David Archuleta - Season 7

[tvaholic]

He was fantastic. He picked a great song which is half the battle. His voice has such a nice quality to it and he sang with such ease without adding all of those fancy schmancy runs like others do. What a cutie!

[Google]

 

[Unklescott]

David is very good no doubt but I really don't think he will win. Realistically now folks, don't you think he's a little young for this? He still has some growing to do to determine where he fits in, his style. Without a doubt he is one of the most talented guys on the show. I just don't think he should be the "chosen one".

[razorbacker]

I think David is the White Male version of Melinda Doolittle. A very good singer that has that aw shucks attitude down. It eventually caught up with Mindy, I think it may catch up with David as well. The one thing going for him is he seems to have gathered a huge fan base from the beginning, something others that were never shown are going to need to overcome.

[brierpatch]

One of the things that impressed me about him last night is that he was rhythmically spot on from start until end. That, and his vocal abilities, really made him stand out for me. I think he's one to watch.

I don't thing he has an "aw shucks" attitude, but was genuinely stunned to have Simon compliment him last night after hearing Simon's criticisms of everyone before him. It was his first time in front of the panel, and it sounds like he believed he could have done better and expected to be called out on the places where he saw his mistakes.

[BuckeyeGal007]

I like that he's humble and endearing. It's nice to have people like him and Melinda (from last season) that possess those personality traits. Definitely one of my favorites from last night.

[raindrops47]

Originally Posted by Uncle David

Luckily he doesn't suck.

I really enjoyed him tonight. His youth certainly showed after the judges gave their evaluations, but at least he was engaging. I'd much rather see his youthful exuberance than Danny Norriega's cockiness.

haha yeah. he was really good.

what did danny norriega do that was cocky?

[MsFroggy]

He was good last night, but he does absolutely nothing for me as a singer. He's just a good voice so far and while that's nice, that's all he is. The cuteness factor might work for the 12 and under crowd, but he just seems like a little boy to me. Of course that's perfectly in keeping with this new AI that seems to want to cater to the giggling braces and knee socks crowd.

Somebody upthread mentioned him singing Imagine at 13 and how well he did it. Yes, I assume it's possible to sing something technically well at that age, or any age, but that's not enough IMO. When I see old footage of Lennon singing Imagine, it gives me chills but not because his phrasing is so good or because of his technical excellence, of which I'm really no judge. The magic of that song comes from what's beyond the music, in the lyrics, the meaning, the life experiences of the person singing it and the charged message that it delivers every time. In time he may grow into that song, or other great songs, but he's not there yet by far.

[AJane]

Originally Posted by Unklescott

David is very good no doubt but I really don't think he will win. Realistically now folks, don't you think he's a little young for this? He still has some growing to do to determine where he fits in, his style. Without a doubt he is one of the most talented guys on the show. I just don't think he should be the "chosen one".

I think he's a charming young man, very like-able and very talented. Too bad he didn't wait till Season 9 or 10, because he could have slam-dunked this competition. I found him too young and vulnerable, though nowhere near as pathetic as that poor Garrett kid. I'm sure David's future is very bright, but there's no point rushing the kid into stardom when he should be singing in his high school plays.

[Uncle David]

After last night I don't necessarily disagree with the detractors here. He is young, and his reactions after his performance last night made that apparent. It's entirely possible that youthful exuberance will run thin after a while. But, then again, maybe not. There is precedent for successful young performers. Little Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Donnie Osmond, etc. Does he have the talent and appeal to follow in their footsteps? Only time will tell.

MsFroggy, I completely agree with you that a child simply doesn't have the life experience of a John Lennon. And, without that, it's hard to imagine a 13 year old being able to do the song justice. However, I think you might be surprised at how well he performed the song. Since you don't much care for him it may not work for you, but you might want to take a look. Do a search on YT for 'david archuleta imagine'. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Originally Posted by raindrops47

what did danny norriega do that was cocky?

I don't personally think he has been cocky this season. It was Danny himself in one of the early interviews who called himself cocky. I keep thinking I remember him from last year and I seem to remember him as cocky, but I can't focus in on his audition. Perhaps I'm confusing him with someone else.

[MsFroggy]

Originally Posted by Uncle David

MsFroggy, I completely agree with you that a child simply doesn't have the life experience of a John Lennon. And, without that, it's hard to imagine a 13 year old being able to do the song justice. However, I think you might be surprised at how well he performed the song. Since you don't much care for him it may not work for you, but you might want to take a look. Do a search on YT for 'david archuleta imagine'. You might be pleasantly surprised.

I went ahead and watched it. To be fair to him, he has a very good voice, pleasant and sweet, even powerful. However, that performance made me cringe. I felt he had zero understanding of what he was singing about. It seems to me he could sing Bridge Over Troubled Water, My Hometown, Daniel or any other great song with about equal élan and just as little insight. He's merely a cute little boy with a vocal instrument, nothing more.