A little somethin’ somethin’ ’bout love: Part 2

Posted on 07/10/2010 by abanana77

Is this not perfect? *I'm-not-worthy-bow* to beebee

I have this (probably unhealthy) habit of forgetting to breathe when I am really focused or concentrated on something. I get really in the zone of whatever I’m doing and after about 25-30 seconds it occurs to me that I haven’t been breathing and that I probably should.

This happens quite a bit — when I’m watching overtime in a hockey game I care about, when I’m trying to master new dance moves, when I’m trying to run really fast (this causes huge cramps by the way. Always breathe while running), when I’m thinking really hard about a difficult math problem… and apparently when I listen to David Archuleta’s new single for the first time.

I had heard the snippet (of course) but wasn’t completely in love with it after hearing it. I was more excited to hear the rest of the song. Because from the snippet, I felt like the song had huge potential, and I was hoping the rest of the song would live up to it. But I wasn’t completely sold yet. I wanted the full song to go beyond what I’d heard in the snippet… and boy did it ever!

Listening to the full song that first time completely blew me away. There were so many twists and turns that it kept my focus, my attention and my inability to exhale right through to the end. From the intro through the verse and chorus and eventually into the bridge it kept me guessing and wondering what was coming next. How could this song surprise me any more? How could it keep getting better and better?

I think one of the main reasons why I have completely fallen for this song is because of how the song keeps building on itself to get more and more intense as it goes on. I know most songs are supposed to be made like that, but I find this song does an especially good job at keeping you hooked. And I think that kind of mimics David as a live performer.

It is always the last third of the song where he really gets in his element and is completely into the zone of the song, whether it’s a slow emotional song like Prayer of The Children or an upbeat one like Zero Gravity. So with the growing intensity already written into the song, I can not wait to hear this song live! He will rock it!

"To me this song is sort of an incognito-encouraging-song disguised as a classic-love-pop-song. Sneaky. Good work, David." (Photo: djafan/The Voice)

I’m not an expert at key changes, dance beats, popular music or vocal techniques, and I’m not going to pretend to be one. I really don’t know much about any of those things (more than I did a couple years ago before I discovered David, but still not very much). But I know I like this song. I know it keeps me listening. I know some of the lyrics push through the production and speak right to my heart. I know I think it is the perfect song for David’s next single.

It’s catchy and very radio-friendly, and I would love to hear him on the radio again. I was maybe hoping for a more “mature” song from him, but now that I’ve heard Something ‘Bout Love, I am completely sold. I think this song is perfect for the single. The album will hopefully incorporate different types of songs that will show a more “grown-up” side to David (Can’t.Wait.) but as many people have pointed out, he’s still 19. This is exactly the type of song he needed for his single, if you ask me.

And although on the surface it sounds like a standard bubble-gum pop song, I really think David snuck some of his feel-good, optimistic, persevering type themes (that we know he loves) into this song. For example, the lyrics:

Don’t fight
Don’t hide
Those stars in your eyes
Let em’ shine tonight
Let em’ shine tonight

Hang on
Hang in
For the ride of your life
It’s gonna be alright
Hold on tight

To me, here, he’s talking about trying to stay positive and not get discouraged (I know it can be interpreted differently) and about how love is worth it. Am I reading too much into it? And I think he means all types of love, not necessarily just the romantic kind. I love how this song can be used to describe a relationship with anyone in your life that you love — a friend, sibling, parent, boyfriend, spouse, child. Everyone has those experiences so anyone can relate to this song.

To me this song is sort of an incognito-encouraging-song disguised as a classic-love-pop-song. Sneaky. Good work, David, now both you and Jive (and all fans everywhere, as far as I can tell) are happy! 😀

Basically I can not wait to hear it live. I hope it gets the radio airplay it deserves. And I might need to be put on a respirator when I listen to the album for the first time! 😛

— abanana77

P.S. Really random, but in the first three seconds of the song I get a flash of “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. I have no idea why. Am I crazy or does anyone else hear that too?

Posted in Music review | Tagged , | 58 Comments

A little somethin’ somethin’ ’bout love: Part 1

Posted on 07/07/2010 by awestruck

Remember this comment I made on the “To Snippet or Not to Snippet” post:

“Well I did snippet this one… catchy, yup radio friendly, lyrics so far sound light (but will have to make my final decision on that once I hear them ALL). If it is a David song, then I think he has deeper meaning in his lyrics… will appeal to the youngun’s and make me feel young again, lol. I have a feeling that he will have something for the ‘older’ crowd on the CD though.”

Now that I have heard the whole song, I heartily agree with myself! 🙂

And along with enjoying the song on its own terms, once again, I am impressed with David’s instinctive knowledge of what will work in a given situation.  Recognizing pop music for what it is today, he takes this understanding, incorporates his must-have-meaning lyrics and delivers a contemporary song that will appeal to so many – on whatever level it reaches out to you.

