You Think!” right after the American Idol finale:

Having Survived ‘Idol’, Jim Can Now Finally Reveal the Truth: David Archuleta Is Not Who You Think!

So I’m back home in NY and finally on a normal sleep cycle. Hallelujah! And even though I had a three-day weekend to detox from “Idol,” I still can’t shake one thing I witnessed at last week’s Grand Finale…

Nope, not Fantasia’s awesome hair. Nope, not the fact that Ruben Studdard was really 9 feet tall in person. Actually, it didn’t even happen on the red carpet. It occurred backstage in the press room, and I call it the David Personality Shift.

The two David’s made their way to a podium to answer a few questions. First came the Cookster, who just 30 minutes earlier was crowned America’s Next Top Clive Davis Slave. We were all expecting him to be over the moon with excitement, or maybe he’d still be crying like he was on TV. (He did, after all, just win a crazy-popular reality show.) But, nope. He waltzed up to the mic, mumbled a few words about his music teacher, then politely smiled and walked off. A few of us turned to each other and said, “He knows he just won, right?” Was it dawning on him that it might be tough for him to break out of the “Idol” mold? Or maybe it just hit him that his first single was a steaming pile of goo? Or, most likely, he was just damn exhausted, and would rather chill with his family (standing backstage waiting for him) than answer silly questions about fashion accessories. (Yes, stupid tabloid reporter who drove everyone nuts. I’m looking at you.)

Conversely, there was ArchuRunnerUp, who haters bashed for his awkward “gosh’s” and giggle fits. Several of my co-workers have been “creeped out” by how he often acted like an eleven-year-old boy, as opposed to a seventeen-year-old dude. Well, based on the few minutes I witnessed in the press room, Archuleta was a shockingly mature, well-spoken young man. He finished all his sentences; he didn’t gasp for air more than John Goodman on a staircase; he didn’t shrug and turn away from the camera like a Harajuku girl. In other words, he came off like the complete opposite he did while on the telly. And he…had…tons of personality!Where was this Archuleta all season long???

Could it be that losing “Idol” was the best thing that could happen to this kid’s emotional growth? Was he just freezing on camera all season because of the intense pressure? (Or was he just relieved to finally get away from Seacrest?)

I wonder if this personality shift happened with the other “Idol” contestants. Maybe, behind the scenes, Brooke White was sane, Jason Castro clever, and Syesha Mercado, uh, likeable…?

Source: Virginia5 (US) and Bianca (US) from Team Archie

David Archuleta on BusRadio!

David talks about his “pride and joy”, dances salsa, and picks a “girlfriend” haha! Click on the image to listen to the interview.

Source: Orlando (US) from Fan Scene

An Interview from The Salt Lake Tribune, a Utah newspaper 

Debut album in mind, ‘Idol’s’ David Archuleta exploring options

By David Burger 

Since February, “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta has spent only 16 days in his hometown of Murray.

But to show us where he comes from, in his forthcoming album’s liner notes he praises Utah and his Utah friends and even provides a phone number — with an 801 area code — for fans to leave messages for him.

Archuleta, who turns 18 in December, begins another chapter in his life Nov. 11. His first album, the self-titled “David Archuleta,” will be released by Jive Records, which has launched the music careers of Britney Spears, Will Smith, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.
 
The first single from his album, “Crush,” has been a success. The week after its digital release this summer, the song about unrequited love debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has sold more than 800,000 copies since. The second single is expected to be Robbie Williams’ “Angels,” a personal favorite of the Murray teen and a song he performed sublimely during his run on “American Idol.”

In an interview, Archuleta talked about his first album and what he has been up to in the months since “American Idol” ended.
 
On an upcoming tour and whether he will visit Utah soon: 
We’ve been discussing [it]. I know there will be a tour but I’m not sure how it’s all going down. I don’t really have control where I go. I love going home whenever I can, so it’s always cool to be back with my home people and hang out. I do miss being there and being around everyone. Say hi to all of them. I’m still very grateful to be here and have this chance and opportunity and perform. I’ve been on the radio promo tour for a couple of weeks. And so I’m in Boston right now. We’ve bee n in San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Milwaukee, Albany, Atlanta. Oh wait, we’re not in Boston, we’re in Providence. Sorry, my bad.
 
On who’s traveling with him:
My dad’s the one’s who is with me usually. I get to see my family whenever I’m home. But I have family in Atlanta, so I got to spend some time with them.
 
On acting in a Nickelodeon TV show: 
I think it would really be fun to do (acting) eventually. I don’t know if it’s the near future, or far future. It isn’t something I would (rule) out. I would have to take classes, too, to get more developed.
 
On the success of “Crush” and whether it’s autobiographical: 
I was wondering if it was going to flop, but so far it’s been really cool to see that people have enjoyed it and people come up to me all the time and say, “Hey, I like your song.” That part is really cool. … You have to have some kind of connection with any song you sing, whether it be from personal experience or relating to a story indirectly.

On songwriting:
There are a couple of songs on the album that I co-wrote, which is really neat. Yeah, so that was cool. You can get a bonus track if you pre-order the album, and I co-wrote that track, too. There’s a deluxe edition as well, and I wrote one of those songs. I enjoyed all the collaborations. On the main album, I co-wrote a song with this guy named Jimmy Harry and [*NSYNC singer] JC Chasez. That was fun.
 
On the goal of the album: 
I’m trying to show my growth. I’m trying new things, seeing what works best for me right now, being a teenager. When you’re a teenager, you’re in that, “Who am I?” [phase]. I’m just showing that I can go in this direction, or this direction, and showing that I’m not limiting myself. I wanted to make sure I didn’t run with one thing specifically with so little time and be like, “Did I do the right thing?” I give a lot of variety on this album.
 
On religion: 
I think that’s really important at this time in my life. Since I’m away from the whole Utah environment it’s a lot more different, and I think it’s important to stay strong and that [religion] is part of your life. That’s what’s helped get me this far and what’s helped me stay myself, to be true to myself. I definitely owe it all [to God] upstairs.

Source: Orlando (US) from Fan Scene; artwork by Orlando