David Archuleta was Idol’s runner-up. Then he wrote Devout himself

He sang “Imagine” twice on his way to runner-up

Archuleta had already become the Junior Vocal Champion on Star Search in 2003 before he auditioned for American Idol. At the San Diego tryouts in July 2007, he sang John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change,” with Randy Jackson joining in on backing vocals. During the 2008 season, his Top 20 performance of “Imagine” brought Paula Abdul to tears. He returned to that song in the finale, alongside “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” and “In This Moment.” He finished as runner-up on the show’s seventh season.

“Crush” preceded a two-year mission in Chile

His first single, “Crush,” entered the Hot 100 at No. 2 in 2008. That November, his self-titled debut album reached the same position on the Billboard 200. On December 19, 2011, he announced plans to spend two years as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in Chile from 2012 to 2014. Music continued through the break: the album Begin was released in August 2012. His later releases included Postcards in the Sky in October 2017 and Therapy Sessions in May 2020.

Coming out led to a break with his church

Archuleta came out publicly as queer in 2021. In 2022, he told People about years of trying to reconcile his sexuality with his faith, including three engagements to women. He said he experienced anxiety attacks during the third engagement as he tried to force intimacy and struggled to accept his attraction to men. Prayer and reflection helped him accept himself, he said, and he decided to step away from religion. “I feel liberated,” he told People. In 2023, he returned to a television singing competition as Macaw on The Masked Singer and finished second.

His mother’s words became “Hell Together”

The single “Hell Together,” released on March 28, 2024, grew from a conversation with his mother, Lupe. Archuleta told PAPER that she had stepped away from the church too, and he asked why she felt she needed to follow him. He recalled her answer: “If you go to Hell, we’re all going to Hell with you.” He dedicated the gospel-inspired song to her. In the same interview, he described learning what to sing for as his relationship with religion changed. For years, he said, his singing had been devoted to God. He was learning to sing for himself.

Earthly Delights made room for love songs in 2025

Archuleta self-released Earthly Delights through Archie Music on August 15, 2025. Its six songs covered desire, new love and the meaning of home. Creative director Nathan Kim suggested the title during discussions about the next stage of Archuleta’s music. The lead single, “Crème Brulée,” introduced the dance material; “Lucky” drew on the soul and gospel music he had grown up with. “Dulce Amor” explored falling in love, and the piano song “Home” connected romance with a sense of safety. Archuleta told American Songwriter that allowing himself to date men and fall in love helped him heal feelings he had carried since childhood.

His 2025 tour put dancers beside him for the first time

The Earthly Delights Tour began on September 17, 2025. By an October interview backstage in Texas, Archuleta was describing the practical changes in his performances: learning choreography, moving more and touring with dancers for the first time. Stretching joined his vocal warm-ups as part of preparing for shows. He also described a new routine of going dancing with the group after performances. The shift reached back to his writing habits. During sessions for Postcards in the Sky in 2017, he had asked collaborators whether he could begin with a prayer, which had helped him feel protected.

He wrote Devout himself and took breaks to finish it

In 2026, Devout: Losing My Faith to Find Myself brought his family life, early fame, faith and sexuality into one memoir. Archuleta told EastIdahoNews.com that he wrote it without a ghostwriter after years of pressure to fit other people’s accounts of his life. “This is my story,” he said. Writing required care. He told The Trevor Project that returning to childhood experiences brought up feelings he had yet to process. He took breaks, used breathing exercises and met with a psychologist near the end of the writing process. He wanted the book to start conversations about understanding and inclusion, particularly in the Utah community where he grew up.

Devout gained three songs, then new music followed

By April 2026, Archuleta had released a three-track Devout EP to accompany the book. He told Digital Journal that writing the songs helped him process his feelings. His book tour was expanding, and he described enjoying the conversations that developed in group settings. Asked to name this stage of his life, Archuleta chose “Recovery.” On June 12, he released “Love for Free” with another new song, “Better Than You.” He described the first as a song about knowing his worth and setting boundaries. The second dealt with missing a past relationship and the way memory can soften its difficult parts.

Warm Me Up paired him with Jordin Sparks in 2026

In an October 2026 interview with WROC’s Gio Battaglia, Archuleta described another source of musical pleasure: listening to the Gap Band. That influence, alongside New Edition and Bobby Brown, helped shape the upbeat sounds of Warm Me Up. The holiday album included his duet with Jordin Sparks, “Wish at the Top of My List.” He said their experience of fame as teenagers gave the collaboration personal meaning. He also spoke about reconnecting with the singing that first introduced him to viewers. Coming out, he explained, had helped him give himself permission to grow up and speak with less filtering.

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