Our stealth SnowAngelz videographers were able to capture this exclusive sneak peek of David Archuleta’s Mother’s Day surprise for his mom, Lupe. After many hours of midnight Bachata lessons and walking-in-a-straight-line tutorials, David surprised his mom with this Dancing With the Stars freestyle extravaganza.
Happy Mother’s Day to Lupe and to everyone out there who is a mom, has a mom or has a tattoo that says “I ♥ Mom.”
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
Anyone who has pre-ordered David Archuleta’s memoir, Chords of Strength, will likely have read Amazon’s product description.
This line has caused some to be very concerned about David releasing his memoir and others to be thrilled:
“In this personal memoir, David opens up about the strength he draws from his unshakable faith and unyielding family.”
Let’s take a look at both sides:
Pro: Understanding the depths and direction of David’s spiritual conviction.
Con: The impact of making such a statement of faith.
David has always acknowledged the strength that he receives from his faith; as a cornerstone to the way he lives his life. In becoming a more vocal, take-charge advocate for himself and – as a result – those who are affected by what he does, I see this memoir as part of that assertiveness.
To be afraid of this memoir is like telling David to stop being the person of faith he is. Will there be negative fallout in the media/press? Isn’t it always so, especially when a controversial topic is exposed. David has shown that he is aware of what is being said in the media, made obvious by his ready answers in the interview with Ryan Seacrest, and addressed these questions head on.
Remember this David quote: “I’m not going to pretend to be somebody else just to humour society”?
Just as he knew he had to sing “Imagine” that first time on American Idol, writing this memoir may well have come about in the same way:
“Sometimes I feel like I don’t have the knowledge it takes to be in this position. I don’t know if I deserve this. But God has different plans for me, and I trust Him.”
David trusts that this book needs to be published for a reason, so who am I to have doubts?
For the practical nerd in me, here are some statistics:
As of May 2, 2010 (9:15 am MST), here are the current statistics on the book from Amazon.com:
Sales Rank: #10,354 in Books (updated hourly) Popular in these categories: #3 in Books / Biographies & Memoirs / Arts & Literature / Composers & Musicians / Pop #7 in Books / Entertainment / Music / Musical Genres / Popular #11 in Books / Entertainment / Pop Culture / Music
Here are the current statistics on the book from Amazon.ca:
Sales Rank: #62,340 in Books (updated hourly)
Popular in these categories:
#19 in Books / Biographies & Memoirs / Arts & Literature / Composers & Musicians / Pop #82 in Books / Entertainment / Music / Musical Genres / Popular #19 in Books / Entertainment / Music / Biographies / Pop
I have only stated – in my opinion – the most significant pro and con. Is there more to consider? More than likely, so let’s hear your thoughts!
I’m on vacation but HAD to check in and watch David’s vlog again. I think it’s one of my favourites. Here’s why:
Spooky dark background. Reminds me he does these on the fly, no set designer or pre-planning. If there happens to be dark lighting or a “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall” or weird buzzing noise or dressing room toilet in the background, no matter.
His YouTube “More info” and tags:
theofficialarchuleta — May 01, 2010 — I apologize for the lighting. Had a good week of writing! I have the weekend off in LA so I’ll be spending time with some friends. Back to work on Monday. Took a cab drive which was pretty expensive, left my suitcase in the trunk, and took the Metro for my first time to go back. Fun week 🙂
Why do I enjoy these so much? To me, they’re another little window into the fascinating, quirky Escher-drawing workings of David’s creative mind.
Cinco de Mayo street festival in L.A. Wow.
How excited he is for us to hear his new music. It occurred to me that that’s not something he can share the same way with his inner circle, because he probably wouldn’t want to sound boastful or self-absorbed … but that now he knows and understands how much we are cheering him on and want to share and celebrate in each new song … heck, each new anything!
His penchant for penny-pinching. This is on the list because it’s like the one thing about him that isn’t perfect, which in itself makes him more perfect! Cracks me up to no end.
