{"id":5331,"date":"2025-10-09T21:29:52","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T21:29:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/?p=5331"},"modified":"2025-10-13T12:25:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T12:25:16","slug":"david-archuleta-pulls-back-the-curtain-on-earthly-delights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/09\/david-archuleta-pulls-back-the-curtain-on-earthly-delights\/","title":{"rendered":"David Archuleta Pulls Back the Curtain on 'Earthly Delights'"},"content":{"rendered":"

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David Archuleta<\/u><\/a> is going deep. Since we last talked<\/u><\/a> to the American Idol <\/em><\/em>alum and recently out ex-Mormon singer, he\u2019s been on a journey of self-discovery and reinvention.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like putting on a new suit that has to be worn in a little bit,\u201d he tells PAPER<\/em><\/em>. \u201cAt first it feels stiff, but the more you move, the more natural it becomes. I was so used to subconsciously hiding myself \u2014 my shoulders hunched, not wanting to be touched or touch other people. Now I\u2019m learning to open up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even after coming out in 2021, the 34-year-old was still attempting to carry his religious practice into his work life. \u201cI would start every writing session with a prayer,\u201d he says. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t about preaching; it was just for me. I felt like prayer kept me safe, like I needed to protect myself from the world and its temptations.\u201d<\/p>\n

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But now, he\u2019s indulging in those temptations. His latest EP Earthly Delights<\/em><\/em><\/u><\/a> <\/em>\u2014 and the national tour that bears its name \u2014 marks a literal and spiritual unburdening. Onstage, Archuleta dances shirtless under blue lights, his movements loose and liberated, a visual manifestation of the freedom he\u2019s fought for since leaving the Mormon Church. Backstage, he stretches, laughs with his dancers, and preps for nights that often end with the group heading straight from the venue to a local gay club. \u201cWe\u2019ll usually go out and dance after the show,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of become our post-show ritual.\u201d<\/p>\n

The transformation feels both symbolic and hard-won. For an artist once defined by his wholesomeness \u2014 the soft-spoken teenager who came in second on Idol<\/em><\/em> and sang \u201cCrush<\/u><\/a>\u201d with angelic restraint \u2014 this era finds him exploring the messier, more sensual corners of selfhood. The tour\u2019s title nods to Hieronymus Bosch\u2019s infamous triptych, a surreal depiction of heaven, earth, and hell that mirrors Archuleta\u2019s own reconciliation of faith, desire, and freedom.<\/p>\n

That duality between the sacred and the sinful, the stage and the church pew, has long followed Archuleta. Even in our conversation backstage in Texas, he spoke about the cultural fallout of leaving Mormonism, recalling how performing in Utah has become \u201cthe lowest attendance I\u2019ve ever had there\u201d since stepping away from the faith. But he\u2019s no longer interested in living for approval. \u201cIt\u2019s about embracing the things I once thought I had to protect myself from,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

That embrace \u2014 sweaty, luminous, and deeply human \u2014 is what defines Earthly Delights<\/em><\/em>. Archuleta isn\u2019t preaching anymore. He\u2019s moving, sweating, feeling. And for perhaps the first time in his life, he\u2019s finally free.<\/p>\n

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You were saying this is your first tour drinking, and your first tour as a non-Mormon. Has that been a journey for you? What\u2019s your approach to touring now that you\u2019re freer? Do you feel more open on stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m learning how to get more in touch with my body \u2014 to move it, feel it. It\u2019s kind of like putting on a new suit that has to be worn in a little bit. At first, it feels stiff, but the more you move, the more natural it becomes. I was so used to subconsciously hiding myself \u2014 my shoulders hunched, not wanting to be touched or touch other people. Now I\u2019m learning to open up, and that really translates on stage. I\u2019ve been trying out choreography, which is new for me.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve never done choreography before?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, never. This is my first time having dancers on tour, which has been really fun.<\/p>\n

Speaking of quite literally being physically restrained, don\u2019t Mormons have those special undergarments? Did you wear them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah. They\u2019ve changed now \u2014 they have tank-top styles \u2014 but before that, you couldn\u2019t wear sleeveless shirts or shorts that were too short, because your garments would show.<\/p>\n

So they\u2019re like boxers, basically?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, like boxer briefs that go halfway down your thigh.<\/p>\n

