Dannyka Manangan

David Archuleta on coming out as queer in 2021: ‘I didn’t really understand my sexuality’

Article (news)

Rhea Manila Santos

Push Team

<p>Last year, singer David Archuleta came back to the Philippines for a comeback concert after six years. This coming November, he returns once again to delight his fans, who have since witnessed his journey in music after winning runner-up in <em>American Idol </em>in 2008.</p><p>He just released his latest EP “Earthly Delights” last month. Known most popularly by Pinoys as the singer behind hit songs like “Crush,” “Touch my Hand,” and “A Little Too Not Over You,” David talks about how much, or if anything, has changed since he came out as queer in 2021. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-14" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNo5SoqJxnC/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A14%2C%22os%22%3A2796692.5%2C%22ls%22%3A129634%2C%22le%22%3A129642.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="925" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-14" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-15" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNXUwZeutgr/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A15%2C%22os%22%3A2796732.199999988%2C%22ls%22%3A129634%2C%22le%22%3A129642.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="879" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-15" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>“I feel like it’s the lover boy era of David Archuleta. And so it’s a little flirty, playful, more romantic, and more grounded. I feel like it’s more sensual, confident, and enjoying what life has to offer, the earthly delights. And now to be in a place where I’ve come out, I came out in 2021, I had more therapy that followed, I wrote a book that I’m just about to release in February, and that had me deal with a lot of my childhood wounds and had to do a lot of healing. So to release this music, I’m just in a place where I feel confident and sexy and I’m writing more music already,” David shared in his media roundtable interview last September 4. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-16" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNgqDijyVhK/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A16%2C%22os%22%3A2796781.299999982%2C%22ls%22%3A129634%2C%22le%22%3A129642.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="925" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-16" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-17" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOJt6PAkg_R/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A17%2C%22os%22%3A2797762%2C%22ls%22%3A129634%2C%22le%22%3A129642.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-17" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/events/2025/4/28/david-archuleta-vanessa-carlton-and-blue-to-perform-at-playback-music-festival-in-manila-1235"><strong>READ: David Archuleta, Vanessa Carlton, and Blue to perform at Playback Music Festival in Manila</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>As one of the headliners for an upcoming music festival this November, David shared how he feels about heading back to the country this year.</p><p>“I’m so excited! I’m excited about bringing this music to the Philippines. It’s the first project of a group of songs since 2020, since I did my album <em>Therapy Sessions. </em>And I was in a much more introspective time when I released that music. I was dealing with my anxiety and stress and I didn’t understand myself very well, which was why I was going to therapy a lot (laughs).  So I’m just excited to bring all of this energy to the fans of the Philippines. Because they’ve always been so amazing and I’ve spent so much time there, I have so many friends there now. It will be fun to be back,” he said. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-10" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNjpE0kBud0/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A10%2C%22os%22%3A2726056%2C%22ls%22%3A129634%2C%22le%22%3A129642.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="878" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-10" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>When asked how different he feels when he performs his first single “Crush” now, the 34-year-old artist explained why it holds a deeper meaning for him now that he has become open about his sexuality.</p><p>“So (before), I’d be singing this song where I never let myself feel those feelings. And so I’m singing this song but I haven’t experienced it myself. And now, finally in my 30s, I’m like, ‘Oh, I get it! It makes sense!’ Yeah, now I can sing it and really get into it because I can connect to the song myself rather than just telling a story and telling someone else’s story. I’ve been able to live it and get comfy in it, you know? Instead of just watching something that looks good in the window, like now I’ve put it on and this is nice (laughs). Nice and soft, good material,” he said. </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-8" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNdvmvCvksc/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A8%2C%22os%22%3A2712843.699999988%2C%22ls%22%3A129634%2C%22le%22%3A129642.69999998808%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="925" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-8" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>In the past, David recalled not being able to relate to those who were big fans of his most popular song. “I feel like I relate more to the song than I ever did. Because people used to come up to me and say, ‘This song means so much to me and I’ve shown it to the people I have a crush on.’ The people I’ve met now are married and say, ‘This was the song I showed them to let them know how I felt.’ That’s so cool but I couldn’t relate. I couldn’t relate to those feelings because I didn’t really know, I didn’t really understand my sexuality, but I knew that it was something that according to what I grew up with, you’re not allowed to, you’re not supposed to feel that way. And so I just always buried it down,” he admitted. </p>

<p>American singer David Archuleta talks about how he feels about returning to the Philippines again this November as part of a music festival at the MOA Arena.</p>

American singer David Archuleta talks about how he feels about returning to the Philippines again this November as part of a music festival at the MOA Arena.