David the commuter. Getting his $1.25 ticket1 and hopping the train to work? How cool is that? I picture him carrying a travel mug filled with some almond milk smoothie, a copy of Billboard tucked under one arm.
He has the weekend off to hang with friends. 🙂
Cinco de Mayo2 Man. I don’t know a lot about the holiday, but I was fortunate enough to be in Mexico for it one year and I know one important thing … it’s FUUUNNNN! And, apparently Los Angeles has the largest Cinco de Mayo street fair in the world, so he is in for BIG fun! Take a mid-week day off, David, you so deserve it!!!
So, which vlog is your all-time fave?
1. Hey, wait a minute, our subway costs twice that????
You know how much fun it is to plan a vacation? The hopes, the dreams, the anticipation, oh yes, the anticipation. Then you go on the trip and you blink and it’s over in five minutes and you start counting the days till your NEXT vacation?
That’s what waiting for David Archuleta’s next CD has been like for me. I’ve actually been enjoying Eman’s hints and David’s songwriting session teaser tweets and yes, even the long, long wait. Why? Because it means the best is yet to come.
In the meantime, my mind’s been meandering to some wild and wonderful places putting together a wish list of sorts. Here goes.
Wish #1
That the next time David’s invited to sing at a charity event (hello, Jordin Sparks, Nigel Lythgoe, Make a Wish peeps) that the organizers make his songs available on iTunes the next day, with proceeds going to their charity. David’s Twitter followers alone would drum up thousands for all those good causes. Missed opportunities, here folks. Not only are Archuleta fans famous for loyalty, we’re also famous for supporting David charities and tripping over ourselves to pay for his music from legit sources.
Wish #2
That David writes with Toronto’s Mike Krompass again. Why? No, not just because Mike is from my Toronto hometown, okay partly that … Somebody Out There, Zero Gravity and ALTNOY, that’s why. [Update: Okay, I swear I had this wish way before David tweeted about their session today and that they have “another good song written :)” … happy face, people! That’s like two handstands and a cartwheel in @DavidArchie-speak!]
Wish #3
I half-joked earlier about David recording an audio version of Chords of Strength, but the more I think about it, the more I hope this comes true. We all love David’s singing voice of course, but I can’t be the only one who also has some of his interviews on my iPod. Singing, talking, babbling, humming, scatting … that voice has special powers, baby, and hearing him tell his own story in his own words would probably kill me, but it’s on my list anyway.
Wish #4
Canada’s lovely Shania Twain was the Idol mentor this week. Remember back when Shania recorded two versions of her “Come on Over” album — same songs but one was country, one pop? No? I’ll wait while you Google it. *whistles* … I thought it was a shameless cash grab at the time, now I’m thinking, what sheer brilliance! Wait, wait, no, I don’t want David to do a country/pop crossover, but English and Spanish versions??? Ay carumba.
Wish #5
My biggest wish of all, however, is that new feisty, take-no-prisoners David makes EXACTLY the album he wants to make. That he takes those impeccable musical instincts of his, struts into those label meetings, slams his big man hands on the table and says, “THIS is how it’s gonna be, folks, heheheh.”
p.s. Wish #5 1/2: That the rumoured May 17th date for the new single (that Refnaf “leaked” at the end of the last thread) is true!!!!!
So, what’s on your wish list for this fine young gentleman?
Like all of you, I have been trying to be very David-like in waiting patiently for this next CD and the first single from it. The tweets are driving me crazy. Songwriter after arranger after producer tweet their ongoing or newfound admiration of David Archuleta’s abilities. Some even tease us with potential song title puzzles (I can’t WAIT to meet you Emanuel Kiriakou so we can “chat”).
But more importantly, with one successful CD under his belt (yes, I said successful) David will likely have more influence over the final result of this effort, and the first single. I found Jim Cantiello’s November MTV interview with David to be very telling on this topic.
According to David:
“I’m hoping that at least some of the songs I’ve written this time around will be able to make it on to the record. I don’t think songs have to be like these super-#1-smash-hit-sounding songs, because I think it’s more important that it’s like, ‘Hey! This is coming out of me. This is something I connect with. This is something that I like to sing.
