On September 13, 2024, American Idol alum David Archuleta made his return to the Philippines for a pre-concert and press conference, “Playback Music Presents: The Best of David Archuleta,” at Ayala Malls’ Market Market! in Taguig City.
Fans were greeted with an exciting surprise at the event’s opening, featuring games that tested their knowledge of David from 2010 to 2014, with exclusive merchandise up for grabs.
The singer-songwriter opened the show with “Elevator,” a song he hadn’t been able to sing for four years. Then, with pride, he expressed his happiness at returning to Manila. ”
“It’s been six or seven years since I last saw all of you,” he said.
David talked about how he always feels welcome in the country and how Playback Presents treated him well when he arrived. “Filipinos make you feel so welcome, like at home.”
He shared that he ate several Filipino foods, such as Sinigang, Pompano, Pancit, and Halo-Halo, which he truly missed.
To him, Filipinos share a massive connection to his personality, as he has a lot in common with the people and culture, especially his love for Karaoke.
Highlight of his career and personal life
When asked about his career, Archuleta revealed that being queer makes him feel extremely special and is the pinnacle of not only his career but also his overall well-being.
“I think coming out was my proudest moment. It helped me learn to finally love myself fully.”
In a long and emotional post published on Facebook and Instagram in June 2021, Archuleta detailed his struggles with understanding his sexuality and his religious beliefs.
“I’ve been open to myself and my close family for some years now that I am not sure about my sexuality. I came out in 2014 as gay to my family. But then I learned I somewhat have similar feelings for both men and women, so I identify as being bisexual,” he said in the post.
During the ‘Questions from Social Media’ segment, one user asked about his message for Filipino closeted fans.
The singer reflected on how he felt no connection to the song when ‘Crush’ was released, as he “doesn’t know what the feeling is like.”
He shared how lonely he felt during the time he was in the closet and struggled with having a religious parent.
Moreover, he also revealed how big of a help “The Trevor Project” is, a nonprofit organization that focuses on suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth, offering confidential counseling to him.
In response to the question, Archuleta advised, “You can also find family within the community,” which assures the fans that even if it’s scary initially, they are not alone.
The singer also revealed how being physically fit helps him be inspired, and meditating helps in his self-love and respect journey.
“I go to the gym; that’s very helpful mentally and physically,” he added.
Filipino career, OPM album, and places he wishes to visit
In 2012, Archuleta became famous in the Philippines with numerous projects such as a mini-series entitled ‘Nandito Ako’ (I’m Here) and an OPM (Original Pilipino Music) album entitled ‘Forevermore’ which contains covers of classic Filipino songs.
When asked which song on the album was his favorite, Archuleta said he enjoyed singing “Nandito Ako,” which he will perform live at the concert the next day.
His relationship with his co-stars from his mini-series was also questioned, and he admitted that it had been a while since he had seen them. However, he expressed his sincere gratitude and admiration for his colleagues in front of and behind the camera.
“It was fun to see them…they are so wonderful to work with; they made my experience unforgettable,” he said.
While he hasn’t reunited with them recently, fans could expect an acting comeback from him as he mentioned that he’s been keeping in touch with his acting coach.
“I think I’ve talked to Ana more recently…so I was taking a couple of acting classes from her ’cause she was my acting coach for ‘Nandito Ako’ as well,” he added.
Additionally, David expresses his sincere desire to travel to the nation’s beaches, as he could not do so while filming his series.
“I went to one beach for a little bit, ‘Nandito Ako,’ but I didn’t get to have a beach day,” he said.
Places like Batangas and Palawan are some beaches he wants to visit someday.
‘American Idol’ hidden facts
More fan involvement and the spilling of facts occurred when an audience member asked the singer about his “supposed-to-be” winning song from his “American Idol” days.
David revealed that he had recorded “The Time of My Life,” which had initially been made famous by his fellow contestant in that season, David Cook. However, he and his team ultimately released the song “Crush” instead.
Furthermore, a fan asked David whether he had any unreleased songs in the vault, to which he replied that there were a few he wanted to share but couldn’t recall the titles.
“There was that one song that I wanted to be on the album so bad,” he stated, revealing that it was produced by the same people who worked on Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable.”
What’s next for David?
Fans could expect exciting things ahead from David, as he shared that he has fresh music coming up and a book that talks about his journey since ‘American Idol,’ Coming in and out of the closet, and other fun facts about him, which will be out next year.
The Pop Princesses will heavily influence his inspiration for his new music in this generation—Sabrina Carpenter and Chapell Roan, which he proudly revealed.
Archuleta closes the show by performing a medley of “Hell Together,” “Afraid to Love,” and “Touch My Hand.”
Playback Music Presents: The Best of David Archuleta
The following day, at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, Archuleta held his concert and impressed the audience with twenty songs, a mix of originals and covers.
He kicked off the evening with “I’m Yours,” which was followed by “Invincible” and “A Little Too Not Over You.”
The singer-songwriter teased during his press conference to bring unique surprises. In keeping with that promise, he invited special guest Morisette Amon, a Filipina singer, to whom Archulela disclosed he was a fan.
They gave an intimate performance of a cover of the popular song “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, which was a crowd favorite despite being interrupted by technical issues in the middle of the song.
Along with his original songs, Archuleta surprised his fans with his rendition of Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and also performed “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish, stating how this song captured his attention while watching the film “Barbie.”
As a special treat to the crowd, Archuleta played a little clip from his future music on his phone and hinted that this new project would explore something different than his earlier work, which further piqued fans’ interest in the direction his music is taking.
He delivered on his promise to perform Ogie Alcasid’s “Nandito Na Ako,” which brought back memories of his 2012 rendition of the well-known Filipino song and his TV series. His performance demonstrated how much he still values Filipino music and culture.
He concluded the performance with his breakthrough single, “Crush.”
David Archuleta promised to return to the Philippines more often and share his new phase of life here.
The event was made possible by Super Awesome Marketing Group, Inc.