As a fan, I appreciate knowing David’s intent behind his lyrics while still enjoying the stick-in-my-mind melody.  New fans will no doubt enjoy the groovatude of the song and interpret the lyrics that have meaning to them.  This reflects the power and beauty of the song.

This is def. the nicest beanie I've had so far. (Pic: DC on Heels Facebook)

Some say David is not highlighting his vocals with this song.  I beg to differ.  Compared with the other Top-40 pop tunes out there, David’s voice is actually recognizable, and the sound effects … effective!

Some say he is selling himself short with this song.  But if the intent is to get played on the radio, to make people want to buy his upcoming album – then he will likely be highly successful with this as a lead-off single.

It is a style of music we have not heard to date from David and I say kudos to him for stepping outside his comfort zone.

What isn’t new, however, is David’s deep desire to sing — and to write — songs with personal meaning for him. Don’t get me wrong – I love the upbeat, lively, catchy melody and can enjoy it without dwelling on the deeper meaning. But that deeper meaning is there. As NeonLimelight noted:

“Although the beat of the song will have you moving, the lyrics give the song substance – substance that is sorely missing from most songs in heavy rotation on the radio currently.”

When I read that review, I wondered if the writer had watched David’s Honolulu interview, where he explains the message behind the music:

“It’s a pop album again, so this is the second pop album I’ll be doing.  The single is a very up-tempo … very ‘radio’ song… so it’s kind of for the summer.  It’s called Something ‘Bout Love and it’s about how people do feel frustrated a lot about love and how it can be hard at times, but there is something about it that’s worth it, and that you shouldn’t give up on … I don’t know if it really is the best song to kind of reflect the rest of the album because…  But it is, you know, but I think that these songs have a lot more meaning in them.  Like they’re really messages I believe in so that’s what I am really excited about.  Even though, you know it’s a kind of an up-tempo fun song it still has a meaningful thing to me and the rest of the songs are even more kind of personal — personal to me.  There are things like my own thoughts and my own ideas and kind of my own situations, so I’m really excited to be able to have this album come out and show more of me and my personality, and just, be more real.  I think that’s the best way people can relate and connect to your music, ’cause if you connect to it and feel like people will be able to connect to it better too.”

Or his similar explanation in his July 4th vlog:

“It’s an up-tempo more fun song for the summer. It’s a song about people getting frustrated with love and how a lot of people can get hurt by situations whether it’s with a relationship or with a family member, your parents, or someone you just care about. I think everyone goes through those situations of love and even though it’s kind of different for everybody, I think we’ve all had those same kinds of emotions and even though people have gone through that and feel frustrated at times there’s still something about love that you still shouldn’t give up on. And there’s still something that’s worth it.”

Why does he feel SBL doesn’t reflect the rest of the album? And why has he gone to some length to explain the meaning behind the lyrics? Hmm, points to ponder. What do you think?

— awestruck

Posted in Music review | Tagged , | 163 Comments

Independence Day

Posted on 07/04/2010 by archiesfan4life

Telling David about my friendships thanks to him (including Zoe, who took this photo).

If there is one thread that weaves its way through David Archuleta’s music and his fans, it’s this: Connection. Hearts and minds and souls have been linked across cyberspace and beyond borders, all with the same common bond – a deep connection felt through David Archuleta and his music.

On this July 4, TOfan thought it would be fitting to tell my story on a Canadian site because this journey we’re on truly crosses all divides. But where to begin?

I took my cue from David and went back to my journals.

Connections made through David's music cross cultures, generations ... even borders.

I have been a journal writer off and on for many years after attending a seminar by the late, beloved speaker Jim Rohn.   As I read through those entries I suddenly realized just how significant the changes have been and how these change are the result of the people who have been brought into my life because of my love for David Archuleta.

This journey we are traveling together has brought comfort and peace to so many for a myriad of personal reasons – some are heartbreaking stories.  Mine seems so small in comparison, but in the hope that others could relate, I felt I should step out of my comfort zone and give it a try.

I will start at the beginning

Like many others I’ve had to cope with some major personal life issues over many years, which had left me feeling exhausted and worst of all, feeling hopeless.

I was praying for something, although I had no idea what that something was – I just knew that there was a huge something missing so I turned to prayer. I’ve since learned that our prayers are sometimes answered in the most mysterious ways.

Season 7 of AI was only the second year I ever watched the show – and I have not watched since unless David was on.  I am like many others who never knew what a blog, You Tube, Cellcasts, or Twitter even were. I never was a fangirl of anyone.  Following David and becoming a member of his fan community turned out to be the answer I was praying for.

