David Archuleta to Release New Music Following THE MASKED SINGER

Why and where has singer-songwriter David Archuleta been hiding out the first half of 2023? Well, he hasn't really.

After months of show-stopping performances by the likes of Sir Elton John HERE, Tim Mc Graw HERE, Bruno Mars, Shania Twain HERE James Bay HERE, Celine Dion, Ed Sheeran HERE and more as the majestic and colorful Macaw on Fox's hit tv series, The Masked Singer he no longer has to hide his identity as he was unmasked last night along with singer Bishop Briggs.

Triumphing over vocal powerhouses Pentatonix, Michael Bolton and Sara Evans among others throughout the season, David landed in the finale with stunning vocalist Bishop Briggs who ultimately took home the golden mask trophy.

David says of performing the Eric Carmen/Celine Dion classic "All By Myself", "All By Myself" is a declaration to me. I've spent a lot of time thinking I didn't deserve love or to be loved. And, I thought I had to learn how to be ok with it. I am done being alone though. I think it's ok to say even if I am the way I am I don't want to live by myself anymore. And, it's ok to allow myself to be loved. And to love. There is no greater thing than that. I feel the pain of the history of feeling undeserving of that. But stepping into life and saying I deserve a chance to experience it."

Performance after performance, David received the highest of praises from judges Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger with Ken reminding David he has the "voice of an angel" and sharing a personal story how when David sang "Imagine" on American Idol in 2008 while Ken and his wife were in the hospital with their newborn babies (who were fighting for their lives) they'd tune into American Idol every week to listen to David sing - Ken further stating - "You are a ray of light to me, my wife and to my kids- thank God for you!" While fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger said, "Thank you for being so bold and showing us your heart."

Robin Thicke also stating David's performance of Elton John's "Your Song" was possibly "one of the best in the show's history" and Jenny literally mesmerized week after week by David's "empowering and inspiring" performances and vocal range.

On deciding to do The Masked Singer, David said, "I had a lot of anxiety going into the show because I wasn't sure I could handle an environment of being judged again, especially with millions watching on tv, but being the Macaw made it a lot more fun than having to compete as myself. Becoming the Macaw has been exciting because it's like I became a new person.

It allowed me to show the colors I was too afraid to show and tap deeper emotionally into my performances. I'm now putting Macaw's flair into my life moving forward. I'm no longer afraid to stand boldly in all my vibrant colors, take bigger risks in my career because if I can do it as Macaw, I know I can do it as me as well. Last night's finale may have been the last night for Macaw, but he'll live in me forever."

To celebrate his newfound confidence (and performing unmasked again), David has announced he will be releasing his brand new single, "Up" on June 2. "Up" is available for pre-order now HERE.

About David Archuleta

In 2008, more than 30 million television viewers fell in love David Archuleta; with his angelic voice, bashful sweetness and megawatt smile, over 44 million votes made him the first runner-up in Season 7 of American Idol - and a star at age 16.

Shortly after "Idol," David's first single, "Crush," debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track sold more than 2 million digital copies to become double platinum. Three months later, his self-titled album, David Archuleta, sold more than 900,000 copies worldwide.

With a faithful social media following (3.5 million Facebook followers, 1.1 million on Twitter, and almost 1 million followers on Tik Tok), David has toured all over the U.S., Canada, Asia and even in the Middle East.

In 2020, David released his 8th album, Therapy Sessions, which featured an inside look into his internal struggle with himself - a battle he has experienced for most of his life. He carried a heavy burden by trying to be something he was not, while knowing that who he really was would put him at odds with the church he grew up in.

In 2021, David came out as queer to the LGBTQ community and continues to navigate his identity. During this time, he also had vocal cord surgery, which left him unable to speak much for 3 months, resulting in a period of self-reflection.

In the summer of 2022, David then made his professional musical theater debut as "Joseph" in the acclaimed Andrew Lloyd Weber/Tim Rice musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

In the fall of 2022, David revealed to Good Morning America that he was experiencing a faith crisis and stepping away from the Church of Latter Day Saints, having been a Mormon his whole life.

2023 is shaping up to be the Year of Archuleta, not the least of which is because of his return to television. The Masked Singer saw David spread his wings (and end up a finalist) as the Macaw, a bird known for its exuberant personality. An audience favorite, David rose to the top against other heavyweight vocalists such as Pentatonix, Michael Bolton and Sara Evans.

David's also gone 'home' to American Idol, where he's a mentor to up and comers like he once was.

David's latest single is "Up." "I hit rock bottom. I thought I wouldn't get through it, but here I am. I thought I was hopeless and that I'd failed, but here I am. Even when you're at your lowest, you need to realize you can only go UP. You need to hold on to that glimmer of hope and say, I am going to turn any type of hate and negativity into positivity and love."

"Up" will be part of a bigger project David's working on, with a plan to record more music later this year for an album.

Photo credit: Zach Schmitt