I credit David with giving me the social media hookup, starting with getting me caught up in his You Tube vlogs! And he was cute as a button venturing with his very first vlog (I distinctly remember how it created “controversy” over his pet Conditioner! Oy, Arch Angels! Seriousl!)
But, seriously, if I had not been a David fan, I would have been sooooo slow with joining Facebook and Twitter (no lie!). So, I’m quite savvy with the social media – thanks to my participation in the David fan community. It definitely gave me a leg up among my more mature “peers” who eventually joined along in these endeavors. David definitely kept me young! See, there are some wonderful benefits to O.D.D.
My O.D.D. might have fizzled on its own had I not found a community of equally obsessed David fans, as I did when I discovered Noting David, which led me to a bunch of other David fan blogs. Indeed, thanks to ND and The David Chronicles, Soul David was born!
And I must confess: I miss those years when we were all basking in the light of David’s after-Idol glow. We were so hopeful, so fanatic, so obsessed!
One of the things that totally drew me into the fan blogosphere was Rascal’s sophisticated, poetic waxing of David’s greatness. He simply found a way to express what was at the time inexpressible, and most importantly, he created a space for the more “mature fan” to congregate.
Below is my favorite blog from Noting David:
Starchild, Lightworker, Artist
by Rascal
Profound experience is a communion with the divine. Those who have been led to this place by way of David’s music, his character, and his journey may seek to explain this experience in many ways, and I think it is helpful to both respect these different modes of expression and also to recognize their limitations.
First and foremost, it is important to recognize that David is not and should not be construed as the source of divination nor even the portal to it, but merely a rare conduit or mechanism by which our own inherent connection to the divine is activated. In other words, David is for all intents and purposes a naive outside agent by which our own pre-existing heart connections are opened.
I don’t mean to in any way diminish this extraordinary gift of David’s, but we must be aware that both the connection and the divine itself reside in us, not in David himself (not, of course, that it doesn’t also reside in David, but no more so than it does in us). It is useful to maintain a recognition of this not only for our own perspective but also for David’s well being–it would be unfair to levy onto him the magnitude of expectation that would accompany such prophetic appointments.
I was so bummed when David lost the Idol crown, but I swear his Larry King interview made me feel so hopeful. Unlike his Idol Extra interview, which just made me so relieved that he was so jolly and happy to be where he was – as Idol Runner-Up – I had enjoyed his Larry King interview because it was the more mainstream interview and he was as natural as I thought he would be. After Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest had made the press rounds bad-talking David and acting like he was so ill-prepared to do such things like interviews with the press, his easygoing chat with Larry King on CNN just really redeemed him in the eyes of everyone. It’s still a favorite of mine (plus, I thought he looked fabulous in that green shirt!)
I’m starting my blog vacation early, Soul Davidians!
And since it is my wont to preschedule blogs during my blog break, I thought to do a series concerning a topic that recently came up: O.D.D. (that’s Obsessive David Disorder for those not in the know!)
I realize that it’s been ages since I’ve felt O.D.D. – even running this blog is more habit than passion, and yet I still hold out hope that my passion for David will one day be rekindled.
So, in keeping that hope alive, I thought to run a series highlighting O.D.D. and how I came to it, and maybe it will trigger your own memories of how you came to O.D.D. as well – for those of you who have ever had it or are still “recovering addicts”!
Series #1: “And So It Goes”
Seriously, peeps, this performance during Top 3 week just Did. Me. In! I was totally committed as a David fan since “Heaven,” but “And So It Goes” made me obsessed, and I still can’t explain what it was about this song that did it for me (maybe it’s just that the a capella beginning helped his Voice to shine through, and then drew me in hook, line, and sinker!)
Congratulations, Kree Harrison! You are now part of the illustrious circle known as “American Idol Runner-Ups,” including such renowned artists as the Great David Archuleta (of course!), Adam Lambert, Clay Aiken, Jessica Sanchez, and Crystal Bowersox.
Seriously, though, I would have thought I’d be delivering this post for Candice Glover, who actually won (and who I would’ve picked to win). So, I’m happy for Candice, at least in the moment when she won this competition. And, in hindsight, I should have known when she reprised “I Who Have Nothing” and started it out a capella that this was hers to lose. She brought her A game on Wednesday night.
Afterwards, however, Lord help her!
First of all, Kree looked absolutely delighted to be part of the Runner-Ups Circle. I wonder if this gives her some kind of choice to not work with Jimmy Iovine, Interscope, and Co. (and get placed directly with Nashville – remember David didn’t have a choice to work with Jive when he was runner-up; he was simply assigned). Still, I worry about Kree and her abilities for post-Idol success. Just looking at the performance line-up from last night, if I were a betting woman, I’d be much more inclined to sign on her country counterpart Janelle Arthur, who was simply electric in her performance with The Band Perry. Talk about showing growth, potential, and charisma! How, indeed, did that chick get voted out in fifth place?
Second of all, Candice’s coronation song, “I Am Beautiful,” is absolutely atrocious! There were moments during her emotional delivery, in which she tried to salvage it as a “gospel” song, pointing upwards every time she sang a verse referring to how “He” tells her she is beautiful. But even that can’t save this pandering and – quite frankly – downright insulting song, as if Candice is some kind of chick who feels oh-so-bad about herself because she hasn’t been told she is “beautiful.” Nicki said the song “fit her like a glove.” In what way?
