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I saw on Twitter that the Soul Davidian site is taking a Summer break. I am using this opportunity to reinforce our resolve to keep going through the lean times. While the David-related news has gone down to almost nil, fans still want to feel the connection. That’s why we’re still here; although I will admit that there are times when it is a difficult task to maintain a fan site based on commentary, rather than news. Our primary purpose is to provide a place for fans to comment and share their take on current events in David Archuleta’s career.
David was an unknown singer who virtually dropped from the television screen into our hearts. Back in the post American Idol days we had so much to discover about him and his music. Some would say we got too close to that young man who was so eager to share many facets of his life with fans. We were just as eager to find out every minute detail of his day, both personal and career-related.
And then he announced that he was going on a mission for his church.
At that time a few fan sites dropped out. Some said it was out of respect for David’s request for privacy during that time. What followed on the sites left standing was an uncertainty about what we could say or publish about his mission activity. The final shakeout was that pictures or videos were not allowed unless they were of public appearances.
And so the drought began.
Through this time we navigated our way along choppy waters of fans who agreed to disagree on what was appropriate to talk about in relation to his mission experience. We became aware that David was a celebrity even as an Elder in Chile. His brother Elders wrote in their personal blogs about the respect they had for him both as a missionary and as a singer. We were hungry for any news, if only to know that David was happy with his experience. The videos from Chile of Christmas concerts sustained the fan base over the two years. Counting down the days until his return was something that kept us motivated to stay on the course.
But the payoff upon his return to Utah was not what most had anticipated. Realizing that there is a period of adjustment for returning missionaries, patience became a word we used often. Other than a few seconds of video from the airport, there was silence. So much silence that some frustrated fans took to Twitter in order to force David out to speak about what he was planning next. In response, David posted this video on his You Tube channel:
Credit: David Archuleta
This is not the David Archuleta, the boy, we knew. This is a man who tells us he has gained his life back on his terms. He will now take the time to make music at his pace, without pressure to get it done fast and not be to his liking. It has been over a year since we got a glimpse of the man who is David Archuleta.
“I am still trying to unravel all of the knots that have been in my brain. I was so overwhelmed last time I was in the spotlight in front of all of you. I felt like I lost myself as I got caught up in trying to please everyone, because I disregarded what I cared about–what I thought.
It’s nice not having to keep trying to figure out how be something that I am not so that everyone will like whatever that is. I have come to realize that no matter what you will never make everybody happy, but you can make the most lasting impact on being yourself, and most of all out of all the people it will impact you are the one who is most impacted for the better. For the longest time, I tried to keep it on the down-low of who and how I really was because “I must not be likeable”, but it feels nice to just be who I am and live according to what has always been most important to me.” ~ David Archuleta
“What I am basically trying to say is I need silence in order to function. My quiet time is valuable to me. Everyone keeps asking me how things are in Nashville. I say “It’s really nice. It’s quiet.” Part of this is because I have decided to make this quiet time for me, but also this town is a place where I feel peace.” ~ David Archuleta
It seems that everything about the past has changed with respect to public performances and his participation on social media. This is what we can expect from David Archuleta going forward. The pace of his career will be more of a balance between his desire to have a personal life and his devotion to his craft. This is, in a sense, a fresh start for a new self-confident David who knows who he is and where he is going.
The Voice David Archuleta 