An answer that incorporated a state clear across the country, two religions of which I knew little to nothing about, and two strangers who helped me find the strength and courage that had been hidden away under fear and hopelessness.  One woman is from Utah, the other lives not far from me.  One is LDS (Mamasaun); the other Jewish (Zoe); I am Catholic. All we had in common two years ago was our love for David Archuleta.

But that was then and this is now

Allentown mosh memories.

My son still can’t believe his mom stood in a mosh pit in Allentown with a woman she met on a blog (Zoe).  Zoe and I immediately felt like we knew one another forever! Since that day we have taken several road trips together and we look forward to many more in the future.  We meet for lunch, we talk on the phone, we email, and we scheme and plan our next David adventure.  I recently received an email from Zoe that touched my heart so deeply – it was her “epiphany” about our friendship.  Yes, Zoe, I agree there are no coincidences.

Mamasaun and I started talking off line through emails, and to say we emailed and talked about everything is an understatement!  I never would have believed such a close friendship could have been formed with someone you have never met face to face – but that is exactly what happened and you would have thought we, too, knew one another forever.

Since one of the topics we had in depth discussions on was our respective religions she asked if I would care to attend a conference talk at the local LDS Church – I had no idea we had a local LDS Church!  For some reason I said yes – there I go again saying yes and then wondering what was I thinkingJ.   Although this is a huge part of my story, I will try to explain as briefly as possible.

I sat in my car outside the LDS Church questioning my decision to agree to attend the talk – after all I attend Mass every Sunday.  What happened is that I learned that no matter the differences in how we worship or if we worship – and this is what I believe David is teaching us – is that LOVE is what is important.  Love for one another – in how we treat one another.  Love is what I got that day – nothing was asked of me and nothing ever has been to this day.

Mamasaun and I also email, talk on the phone, and we scheme and plan how I am going to come to Utah one day soon so we can finally meet face to face.  I received an email from Mamasaun almost simultaneously with the one from Zoe that equally touched my heart about our friendship and what it means to her.  Two incredibly touching emails a few hours apart – there truly are no coincidences.

I send cards to Zoe for the holidays she celebrates and I learn what these days mean to her. We talk about our families, share pictures and I unconditionally love and support each of them as they do me. Mamasaun and I and Zoe and I share what our religious traditions and beliefs mean to each of us and we are learning from one another what it means to lovingly accept the differences.

I wish I could share more of just how kind and supportive Mamasaun and Zoe have been to me and how their friendship, and the loving support group I have with my local LDS friends, has changed my life – suffice it to say that David would be so proud of them – so proud!

David is the core, the heart that binds us together and the fan communities are the homes we come to – home is where the heart is.  For the gift I have been given in belonging to David’s fandom is priceless – the love, the support and the opening of minds and hearts to one another from every walk of life – what a gift David is to us all!

Independence Day

My life today is different because I am different.  Listening to David sing and seeing how he conducts his life, the amazing blessing of my David friendships, the fan communities that I visit every day (okay many times a dayJ), meeting fans at concerts and book signings and putting faces to screen names all have contributed to the positive changes in my life.  I see light at the end of that dark tunnel and I have the strength and confidence to make my life better.

When David sings the National Anthem today, I know the whole world will be watching – for his Voice brings nationalities, generations, cultures … strangers … together – connecting hearts and forging friendships.

Friends do become our chosen family – thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story with you, my chosen family.

— archiesfan4life

Posted in Fan experience | 54 Comments

Happy Birthday, Canada!

Posted on 07/01/2010 by TOfan

My cheesy sign ... that he probs never saw.

In honour of Canada Day, here’s an excerpt of a recap I sent to FanBlast the day after the AI7 Tour show in Toronto — David’s only concert appearance in Canada to date! Ahhhh, memories….

I have a David Archuleta hangover. My whole body aches, my head’s pounding and my ears are still ringing. This is from four-hours plus of standing waiting to meet David in the afternoon autograph session (which he couldn’t make, unfortunately, more about that later) yesterday, then three-plus hours standing during the show itself. Was it all worth it?…. Oh, yeah!

Oops, wrong David.

Once David’s piano rose to the stage in the mist and he sang that first note, I was transported to that special place that only David can take us. His voice soared, taking me with him. His live sound was so rich and soulful and textured … the rest of the world literally fell away and I felt as though he was singing only to me. How does he do that? He was in such a different league from the others (although Brooke and Jason were very good), that when he began, it felt as though there had been eight opening acts and now the real show was beginning.

And, best of all, I was so proud of my town. Not only did he have the most fans waiting before the show, but the roar that went up when Syesha introduced him was deafening (poor Syesha!). And good old “Toronto the good” politely hushed every time he started to talk or sing, so you could actually hear what he said, and sang! (Loved that.) But then we cheered and screamed like crazy once he’d finished.

The young girl who made this shirt was in tears when he didn't come out ...no, not me.

