After a long season and a couple of days worth of interviews, a cheerful and thankful David Archuleta took some time to talk to me and TV writers around the country about his "Idol" experience. He talked about what kind of album he wants to make, how he didn't understand what Randy Jackson said a lot of the time, what he's looking for in a girlfriend, and about how he handled the controversy around his father. Check it out...
On saying he was relieved after the finale... This whole thing has lasted so long, since, like, the first audition was in January and we hadn't been living at home since the beginning of February. And each week, as the weeks went on, we had more songs to learn. With the final week, it was just so much. So on that Tuesday night, I tried to make sure I didn't regret anything I did and that's why it was such a relief to just feel good about what I did and about the fact that that was the last impression I did on the show.
On his plans for continuing school and balancing his music career... I'd like to keep trying to do school while I work on music. That's kind of what I've been doing through this show. Every day I still have to do school, and even after this interview I still have to go to school. Even if music does turn out to go somewhere for me, you never know how long it will last, so I just want to make sure I have something to back me up on that. So I'd like to have something else to be able to do.
On what he'd tell his biggest fans who were disappointed that he lost... To the people who've been supporting me so much, I just want to thank them. That means more than anything to know that people are appreciating the hard work we're all putting into this. I want them to know that I'm just feeling great about it. The fact that Cook won, I think he deserved it and he just proved it week after week after week. And he's such a great guy, too. My main priority wasn't to win the competition but it was just to do my best. Because you can suck and people can vote enough for you to win and that wouldn't feel very good. But I think we both gave it all, we just poured it all on that stage on Tuesday night, and we both feel really great about it. And I don't think I could have done anything better or changed anything to make me feel better about what I did. Not winning the competition won't limit me from trying to create an album and write stuff and I think this is just a great opportunity to open all those doors that weren't open and available before this all happened. And to make it to the top two, I don't think there's any reason to be disappointed in that.
On his tears early on, when Alexandrea Lushington was eliminated and whether they still talk... [Laughs] I have texted her every now and then and she's called a few times. She was one of the kids who I had to spend a lot of time with because of school, both her and Alaina (Whitaker). And we just all bonded and got close and all understood each other because we all had school along with everything else going on. She's just the one that I really got along with quickly in the competition, for some reason, so it was hard to see her leave when it was so unexpected for me. You know, I thought I was handling it well until she started singing the song, which was, [singing] "If You Leave Me Now." I thought, "Oh my gosh, how ironic. That is not a good song for her to be singing right now." I was a little embarrassed because, I was, like, "Oh, gosh, I'm crying on TV and none of my friends have seen me cry." But it was hard and I couldn't help it. I couldn't hold it back, even though it was embarrassing.
On whether he'll play piano on the "Idol" tour... I've thought about it. I might. It's just a matter of finding time to fit piano into the schedule, because with this whole experience it's so hard to find time to practice with an instrument, especially with piano when I don't have one here. So I've gotten a little tighter, I'm not as loose as I was before, and I don't consider myself to be the greatest pianist in the world before this, so it was a risk that I took when I did it on the show because when you play an instrument it gives you a connection to the song because the music you're singing to is at the tip of your fingers. It's in your hands, literally. So, it's a different feel, but it's something I really want to continue to practice and work on.
On the best advice the judges gave him... I always really enjoyed when they mentioned the fact that they could feel that I was connecting with the song and that they could feel it, too. Paula would say it, or when Randy would say that was "the bomb" or I don't know. [Laughs] It didn't really make sense when he spoke, I guess. But, when they could tell that the song I was singing really meant a lot to me. But also when they had advice to give, too, it helped a lot because any piece of advice wants me to do better and it's great when people let you know what you could work on because you can't do better when you're not aware of things you can work on.
On how he handled hearing his dad getting criticized in the media... I hadn't really heard much of it until later on. I tried to stay away from the press and my dad also (did). He understood that I didnt like hearing antything in the news about me, good or bad, just because I didn't want it to distract me or let it go to my head or anything like that. But in interviews and stuff it started coming up and it was just kind of strange, because they're really weird things. I heard one thing was like he refused to give me water. That's the weirdest thing, I mean, I'm 17, and if I wanted water, I'd probably go and get water. And another thing was he made me cry during one of the studio sessions, or, I can't remember. You know, just weird things like that. I'm old enough to have enough control over myself. The next thing is he's a great guy and there isn't anything he's done that's bad, like the things that have been spoken about him. And, you know, my whole family has been such great support and they're the ones who have kept me grounded and allowed me to be who I am today. And no one understands what I'm here for more than they do. They get what I love about music and how it's changed my life.
On what kind of album he'd like to put out... I'd love to still do the pop thing just because I'm still a teenager and I don't want to -- on the show I was getting a little mature with my songs, even though I love to do that stuff. But I still want to be able to relate to kids my age, so I like the pop music but I still like to have more meaning in my music. So I could still do some fun stuff along with songs that have more meaning.
On whether he has time for a girlfriend now that the show is over... I think now it's time to really focus on making an album and writing songs and all that. I just feel like, being 17, I'm not really mature enough to understand those feelings yet, and I just don't want to -- and I've watched so many of my friends saying, "Oh, we broke up. How sad. I can't live without them." And I'm, like, "You're 17. What are you talking about?" I just want to make sure I don't get confused with my feelings for someone so quickly, and then, I don't know, it just bugs me when kids are like -- all the drama. I so don't want to deal with the drama right now. I just want to be able to focus on the music and when I meet a girl who has a great personality and I connect with and has really good standards for themselves and has respect for themselves, but not in, like, an arrogant way, and is someone who cares about others, as well, it's not all about them. It's something I definitely want to focus on later in life, when I'm ready. But I just feel like I'm so young, I'm still learning so much and have to get to know what kind of things I'm looking for in someone, because you know, you have to meet a lot of different people to get your own opinion on someone. On when he started to get more comfortable in front of the camera... I'm not sure, I guess it just kind of slowly happened, because each week you'd get a little more comfortable. Each time you're on stage, you kind of forget that anything was there and you want to make sure you expressed what you wanted to with the song. So, all my attention focused on the songs. I guess it just slowly happened, I mean, even with interviews and pictures. I hated pictures at the beginning of this. I'd always, like, run away from cameras, even just with friends, I'd always be the one hiding behind a bush, or something. [Laughs] Just because I hate looking at myself. I still don't really like looking at pictures of myself and I've never watched myself on the show. I just, I can't stand hearing my voice. I'm OK with just talking to the camera and stuff, as long as I don't have to see it afterward, unless maybe I can learn something from it.
On what his dream collaboration would be... Someone I always thought would be really cool is Alicia Keys. She's someone who gets so into her songs when she sings, you can just feel her emotions as she sings. And she plays the piano very well and is a songwriter.
On whether it's difficult dealing with attention... I haven't paid too much attention to the fact that, I don't think it's really hit me that there are really fans out there for me. It's just such a weird thought to think. I more think that it's people who have appreciated what I've done. All the letters that have come in and I've tried to read as many as I could. Every letter was so unique, and it was neat to see how so many people, I couldn't believe how many people were just saying thank you for singing certain songs and how my singing was able to, like, inspire them, even. A lot of people were using the word "inspiring" in their letters. And I just thought that was really cool, the fact that I was able to do that. It wasn't just, like, "Oh, I'm obsessed with you," "Marry me," or, like, "You're so hot," and stuff. It was that people were able to feel what I was trying to give off as I sang. It was one of the best, coolest feelings ever.
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