When did you stop wearing them? You\u2019ve said you left the church about a year after coming out, so around 2022? Were you still fully practicing \u2014 reading scripture and everything \u2014 even after coming out in 2021?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah. I came out in 2021 but was still Mormon. There are gay Mormons \u2014 people who are actively in the church and out. My friend Charlie Bird is one of them, and he\u2019s breaking new territory being so public about it. I tried to do that too, but\u2026 well, I wrote a book about it.<\/p>\n

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Right, your publicist said not to ask about the book yet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know! I always have to stop myself, because I\u2019ll start talking about it and then remember, wait, it\u2019s all in the book.<\/p>\n

Do you have any pre-show rituals? Warm-ups or routines before you go on stage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, vocal warm-ups, which you saw me doing earlier. And stretching has become really important, because we\u2019re moving and dancing a lot. It\u2019s actually helped me stay healthy; I used to always get sick on tour, but now I\u2019m not. Stretching, getting massages when I need them, and just having fun. After shows, we\u2019ll usually go out dancing. That\u2019s become our post-show ritual.<\/p>\n

I feel like dancing has become your church now. Since leaving the church, you\u2019ve found a different kind of community through nightlife and festivals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, I think so. One of my songwriter friends, Isabelle, who I worked with on Postcards in the Sky<\/em><\/em> back in 2017, used to talk about that. I was really religious when I made that album. I had songs like \u201cNumb<\/u><\/a>\u201d and \u201cInvincible<\/u><\/a>,\u201d and I would start every writing session with a prayer. I\u2019d always ask, \u201cHey, are you religious? Is it okay if I say a prayer before we start?\u201d Everyone was cool with it. Even when I wrote in London or LA, I still prayed before writing. It wasn\u2019t about preaching; it was just for me. I felt like prayer kept me safe, like I needed to protect myself from the world and its temptations.<\/p>\n

The temptations \u2014 the earthly delights.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exactly. That\u2019s why this tour feels so full circle. It\u2019s the complete opposite of what I used to believe. Now it\u2019s about embracing the things I once thought I had to protect myself from.<\/p>\n

I was just listening to \u201c<\/strong>Zero Gravity<\/strong><\/u><\/a>.\u201d It\u2019s so good. That should\u2019ve been a single.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh my gosh, thank you. It was too late to put it on the album, so it ended up just being a standalone song. My dad actually really pushed for that one \u2014 he wanted me to release more of the songs I\u2019d written myself. I co-wrote \u201cZero Gravity,\u201d but the label didn\u2019t want my songs on the record. I don\u2019t know if it was a control thing, but there was definitely tension. Everyone had strong opinions, especially my dad.<\/p>\n

Right, there\u2019s some tea there. I\u2019m sure a lot of that\u2019s in the book.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019re right. [Laughs] It\u2019s very much in the book. Looking back, I guess he really was a stage dad.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve mentioned that before, though. It must\u2019ve had its challenges, but also benefits.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, totally. I mean, I was a minor, so by law he had to be there. I think if he hadn\u2019t been, I probably would\u2019ve been run down a lot more. Maybe I would\u2019ve had more opportunities, but also more burnout. So it is what it is.<\/p>\n

You were so young. I was watching your meet-and-greet earlier, and people were coming up saying, \u201cDo you remember me?\u201d You\u2019ve been meeting fans since you were 17. I was like, “He can\u2019t possibly remember everyone!”<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Laughs] No, not everyone. But I think you\u2019re talking about Tara. She was wearing a 2009 David Archuleta shirt. She told me she\u2019s been a fan since she was four, and now she\u2019s a grown adult. It\u2019s wild. It makes me realize how old I am compared to other adults now.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your relationship like with your fans now? I remember being eleven and deep in those early fan forums \u2014 FanBlast, Fans of David, all of it. But a lot of the fandom back then was older women, and I feel like many of them still come to your shows.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah! Like Houston Gwen. She DMed me saying she\u2019s coming to my Franklin show, but she can\u2019t do standing-room anymore [Laughs<\/em>]. She\u2019s too old for that now. Then there were Nancy and Deb from Canada. They called themselves Snow Angels. My dad was obsessed with that fanbase. I think because he was so involved in it, my way of rebelling was to distance myself from it. It was weird \u2014 I wanted to connect with my fans, but he already had those relationships. He\u2019d hang out with them, talk to them, even bring some of my biggest fans over to our house. I\u2019d be like, Why are there strangers in our home<\/em>? It made it hard for me to feel like they were my fans, because he was always in the middle. Eventually, I had to send him home from tour, even though he was technically my manager. But now, I\u2019m in charge of my own life \u2014 no American Idol<\/em><\/em> machinery, no stage parents. I get to talk to my fans directly and set boundaries in a way I couldn\u2019t before.<\/p>\n