He did sound like he had a cold when he was talking (poor guy), but you heard nothing of that when he sang. And he’s so confident on stage now, really commanding. He even did a little improv riff singing the beginning of “O Canada,” which was so cool. I hope someone captured that on video. Not me, unfortunately, I was trying to stay in the moment and soak up every second. I don’t know if I was successful, though.
When David started singing, I welled up with emotion and felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. …

My husband was at the show with me and gave me the sweetest surprise. When we got home, I was exhausted but saw the light flashing on the phone indicating a message. As I listened to it, I realized he’d called on his phone from the concert so that voicemail picked up David talking then singing the beginning of “Stand By Me.” I’m welling up just thinking about how sweet that was. And SBM was an absolutely show-stopper, brought the house down and he changed up the ending… amazing.

It was a crushing disappointment that David couldn’t come out for autographs before the show but I totally understood (it also could have been because of media commitments). His handler, Ray (everyone kept calling out “Hi Ray,” very cute.) came walking down the line, shaking his head and saying, “This is terrible.” I knew what he meant. They’d set up a flimsy tape barrier like the ones you see in the banks, and the Idols had to walk to the end and back (no escape route). And with a concrete wall behind them, if there’d been any rushing, it would have been really dangerous.

And the crowd was HUGE. Carly told us how surprised they were at the turnout – that it was the size they usually get AFTER the show. We figured they were doing interviews in the room above, cause we could see the back of the Pop-Tarts sign….

David was actually the first one to peek out (people had been chanting for him and a cute group of girls singing the words to all of his songs) and the crowd exploded in cheers when he waved. I held up my sign and thought I saw him mouth the words “This is fantastic!”

He laughed and pretended as though he was trying to break through the windows to get to us [video of that HERE, with more than 13,000 views!], which made everyone cheer even more. Then the rest of the Idols followed suit and started waving at the window, but I think they knew who everyone really wanted to see.

Me & Refnaf ... David, I might pull this sign out again when you come back!

Another great part of the day was meeting fellow fans Roberta, then Refnaf and her daughter (who interrupted a camping trip up North for the show) and Sunshine (who flew in for the show). We just met yesterday, but it was as if we’d known each other forever.

Sorry this is so long, and no Close Encounters with David, but it was still an amazing day!

P.S. This video is a little shaky but you can hear the ROAR that explodes when David dedicates SBM to the fans. *goosebumps*

Posted in Concert recap | Tagged | 50 Comments

To snippet or not to snippet, that is the question

Posted on 06/28/2010 by TOfan

Dang it, I broke my own no-snippet rule. I made it through the entire agonizing lead up to Christmas from the Heart without giving in to the siren song of the snippets. But this time, when David Archuleta tweeted that number, I dialed it like I was one of the Pod people on Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Before I knew it, I’d forgotten to “just say no” and heard that teeny tiny bit of song.

The reason I gave up on snippets in the first place is because they totally led me astray on the first album. I couldn’t stand the echo in those few seconds of Barriers (now one of my top-three faves on the CD). The original sneak-peek of ALTNOY was cheesy and tinny to my ear (LOVE it now). I could go on.

So even though I caved and listened to a little Somethin’ Somethin’ About Love, I will reserve judgment on said song till I hear the whole thing … at the very least a version featuring that lovely “Music on Demand” lady.

In the meantime, what do you guys think?

Posted in Special event | Tagged | 78 Comments

The waiting is the hardest part

Posted on 06/24/2010 by TOfan

This is going to sound insane but when the brief earthquake rocked Toronto this afternoon, one of my first thoughts (after “what the heck was that?”) was that if I had to evacuate the building for any length of time, I’d miss the big news Jive promised us last week. Sad, I know.

Yes, they told us about the DA.com music store *stifles yawn* but, come on people, is that really it? No way. There are far too many clues to suggest otherwise.

Clues such as: rehearsing a very hush-hush-cats new song in Rexford but not performing it; jetting directly from SLC to LA to NYC; his tweet about patience; his other tweet about the “catchy” commercial — oh yes, that too was code for … okay I haven’t figured that one out yet, but he’s definitely working up to some BIG news.

I guess what I’m really hoping is that once you read this, the “waiting” will be over and we will know:

1) Why David is in New York; [Breaking news: He’s in N.Y. for his album photoshoot, woooot!]

2) The release date for the single; [Breaking news: July 13th on DavidArchuleta.com; July 20 on iTunes; Thanks, Zoe & Kizzi!!!!]

3) When and if it will first hit the airwaves on Z100 (the way Crush was);

4) Any crumb of info about the single’s music video (okay, now I’m getting delusional);

5) If there will be other book signings besides Nevada;

6) Whether Ms. Beebee is right and Jive will announce a pre-album mini-tour (oh please let it be so!); and

7) Gee, why does my hair smell terrific?


p.s. Pics from today’s photoshoot … from Jive! (Go figure…)

:

Fierce "You know what???" David FTW!!!