“[I’ll] still look for the radio-friendly music and stuff. I want the stories to be more relatable to what I wanna talk about. It’s, like, fun music! But you can tell that it’s my story. And I like that.”
In describing his work in Nashville with Joy Williams, Matt Wertz and producer Robert Marvin:
“In other songwriting sessions I might have had, I was feeling so much pressure. ‘Oh, we have to get something done, this isn’t good as it should be.’ But I wasn’t worried about any of that while I’ve been writing so far.”
David feels liberated enough to tell his story? What kind of magic dust is in Nashville anyway? And what is this story? A hint of what we might expect is Matt Wertz’ co-written effort called “Best Behaviour” (and yes, there is a “u” in Behaviour according to the Youtube poster! Canadian spelling FTW). If you haven’t heard the song, here it is…….
Listen carefully to the words, but if you can’t make out all the lyrics, don’t worry. Our lovely west-coaster BeeBee did the honours in writing out the lyrics. (Click HERE to take a look.)
So, what does a 19-year old sort of pleasant looking young man who is kinda popular and meets all sorts of people, some of whom he might want to get to know better, write about?
It’s like you’re on a stage, but you got no part to play.
You just keep on acting on your best behaviour.
Oh, he’s writing about that part of the business, that part of fame. Or is he? For sake of argument, let’s say he is. In interviews, David’s definition of a celebrity seems to be a person who’s merely more recognizable than others, end of story. So why treat them any differently? With this in mind, imagine how frustrating it would be for David to keep meeting people who do treat him differently, who are playing “a part,” trying to impress him.
Something Jeanette McCurdy said in a chat interview has always stuck with me. To paraphrase, she said that more than being star-struck when you meet David, you are “person-struck” — because he’s the genuine article and a genuinely wonderful person.
I know exactly what she means. I’ve only spoken with David on a few occasions and I feel incredibly lucky to have done so, but each time, the piercing connection with his eyes, the way he really LISTENS to you, always blows me away. He’s genuine. He gives us something real. David is about total honesty. No pretense. This is partly what makes him so endearing, even when his quotes or tweets might not always be phrased perfectly.
If you’re not you, then how can I be me?
I am THRILLED that David is showing what “me” really means lately. I have admired his responses in recent interviews where he has been assertive, showing a side of himself we don’t always see. I was especially taken with the recent Ryan Seacrest interview, where David admitted that he’s trying to be more assertive so as not to be taken advantage of, since that would affect others as well as himself. That’s David dropping his guard to articulate what’s important. So no surprise he’d be drawn to others who were trying to be just as honest.
Oh, don’t you think it’s time you dropped your guard?
It’s all lights & camera, action, but all I see’s a fraction of who you really are
Why don’t you throw your script away?
How can someone in David’s position find THE ONE when he can’t figure out who THE ONE really is?? And even if this song isn’t about THE ONE, it also reflects impressions of many people he comes in contact with. But I think it’s about THE ONE or The One, or finding The First One. Or the Second One. You get the idea.
Give me something real, not fake
I love this vid of a sweet-young-thing Caitlin, so calm and collected, being herself in meeting David. Caitlin. Is. Real. David. Is. Real. Back.
As well as the lyrics of Best Behaviour, I LOVE the melody too. I imagine a scaled-back arrangement, with acoustic guitar front and centre. I would love David to have a song or two like this on the sophomore CD. Definitely a good direction for him, I’d say. This is a song he can sing with his heart and have fun with. As we know, something special happens when he sings his own songs, such as Don’t Let Go or Somebody Out There. They are a part of him, after all. And we are in awe when he does.
“Whether witnessing the spectacle of the Northern Lights, gazing at the Grand Canyon or hearing a sublime piece of music, the experience of awe quiets our self-interest and amplifies our desire to give, to sacrifice, to be generous … to give part of ourselves … to give greater meaning to our time on earth.”
When I heard these words on the radio recently, I thought of one person. David Archuleta.