Candice is quite pretty – despite her heavy frame. It’s the worst kind of fat-shaming I’ve seen in quite a while. Seriously, who gives a good dang that she’s heavy? Oh, the producers do, I guess, who obviously had other plans for who was going to wear the crown this season, which brings me to
Reason #3 why Candice has a hard-row-to-hoe as American Idol Season 12 winner: Angie Miller.
Is it not obvious that the show had planned things around her crowning moment? From planning to release her single “You Set Me Free” the same time that the winner’s single gets released, to giving her not one but two duets – with Adam Lambert and her idol Jessie J (who flew in from the UK just for this performance and to invite Angie to perform with her across the pond!).
No wonder Amber Holcomb -who was buoyed up in the competition by the judges and Iovine long enough to leave in 4th place – had this to say on Twitter:
Yes, the show definitely has its favorites, every season. This is perhaps one of those times their best laid plans didn’t go their way.
I think the plan was: Angie and Amber for the Top 2 finale. Just shore up Amber Holcomb as an alternative to Candice Glover since she had the looks and the passable talent. Keep both black girls going in the competition until they bussed Candice enough to get her out in Top 5 or Top 4, and her votes would then transfer to Amber, who would make the finale but not be personable enough (or a real vocal threat) in comparison to Angie Miller, who would easily win hands down. Not to mention they would know how to market and box in someone like Amber as a runner-up.
I think TPTB knew that, had either Kree or Janelle Arthur made the finale with Angie, those other girls could have knocked her out second (Kree because she’s vocally superior and country, Janelle because she’s more personally engaging on the stage and also country). I guess the show forgot, during Top 3, that the bigger girls had the better vocals and the emotional story and the Southern votes!
They also forgot that Idol voters like their girls to be “ordinary” (including being on the heavy side). They should have made Angie more “cute” and relatable instead of pandering to the TV because she’s so pretty.
Anyway, does it matter who wins in these things? I am definitely getting a sense that Candice will be like Season 5′s Taylor Hicks, compared to Angie getting Season 5 Chris Daughtry favoritism post-Idol. Her song is as loathsome as Taylor’s “Do I Make You Proud.” I mean, seriously, who doubts “You Set Me Free” will outsell and outperform “I Am Beautiful”?
And why do I think this? Because it’s so obvious they could market Candice as a Black Adele but they’re not astute enough to do that (or else, why give her that treacly song as her winner’s single?).
Sigh. Why couldn’t she at least get a salvageable “I Believe” courtesy of Fantasia’s coronation song?
And why is it that, whenever we get a black girl winner, the cards are so obviously stacked to rule out worthwhile male contestants? This happened during Fantasia’s season, Jordin’s season, and now Candice’s season. What is that about? Is the show saying that a Fantasia, Jordin, or Candice would never win if the audience had a viable white guy with guitar? Is the show saying that, or America?
Either way, hold your head up, Candice! You’re obviously a gifted vocalist, obviously beautiful, and hopefully, you’re already making plans for your career post-Idol and post-SONY/INTERSCOPE. Best of luck to ya!
It feels so early to be having the season finale of American Idol, but I’m sure many folks are thinking: “It’s about time!” This season was unusually long to say it’s ending rather earlier than in previous seasons.
Still, there’s something to be said about Idol having fewer viewers and voters this year. I can say that, for the first time in its 12-year history, something happened that never ever ever happened before: the Top Two finalists are, indeed, the best vocalists of the season (although to be fair, during David’s season, the top two performers made the finale). Maybe fewer viewers/voters means all the tone-deaf listeners have moved on?
Anyway, as I had polled about The Voice, I guess I could also poll about American Idol, as far as who we fans think David would vote for. At least with American Idol, it’s a bit more clear-cut. David has revealed who his “favorite Idol contestants” have been in the past (i.e. Tamyra Gray from Season 1, Jennifer Hudson from Season 3).
So, with those clues, who do you think David would vote for this season of American Idol?
Since I just finished watching The Voice and realizing how we’re now down to the wire, I thought I would do some projection. As in: if David were here, and if David could vote for a contestant on The Voice, who would he pick?
It may be pointless or even just an exercise in fan projection, but why not? The O.D.D. may have waned, but we got to keep ourselves amused, right?
Anyway, here’s a fun poll (for those of you who tune in to The Voice).
Which of the contestants would David most likely vote for and put through The Voice finals next week? As super fans, we have a sense of David’s musical tastes, right, and we know he watched this show before leaving for his mission, so if he were here, he might get invested. Who would David pick from each team?
Who We Are
Soul David is a fan blog that celebrates the soul music dimensions and other aspects of David Archuleta's artistry.
A Few House Rules
The subject of this blog is David Archuleta. No topic is off limits, but always be respectful of both David and each other. Any comments containing personal attacks WILL be deleted.
We lost a special & talented Archie today but gained an Angel in @HanneDenmark. Our thoughts will be with her family & friends (Team Archie) 2 days ago
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