Get ready for your closeup, D.!

They should so have had a Totoro on that shelf!

Shoes. Must. Be. On. Cover.

I mean, really.

Posted in Utter nonsense | Tagged | 98 Comments

A David Archuleta fan to the Finnish

Posted on 06/21/2010 by embe86

Snow for SnowAngelz! This is Lapland, in northern Finland.

Here I sit. Waiting. Waiting for my very own, signed copy of Chords of Strength. Lately I’ve been waiting a lot. Waiting for new David interviews and performances, waiting for David’s book, waiting for his new music…. waiting. And when the wait is FINALLY over for many others, I have to wait some more. I wait for some lovely fan to upload the interviews, the performances and the new songs to Youtube. I crrrave, not orange juice, but MY BOOK. It’s tiring to tip-toe around David fansites, careful not to accidentally read spoilers about COS. Because now it’s out in the open. People are quoting it, listing their favourite chapters and scanning the photos online for all to see. I feel left out. I don’t know how much longer it will take for my copy of COS to arrive, but waiting for it does certainly take all the perseverance I have in me. Lesson learned, David.

I’m from Finland, see. A Finnish Archie. I’m very proud of that title — makes me feel special, since there are not many of us. Actually I don’t know any other Finnish Archies. And because I’m selfish, I’m okay with being the only one for now. How cool would it be to grab David’s attention by saying, “Oh, by the way, I came to see you all the way from Finland!” And David would be all, “GOSH where did you park,” etc. And I’d get to tell him I’d walk a thousand miles (or in this case 4,751) if I could just see you.

Anyway. Being a Finnish fan of David is no picnic. I don’t see any TV shows that David’s on, I have to wait for months to get my book, I rarely read about David in the magazines they sell here and of course, the chances of ever meeting David are quite slim. (By the way, why do “slim chance” and “fat chance” mean the same thing?) But I am really grateful that they aired Season 7 of American Idol over here. Because that’s when I laid my eyes on the most amazing creature on the face of the Earth. Mr. “I’m David. I like music.”

Me with my dogs and a "vihta" — a traditional "bouquet" of birch branches Finns use in the sauna. Basically we soak the vihta in hot water and then hit ourselves and others with it. It's great for blood circulation. Or I might just be brainwashed into believing that.

I had watched AI from Season 5, but none of the contestants blew me away like David did. One of the reasons that he had such a strong impact on me was probably the fact that I lost my mom at the end of March, 2008. She battled colon-cancer for three years and all I could do was watch her slowly fade away in front of my eyes. I tried to be strong in her presence, because I didn’t want my last moments with her to be wasted on me crying. But something broke inside me. I’m traumatized for life by what I witnessed my strong, brave mom go through during those three years. I will never say she “lost” the battle against cancer — if anything, SHE WON. The illness didn’t break her spirit, it didn’t affect her mind. And the way she handled the limitations the illness brought on her path was truly incredible. I still cannot believe her courage and I will always continue to tell people what an amazing woman my mom was. She died at the age of 49, just 10 days after her birthday.

As the cancer started taking its toll on all of us — mom, me, my big-brother, my dad, my mom’s mom, all of our relatives and friends — I had to find a place in my mind where I could hide. A place where I didn´t have to remember my mom being sick, a place to pretend. I couldn’t hide my feelings in our family; we´re such a close bunch. It´s impossible to pretend without someone noticing it (and sometimes it’s a real pain in the butt). So I wanted to find a way to escape the cruel reality. Often times it would be the gym, where I would train so hard my muscles we´re crying for help. I channelled the pain in my heart towards my body. But then I started watching Season 7 of American Idol. At first there was nothing special about it. But then I saw this young man with black hair and a nice tan explaining something about paralyzed vocal chords. And he paralyzed me with amazement. Each week I looked forward to seeing him and each week he helped me escape the pain that was haunting me whereever I went.

Here I am at home ... Kidding! This is an ice chapel in the north. I live in central Finland, in a town called Jämsä. In the summer it's really warm here, hot even (just to make that clear lol).

When David sang “Heaven”….. wow. I couldn’t believe how effortlessly he did all those runs, which I take pride in in my own singing. Finnish singers don’t do those. And I had always disliked Finnish music. I listened to groups like Sugababes, Backstreet Boys, Evanescence, Maroon 5 — each very different from eachother, but all had one thing in common: unique voices. Voices that you recognize. Voices that are bendy; that can do runs. Finnish singers don´t take risks like that. And when they do, it sounds very stiff and rehearsed. So I loved singers who added a little somethin’ somethin’ to their vocals. But none of my former favourite stars were like David. He was 16 and his voice was like water; it swirled around obstacles, flowing with ease and every sudden movement just melted together, the continuous flow never breaking. I will never forget it, and since then I have found comfort whenever I hear David’s voice, whether he’s singing or speaking, even. He glows purity.