The person who spoke them was Dr. Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at University of California, Berkeley. He’s the director of the Greater Good Science Center at USC Berkeley and author of the book Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life.
Dr. Keltner’s research shows that experiences of awe and wonder do much more than make us smile and feel content. They also “inspire feelings of gratitude” and motivate us to be kinder, gentler people — to reach out to help our fellow man and woman.
He refers to these “awe” moments as “high wattage experiences that transcend the self and energize us in the pursuit of a meaningful life and support of the greater good.”
Sounds like a David experience to me. In fact, listening to the interview with Dr. Keltner, I kept thinking back to when David first sang Imagine on Idol. I remember him talking about being blown away by the overwhelming response to the performance and how everyone who thanked him for it seemed to use the same word — inspiration.
And week after week of AI7, and afterward, the magnitude — and manifestation — of that inspiration hit us. Stories came flooding in of all the ways fans turned the awe-inspiring experience of David’s singing into benevolent action by rallying to support a slew of good causes. And this was long before David had mentioned his own involvement with any specific charities.
It was around that time I read these words on Chenson’s Always Archuleta blog:
“That feeling of euphoria that touches you through his music encourages you to look at yourself and look at the world and seek that feeling in your own life by doing what is right.”
I think Dr. Keltner would agree. According to his research, during an experience of reverence and awe, the self-interested part of our brain turns off and we expand outside the self — in these moments we transcend the self and reach out to connect to one another, to our community.
That would explain why, after a David concert, I feel an overwhelming sense of connection, not just to other David fans, but to the universe, the galaxy … I feel like hugging the whole world.
Tomorrow night (April 22), David will sing two songs at the BritWeek Gala Dinner for Sir Richard Branson. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit Virgin Unite and Save the Children.
We might not know what songs he’ll sing but we do know he’ll leave every person there in awe. Their hearts will open like flowers, toward the loving warmth of the sun.
I feel a little sorry for Charice right now. Poor girl sang her heart out at a gay nightclub in New York Saturday night and all the Twitter buzz is about … David Archuleta. Some of the reports of the evening didn’t even bother to mention the girl’s name.
David did care about her singing, however. Charice invited her friend to her show. And his friends and his free time are just that, in my opinion, his. David’s personal life doesn’t matter to me one iota. He can elope with a yak for all I care, or take up clubbing or clog dancing (although it seems unlikely he’ll intentionally do any of those things). It’s none of my business. None. And I know many other fans feel exactly the same way.
But others clearly felt differently yesterday and caused enough TwitMayhem that David felt he had to break his Sunday “day off” to try and clear things up in the following tweets:
Were these tweets eloquent or politically correct? Not so much. Were they real and honest? Absolutely. That’s David.
Can we now move on to “real” news? New music from the most brilliant, genuine real-deal artist to come along in decades tops my list. How about you?
I received this very cool email in my inbox yesterday from the lovely Ms. Lorna and (with Lorna’s kind permission) wanted to share it with all of you:
There were so many players involved in David Archuleta’s writing sessions over the last few days that I lost track of who said what, so I thought I’d put the NYC tweets together to really appreciate what transpired.
Some comments might be out of order and I might have missed one or two, but you get the drift. Every time David works with these professionals in the industry he earns more and more well-deserved respect.
— Lorna
@djswivel Amazing session with @davidarchie @cjai @jremyofm today. BIG record!!
@JRemyOFM Just finished at the studio. Looooong day. Good song. All rooms rockin. @bobbybassofm @israelnufirm and even @janinaz was geekin out. 😉
@janinaz I gotta say @DavidArchie. Your song with @JRemyOFM & @BobbyBassOFM is so huge… *heart swell*
@JRemyOFM @ArchieFan15 haha he was great. we had a blast and wrote a great song. That boy can siiiiiiing!
@BobbybassOFM @ArchieOnIdol great sessions. What a talented and down to earth guy. We made a GREAT record. Vry happy
@cjai listening back 2 this record 2day…this guy…is a force to be reckoned with… david archuleta will be around for a long time #markmywords
@cjai man @davidarchie did such a great job… he’s ready to “fight for this” ya’ll haha hope you guys are!!
