David Archuleta on religion, songwriting, and embracing queerness

When David Archuleta came out as a member of the LGBT+ community during Pride Month 2021, many fans were surprised. He grew up as a Mormon after all. 

"Being Mormon, a lot of Mormons were like, don't say gay. You're not gay unless you act on it," he shared with Philippine reporters in an online media conference this month.

But he said content creator Charlie Bird, who is also a Mormon, showed him how being gay and being a Mormon can co-exist. 

“It was the first time that I saw someone not apologizing or feeling sorry for being gay," Archuleta said. "Charlie taught me. He's like, 'I identify as gay and here's why.' He's like, 'gay for me is not just sexual'.” the singer said.

Bird released a book "Without The Mask" in 2020, which has helped Archuleta in embracing his queerness. 

“It's not just who I'm attracted to. Yes, I'm attracted to men. But [Bird's] like, there's so much more in my gay identity. He's like, I love to dance. I have an eye for design,” the singer continued.

“I have a lot of empathy and can really relate to my friends that are girls. I love fashion. He's like, all of these things I feel come with the way I was made as a gay man,” he added.

The singer cites Bird’s life as a testament that someone can be queer and still be a member of the church.

“I feel like we've made progress. I would hope that people can look at themselves. If they still choose to go to church, they can look at themselves the way Charlie does. Because Charlie, I don't know what he's up to at this very moment, but he eventually got married to his husband. They were still going to church together. They're like, you know what? We're here to make people – his congregation accepted him,” Archuleta said.

“Not every congregation does, but there's a conversation that is beginning. I don't know. But just because you are gay or bisexual or trans or queer in any way, and want to – you are a beautiful person, and I hope you can see yourself that you were made, created divinely and beautifully, and you are here as you should be,” he added.

Amid the challenges, Archuleta has come to terms with his sexuality and with songwriting, he was able to show himself more unafraid.

“I've been able to show the part of me that I was always ashamed of,” he said.

Not Ashamed Anymore 

Without specifying titles, the former American Idol contestant admitted how he "used to write about being ashamed."

"I just never said what I was ashamed of. And a lot of the anxiety, the stress, the looking at myself in a very low way, I would write about all the time."

He stressed how he was seeking God to help him overcome his struggles and it was a shock for him that others can relate to his story.

“Some of my music, even spiritual music, was about the struggle I felt asking God to help me overcome my problem that I thought I had. And it was interesting because a lot of people would relate to it in different ways, but they didn't know that I was talking about my sexuality. And so I kept praying and having faith that I would be healed,” he said.

Despite not being a practicing Mormon anymore, Archuleta recalled how he has come to terms with his sexuality while also thinking of God’s acceptance of his true self.

“A lot of us grew up being told something else and I think a lot is changing as it should. It needs to change because when I came out, [I felt] God said, 'Why are you asking me to change you? You're supposed to be as you are.' I don't really have any religious belief anymore, I’m kind of agnostic,” the singer said.

"But I will remember the feeling I always knew as God and the feeling I felt when I was praying asking God to change me and that feeling that I knew as God saying, 'stop asking me this. You are as you're supposed to be and I need you to see you the way I see you.' So that's what I've been doing. I'm just living my life. I'm like, okay this idea of God was not as judgmental as I was always taught it was,” he said.

After coming out, Archuleta found music as his way of spiritual healing. It made him feel free with his 2024 song “Hell Together.” 

“And then I think it kind of just had this closing, [this] healing. It's time to close the door of feeling ashamed and feeling sorry for who I am just because of how I feel and who I have feelings for, that I have feelings for guys,” the singer said.

“When I wrote my song ‘Held Together’ and released it last year, it was kind of my way of saying, I am afraid of moving forward and letting go of these things that were so meaningful to me all my life, but I know I need to do it,” he said.

Writing about his true self has made Archuleta more free and healed.

“That was healing for me. And now I feel like I want to continue. instead of like, 'oh, I feel so bad. I need to repent and I need to heal, be healed,' now, you know, I feel healed. And the way of feeling healed was not in the way I expected,” the singer said.

“Actually, I just had to accept and love myself. And that was how the healing happened. So it's, yeah, it's very interesting to look back on,” he added.

New-Found Courage

With his new-found courage, Archuleta's carefree side finally came into the surface, and later on, he started to incorporate it into his artistry.

“I think just by exploring my queerness in life and accepting it, embracing it, it naturally comes into the music. I'm in a more playful time in my life, so thus the more playful song and the flirtier side, being a little flirtier now,” he said.

For him, it’s important as a queer artist to be proud of his identity, hoping to be an inspiration for others to accept themselves.

“I think a lot of times we feel like we have to hide who we are in order to be accepted by more people. And it still happens. There are still a lot of people who are performers in all genres of music who feel like they have to hide who they are attracted to, who they love, who they are in relationships with, who their songs are about because of so much prejudice that is still there,” the former “American Idol” contestant said.

“So I think that's where it's important to show the representation and to show that, hey, there may be some pushback from some people, but there are people out there who will love and accept and also learn to love you and learn to accept you by showing who you are," he added.

According to Archuleta, he was initially reluctant to show his queerness as an artist but felt like he would still receive criticism regardless of his actions.

“There was a time where I was like, 'oh, I don't want to. I want to love who I love without having to show that publicly.' But I also realized even when I was keeping that to myself, people were still judging me. People were still making assumptions of me,” the singer said.

“And so I was just like, y'all are going to hate no matter what. Y'all are going to be judging even when I keep that part to myself. So I'm just going to show it off anyway because you were judging me for what I kept to myself because you were imagining what I was to be worse than what I was,” he added.

“So I have to show you who I really am and not hold back. And if I get hate, okay, I'm already used to that because y'all already giving it to me and, or judgments. And in the end, I feel like that's the best way to turn foes into friends.”

With his song “Crème Brûlée,” Archuleta hopes to show that he’s having fun and unapologetically embracing his identity.

“It's fun. It's very fun. I was always so shy before. I was always like, oh, no. And now it's just kind of like, you know what? Just screw it. I'm just here to have a good time and life to be enjoyed,” he said.

“And if I make mistakes, I'll learn from the mistakes and so be it. But you follow, you get up and you become older and wiser. And since I don't have that fear anymore, I'm able to just be more playful with life and my music. And it's been so fun. I've been dancing more in my shows, which has just made it a great time. Great time of my career, I feel.” — LA, GMA Integrated News