Finland fast facts: Population: 5.4 million; Official languages: Finnish & Swedish; Capital city: Helsinki; Joined EU: 1995

So. David’s artistry, his soul, his warmth, his unique aura reached all the way to Finland, all the way to my breaking heart. David was the needed super-glue. I thank the Lord for David and his healing power and for the internet (though I’m not sure if the Lord had anything to do with that), because it gives me access to David. It’s like the key to the medicine cabinet. Not to mention all the special bonds I have formed with other Archies. IDF, Snarkies, TDC, The Voice, Soul David and of course, SnowAngelz. Finally I have someone who understands. I don’t have to explain why a guy licking his lips, laughing awkwardly, singing five seconds of Maybe I’m Amazed or tweeting about Thai food has me juddering in a fetal position in the corner of my couch. You all truly are (arch) angels, and we all have been infected by the same disease; ODD. ODD knows no cultural borders — it often catches you whether you like it or not and there is, fortunately, no cure.

Now, I must end this rambling nonsense to go check my mailbox for COS for the fourteenth time today. Perhaps David heard my frustrated call and hand-delivered the book himself 😉

– embe

P.S. “Be Still My Soul” (originally named “Finlandia Hymni”) was composed by Jean Sibelius, a world-famous Finnish artist. A few years ago Finland was actually considering changing the Finnish National Anthem, called Maamme, to the Finlandia Hymni, because Estonia has the same anthem as Finland does. One of the reasons was also that Finlandia Hymni represents Finland’s survival through the continuation of the war that was part of World War II. Here is the original, Finnish version of the hymn, and here is David’s:

Posted in Fan experience | Tagged , | 105 Comments

Mystery solved … um, one anyhow!

Posted on 06/19/2010 by Kizzi

We all love a good mystery to pit our wits against, a puzzle to solve, an enigma to unravel to experience the thrill of it, the twists and turns, and, finally, that “a-ha” moment, the definitive answer.

Life is mysterious. There are amusing mysteries, mysteries that define generations…

…and then there are the grand mysteries…

~  Is there a Fountain of Youth?
~  Will we cure cancer?
~  Can we achieve immortality?
~  Can we create artificial life?
~  Where is the soul?
~  Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
~  Can we travel through time?

…and…

~  Is David Archuleta for real?

I mean, even his Idol Alum pal, Brooke White, in her recent blog muses that he is “super human.”

And, we now have at least this grand mystery of life solved, for “Chords of Strength” and, this past week the BYU-Idaho 5-Part Interview, say it all.  In his own words “who” he is and “why” he does what he does is stated with authentic simplicity revealing all the answers on what we’ve mused about over the last couple of years.  And, the “how” he attributes to his receipt of a gift, hard work, perseverance and his deep faith.

So what’s next?

We are now on to another puzzle, a cool puzzle, a seriously joyfully fun puzzle….

What artistic delights will David create next?

For the mystery is no longer WHO or WHY or even IF.

  • Taken seriously.  √
  • Platinum selling artist.   √
  • New York Times Best Selling Author.  √
  • Forbes Top Teen Celebrity Entrepreneur.  √
  • ….and, the achievements go on and on and on.  √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Make no mistake about it.  A  huge, significant milestone has been reached.  For the potential of what we saw two years ago, has been acknowledged by a greater audience and the most amazing thing is that that potential is just being tapped.  The best is yet to come for years! Freakin’ amazing to be on this trip together, to be in the early days, eh?

Gee, look who's front and centre! (from http://www.tejanomusicawards.com)

Yep, the mystery now is WHEN and WHAT.

…WHEN is the new music to be released?  WHEN is the next performance?  WHEN is the next tour, interview, blog, vlog, award, recognition… WHEN is the next WHAT… LOL *with glee*

…WHAT form? WHAT content? WHAT sound? WHAT’s next?????

Yep. Yep. Yep.  Just.  WHEN? And.  WHAT?

Now there’s a mystery that resides smack dab in the middle of the land of giddy anticipation, joyful excitement, and great expectations.

Time to…Celebrate! Celebrate!  Dance to the music!

— kizzi

Posted in Fan experience, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 42 Comments

David’s gift: A Utah recap

Posted on 06/17/2010 by refnaf

Sing it, David! (Photo: Deseret News)

Flying into Utah holds with it such expectation for me. The mountains are glorious and the anticipation intense. I can echo the first lines of Chords of Strength: “I have no idea why I am doing this, but I know I need to do this for some reason.”