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That must\u2019ve been hard, especially being so young on Idol<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, my family didn\u2019t really understand what I was going through. My dad thought he did, but he was more of a spectator. He thought he was part of the show. I don\u2019t think he grasped how heavy it all was mentally, being 17 on the biggest show in the world. People like Jordin Sparks totally get it. I\u2019m sure Miley, Bieber, Selena \u2014 all those Disney kids do too. When you\u2019re that young and millions of people suddenly know who you are, it messes with your sense of self.<\/p>\n

Do you ever think about how things might\u2019ve gone if you hadn\u2019t gone on your mission? If you\u2019d kept the momentum going?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think about it sometimes, but honestly, my mission saved me. Even if I\u2019d stayed, I was already on track to self-sabotage. I wasn\u2019t happy \u2014 mostly because of my dad. I couldn\u2019t enjoy anything, even the success. That was fifteen years ago now. We haven\u2019t worked together in over a decade and we\u2019ve been able to mend things. I even invited him to my Salt Lake show recently. But at the time, it was exhausting. You\u2019re performing, writing, doing press, and then on top of that, you have your dad micromanaging you. It\u2019s like the Whitney Houston story, or Britney Spears \u2014 when a parent blurs the line between family and business. You try to say, \u201cHey, I disagree,\u201d and they take it personally, like you\u2019re being disrespectful. They tell you they\u2019re protecting you from people trying to take advantage, but sometimes, they become that person themselves. I think part of me wanted to burn everything down just to prove I didn\u2019t need him. I remember thinking, I\u2019d rather lose my whole career than lose my freedom. So yeah, going on my mission was kind of my rebellion.<\/p>\n

You went on your mission to get away.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exactly. And it was during that mission that I finally started to come to terms with my sexuality.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s interesting. It\u2019s the opposite of what you\u2019d expect. Most people go on a mission to get closer to God, but you went and ended up discovering yourself and your sexuality.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah. Before my mission, I never really had time to think about myself. A lot of that came from the dynamic with my dad. He didn\u2019t want me thinking for myself, which is why he was actually upset that I was going.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t want you to go on your mission?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, he didn\u2019t. Which is ironic, right? He was Mormon, but it was really my mom who became deeply involved later on. Around the time I left for my mission, my family started leaning in hard. Suddenly, we were the \u201cexample\u201d family. In Utah, it became this narrative: David Archuleta gives up fame to serve God. That came with a lot of pressure \u2014 our name had become this symbol of spiritual status. In that culture, the more devout you are, the higher your social standing. So stepping away from that has been fascinating. Doing my Salt Lake show recently was the lowest attendance I\u2019ve ever had there. And I think it\u2019s because, in the Mormon community, once you\u2019ve \u201ctasted the sweetness\u201d and then leave, you\u2019re seen as worse than someone who never joined. When my dad left the church years ago, I saw him as a traitor. Now I understand that\u2019s how some people in Utah probably view me. It\u2019s complicated.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re doing another Christmas tour. Has your approach to Christmas stuff changed since leaving the church? A lot of Christmas music is religious.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Totally. My first Christmas album was really spiritual \u2014 my dad was the driving force behind that. He wanted it to be a way to honor God, even though my label wanted me to stick with pop. That record was his baby. But the new Christmas EP is different \u2014 it\u2019s lighter, more playful. I just don\u2019t want to take life so seriously anymore. I did that for decades.<\/p>\n

You probably felt older at seventeen than you do now.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exactly. I\u2019ve lightened up so much. Back then, most of my friends were older, which probably explains why my fanbase skewed older too. Those were the people I related to. They took life seriously, like I did.<\/p>\n

And then you had the younger girls who had crushes on you \u2014 even sexualized you \u2014 while you were closeted and Mormon, which must\u2019ve been a weird, layered experience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, it was a lot to navigate [Laughs<\/em>]. I didn\u2019t really know how to engage with that energy. But I\u2019m in such a different place now.<\/p>\n

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Photos by Emil Jraissati<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

David Archuleta is going deep. Since we last talked to the American Idol alum and recently out ex-Mormon singer, he\u2019s been on a journey of self-discovery and reinvention. \u201cIt\u2019s like putting on a new suit that has to be worn in a little bit,\u201d he tells PAPER. \u201cAt first it feels stiff, but the more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5333,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5331"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5347,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5331\/revisions\/5347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.unlockingsite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}