In an official blog post released today, David Archuleta opened up about the series finale of American Idol. Archuleta was the runner-up on the show’s seventh season.
The detailed account follows every part of the experience, from Archuleta’s experience watching the show growing up to rehearsing for the finale and walking the red carpet. One of the most insightful experiences he shares came from an interaction he had with Jordin Sparks and other cast members just before going on stage for one of the finale’s big numbers.
Before our opening number, “One Voice”, I was feeling anxious. I tried breathing to calm myself down. There were a lot of people backstage and a lot of noise with everyone talking, which all triggers my feelings of anxiety. Everyone was excited, but I was quiet. I usually am in those kinds of situations to not get overwhelmed.
Jordin Sparks was behind me, and asked with her bubbly energy that she always has, “Do you want to say a prayer?” I said, “yes!” She shouted around her “K, everybody! We’re going to say a prayer if you want to join us!!” No one could really hear. Colton Dixon and Danny Gokey came over to join us along with Blake Lewis, and Jordin started praying. During the prayer I felt my fears calm down. Prayers usually do calm my fears. It’s interesting how that works. When we finished the prayer and said “amen” I heard a lot more amens then I expected. I looked up and saw that just about everyone of the group on our side of the stage had huddled around us to join us. It was a special moment. I’m glad that Jordin was willing to be mindful of quiet little me, and also wasn’t afraid to get all of us together like that. It was a unifying experience, which is one of the many powers of prayer—it brings people together and unifies us in a higher purpose with God.
He also discussed what his experience on American Idol meant to him.
American Idol was probably the most difficult thing I ever had to do in my life. The most draining, emotional, challenging, overwhelming times in these first 25 years I’ve had. A lot of people told me my 2-year mission in Chile would be. It really wasn’t though. Nothing challenged my character more than American Idol. Never did I feel so alone, never was I so tempted in my life. Never had I had such a drastic change. Never was I surrounded by so many superficial things and people. Never had I had so many people talking so much good and so much bad about me, having cameras follow me around and making stories up about my life just for the sake of more unwanted attention. I can’t tell you what that did for an introverted person who had always considered himself a recluse, lol. But it has definitely made me stronger. I owe so much of who I am today to my experience on that show. I learned to get over my camera phobia quickly. I learned how to carry conversations with people. I learned how to accept both criticism and compliments—To be honest it was harder to learn how to accept compliments. I had to learn to be gracious and say “thank you.”
You can read the rest of the blog post at Archuleta’s site here.
Watch the opening number, “One Voice”, below. You can see Archuleta enter the stage at about the minute mark.
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
