Jill O'Rourke
Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
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| August 14, 2023 SIGN IN TO SAVE POST
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David Archuleta is celebrating 15 years since his debut single “Crush” was released. In a new interview, Archuleta shared how his relationship with the song has changed since he came out as part of the LGBTQ community.
David Archuleta Reflects on 15 Years of ‘Crush’
“Crush” was released in 2008, just months after Archuleta finished Season 7 of American Idol in second place. The singer told Today that he didn’t relate to the song’s lyrics at the time of its release, when he was just 17 years old.
“It was very much from an appreciation of the song writing, the melody, the pop song structure of the song that made me so excited to sing it rather than, ‘This is what I go through’. Because I didn’t go through it,” Archuleta explained.
Things started to change in 2021, when Archuleta came out publicly as a member of the LGBTQ community. When he first sang “Crush,” it was about an experience he had “never allowed myself to have.” The singer shared, “Now that I’m in my 30s, I have had that experience.”
Archuleta even went as far as tweaking the song’s lyrics in a recent live performance. While singing the track at the San Diego Pride Festival, Archuleta changed the word “girl” to “boy,” inspiring cheers from the crowd.
SEE ALSO: DAVID ARCHULETA RELEASES FIRST SINGLE SINCE HIS JOURNEY ON ‘THE MASKED SINGER’
Archuleta Wants to Write a Book About His Experience
Archuleta has spoken openly about how his Mormon faith affected how he felt about his sexuality. As he told Today, “I was praying and saying, ‘Please take this away from me. Please make me straight.’” He shared that he’s since “had to distance myself” from religion.
“It’s hard to say I identify myself as Christian or another religion. I don’t really consider myself religious currently,” Archuleta explained, adding, “I do plan to write a book about it, because having conversations with the leadership of my church, and seeing the conflict within their own way of doing things, I felt was quite alarming.”
The singer said he’s currently “the happiest I’ve been,” sharing, “I’m no longer feeling like ending my life is better an option than existing.”
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