@cjai ok guys… i believe @davidarchie is ready to “FIGHT” #rockwitit
Named Rolling Stone magazine’s Hot List Producers of 2008, Sam Hollander (left) and Dave “Sluggo” Katz have written for We The Kings, Metro Station, Katy Perry and *drumroll* the theme song from Snakes on a Plane.
@cjai i love being in the presence of REAL SINGING!!! he’s KILLIN!
@Khaled1985 @cjai i can hear him from the other room…. hes dope no doubt!
@cjai man i love this kid’s VOICE!!! [appreciate the compliment, but he’s a young man not a kid]
@cjai all you female david archuleta fans… you’re gonna LOOOOVE this record!! #ifeelit
@cjai @postalidol guys can relate to it too cuz its something u can sing to the females ya feel me?! yea man!
@cjai this guy @davidarchie ‘s voice is “TIMELESS”
@cjai david archuleta fans… you guys are AMAZINg! i can’t keep up with all of you BUT i see you all and i appreciate you ALL! its going gREAT!!! [YES WE ARE]
@cjai ladies and gentlemen… i believe we have us a song right here!
@perkyOFM studio with @jremyofm @bobbybassofm @DavidArchie @cjai and @djswivel !!!! Hot writing day!
@perkyOFM that’s right! @JRemyOFM @BobbyBassOFM @DavidArchie @cjai @khaled1985 @djswivel -3 different rooms, 3 different monsters! It’s on FIRE today!
@iglootracks @ArchieOnIdol awesome! Such a talent and personality to match
@natecompany @davidarchie is laying down the vocal. he is INSANELY good.
@leobre RT @IglooTracks Studio with David Archuleta! <– ur joking!!!!!! what!!!!
This is the face, the person, the Voice, that many of us first encountered 2+ years ago and have since journeyed with, from the AI tour of 2008 and the Jingle things to the first solo tour, the Demi tour and the Christmas tour. Following David over the past two years has brought me nothing but Joy! His voice soothes me, his smiling face warms my heart, his strength and character inspire me daily. We now rest (kinda) in a place of expectancy as we await the new music and book release.
We’ve had time to prepare for these releases. The throngs of new fans that David’s next single, CD and tour will inevitably bring will be starting from scratch. They’ll need our help to get them up to ArchuSpeed.
Rookie Archies like the ones who left these YouTube comments on David’s Idol Imagine performance last week:
abeleejames It’s weird that American Idol invited a guest singer who can actually sing. He_ is still a teenager, but the quality of the voice and singing abilities are head and shoulders above any singers. I heard Josh Groban singing Imagine. I love Josh Groban, but his performance didn’t move me as much as this guy did. This guy’s voice has lots of soul and earnestness.
MrFrankygoestoboston this kid can really sing._ And notice he’s not screaming or trying to sound fancy, he’s JUST SINGING. Wow what a concept.
kali902000 of all the STUPID things that the_ judges give standing ovations for, and THIS, THIS they do not give one to?! you’ve GOT to be kidding me. teeny tiny little archuleta just gave the best vocal of anyone this season. i reallllllly miss season 7
evilwiz80 im a casual american idol watcher…..im glad i caught this performance….wow kid well_ done.
imavy WOW, haven’t heard him_ sing in a while! This was great! A more mature David
For these newbies — who either saw the “light” of David singing “Imagine’ 3.0 and are saying, “What just happened?” or are soon to — we SnowAngelz felt it might be helpful to put together the Ultimate Archuleta List, the “Coles Notes” for a crash course in David 101. In other words, the essential David videos, interviews, performances that will help new fans catch up! We need your help … tell us what have been your top David moments?
This is one of mine. When these videos started coming in on YouTube two years ago, I knew I had to get to the Idol tour to see him live … even though it was during my family’s summer vacation! It was something I had to do, and I have never regretted it!
SnowAngelz: Canadian fans of David Archuleta 