“Who travels all this way to have a book signed and a song sung?” I keep asking myself. But for all my second-guessing about taking this trip, I come to the conclusion (again) that any David Archuleta trip becomes worth it as soon as he opens his mouth to sing.

In Salt Lake City, he begins to do just that before we even have a chance to digest the fact that he is standing there. He bounds onto the stage, waves a quick hello, then launches into Crush with a backing track. His voice is rich and true, hitting me with just how good this song really is … a bonified hit.

In my mind I am screaming “Yay!!! David!” taking in this song I have heard so many times, and feeling so proud of what this man has accomplished in two short years.

STOP being so amazing, already! (I spy little Jonah & his mom watching.) Photo: momjulee.

David scans the crowd very intently, giving eye contact to all, seemingly looking for familiar faces.  Not everyone watching are fans. Some in attendance are mere bystanders, people who had been sightseeing in Temple Square or on a lunch break from work and stopped to listen when they heard that Voice.

Santa Trish0400 comes prepared, however, armed with five of David’s CDs. She gifts a few to curious bystanders who are obviously impressed with David’s talent. He looks so energized, so healthy, in the powder blue striped T-shirt, his black hair a lovely mess. It strikes me how small he seems, small, but strong and powerful. With an inner strength that his audience can sense from the depth of his voice, his striking physical presence and the confidence and joy that come from using his gift as it is intended, for the benefit of all.

Then, his version of GBTBR! More epicness … epic means “heroic; majestic; impressively great:” Yes! This describes David — his voice, his smile, his unassuming gentle nature – as he bestows his gift on us.

After seeing the vids, TOfan described David’s GBTBR as “so delicately beautiful, each time I hear it, I have to stand still. I feel every note like drops of rain on my face. Blessed.” Yes!!! I stand there with my face uplifted and feel exactly that. Each word, and note and nuance, the tone and pitch of his voice captivating my soul. As most long-time David fans know, this is something we all try to explain, but I fail again.

I just know that it is what it is — being within a few feet of him singing is something I treasure, almost guiltily, because I know that so many people do not get this opportunity. My mind goes over it again and again. How did I get to be here?? Why did I get to be here? I have no answers. All I can do, really, is be thankful. He gives a perfect gift every time he sings and  I feel honoured to receive it.

We are moved into a line for the signing. The meeting of old friends, the matching up of faces to screen names, the party atmosphere as we wait is a huge part of the fun. The Deseret book store staff have everything well organized, they are very friendly and even sell water and cinnamon buns as we wait! … I begin to feel the nervous excitement … Gah, this is the part that stresses me out. I decide to not rehearse what I will say, just go with the flow, something I am always preaching, but have a bit of difficulty with when the Archuleta is near.

Everything is going smoothly, until I am at the head of the line and realize that I have lost one of my Post-its with the name that David needs to sign. (This is a mass campaign, lol, each of us come with five or six books for various fans who cannot be here!) I get flustered. Find another Post-it and pen, then, there he is…. “Hi David” say I….The rest is lost to me.

For some reason I cannot remember David meetings. My mind fails me EVERY TIME . I swear if patticake04 had not taken this vid I would not believe that I actually was there and somewhat coherent.  After our exchange I have the presence of mind to reach out to shake his hand, and in that split second I make myself take it in. With the handshake comes the smile and the twinkle of the Archugaze. Success at last! That moment is now embedded in my memory and no one can take it from me!

A good day. A very good day. (TwitPic from @Trish0400.)

Today I listened to the AOL Something Pitchy interview again and was struck by what David had to say about the book signings. He expressed how emotionally draining it can be as he puts so much energy into each meeting, keeping himself in a certain mindset. He explained how he tries to see each person and hear their name and hear what they have to say because this is their first time meeting him. You get a clear picture of how much he cares. And how, like a sponge, he soaks up every new experience — learning so quickly how to do his best at each new turn in the path he is on. He is both a giver and a gift.

We went on to Orem the next day…. And it was all icing on the perfect Utah cupcake.

A few more fun highlights:

Cupcakes in Julee’s kitchen.

An evening ski lift ride at Sundance resort.

Hearing the Mormon Tab Choir perform!!

Doing a face plant in Downtown SLC (I have the scars to prove it),

Running across a soccer field to see David Cook?? (’tis, true, I did this).

Watching as a storm came in over the mountains.

Meeting so many wonderful people I cannot keep track.

All precious moments shared because of a common bond: David and his gift.

— Refnaf

Posted in Special event | Tagged | 84 Comments

Chords of Strength: Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

Posted on 06/14/2010 by abanana77

Once upon a time in a land not-so-far far away ... (Photos: Snarky Archies)

David Archuleta has said in a couple of interviews that one of the target audiences for his book is “kids his own age.” Well, here I am. And although, I don’t consider myself a “kid” anymore, I am about his age (actually, as my friends like to remind me, I am a year older. But close enough) so here is my take on it (*spoiler alert* If you haven’t read it yet, you might want to stop here):

I love love loved the whole thing. Especially the parts about when he was younger, and how he grew up. One part that really hit me was when he was talking about when his mom had a stillborn baby and he wrote, “I wonder if he likes to sing.” That sentence made me stop. I reread that like 10 times. That one sentence says a lot to me about how David thinks and what he believes. Not “would have liked to sing” but “LIKES.” I have been thinking about that one sentence nonstop since I read it…

Before reading Chords of Strength, I imagined it would be insightful and inspiring (and it was) but I never really thought it would be funny!

I was surprised how many times I laughed while reading it! His dry wit totally came through and I thank the editors for leaving it in. There were so many little things that I can’t remember right now (I NEED to read it again) but one of the funny things that stuck out to me was when he talked about trying to save his cats from becoming pregnant. As if that was important enough to make it into a book! Another instance I remember is when he wrote “I had no idea what it was about, I promise” while referring to the “racy” song in Les Miz. (I also love how he used the word racy. I don’t even know why.) And I loved that he mentioned the leather jacket he wore in “You’re All I Need To Get By.” That kinda made my life! Haha (Also, did anyone else notice that the “haha”s that actually made it past the editor were formatted as “Ha ha!”. There was like a space between the “ha”s. It was weird.)

Even though COS was funny in parts, David never lost focus of what he wanted to tell us. And I positively loved when he was explaining the emotional connection between performer and audience, and how he can bring people into the song. That’s exactly what I felt during his performance of “Angels” in Lancaster (the one concert I’ve been to). It was amazing. If he feels what I felt in that one song every time he gets into a meaningful song like that (and I suspect he does), then I completely understand his love for music. I wish I could go back to that place, but I guess I’ll have to wait for another David Archuleta concert. It’s really amazing how deep into the songs he can get, and how he can bring other people with him. I almost think this is a bigger talent (or “gift” as David likes to call it) than his flawless vocals (which, as we all know, is saying something).

David + bookstore = ❤✿❅✰❅✿❤

Although, I loved the whole thing, the part of the book that struck deepest with me personally is when he described how he made his decision to audition for American Idol. Both when he talked about it at the Women’s Conference and when I was reading it in Chords of Strength, it made me cry. I think this is because I went through a very similar experience three years ago, and listening to him tell his story brought back the emotions I felt at the time, when it happened to me.

For me, I was in Grade 12 and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life after high school. There was this program I was considering where you get your teaching degree at the same time as your undergraduate degree (Concurrent Education), but I wasn’t sure. Like I thought I wanted to be a teacher but everyone else I knew who also wanted to be a teacher seemed more peppy and teacher-ish than I was. I didn’t know if I could do it, and I didn’t even know if I wanted to commit to it with my uncertainty. And I was getting stressed not knowing.

So I did what David did; I said a prayer and just told God what I was feeling and asked Him for help. I didn’t really expect an answer but a couple weeks later I was volunteering at a children’s after-school program, cleaning up after the kids had gone on to the next station. One of the adults who also worked there came up to me and said “Anna, have you ever considered being a teacher?” It was out of the blue and I didn’t expect it and so I had the amazing response of “kinda…” and then he said “Well, I think you would be really good.” That was it. I’m sure he had no idea what he had done for me but to me it was an answered prayer.

And the emotions that ran through my body in that moment, I relive when David talks about his own story of deciding to audition for American Idol. I could reread that part a million times. I have watched that Women’s Conference video dozens of times. The big difference between my experience and David’s is that I have never told anyone my story before (until now, I guess) and David wrote about his in a book! And I admire him a lot for that.

— abanana77

p.s. Oh and I have one last thing I would like to plead to the Universe. If there’s anyone out there with a video of David singing Dream Sky High with the full orchestra shoved in a box in their basement somewhere, could you PLEASE upload it onto youtube? You would be my favourite person of all time.

**************************

I interrupt Ms. abanana77’s post to wish you all a

HAPPY HUSH CATS ANNIVERSARY!


Today marks the one-year anniversary of the EPIC tweet of all tweets, the CLASSIC David rant that was heard around ArchWorld at 3:30 a.m. in the wee hours of June 15, 2009. Now, if you’ll all bow your heads in a moment of silence … KIDDING!!!!

1st Prize!!!!

Seriously though, in honour of this auspicious occasion, please enter our Hush Cats Contest! It’s simple, every commenter on this post will be entered in a random draw (with David involved, could it possibly be any other kind? 🙂 ) for a Hush Cats mug (designed by the uber-lovely Ms. Beebee, check out the rest of her Hush Cats line, HERE.) Now, Hush! People (somewhere) are trying to sleep! 🙂


Posted in Book review | Tagged , , , | 42 Comments