David Archuleta is no stranger to singing competitions.
He’s been on “Star Search” and “American Idol” and most recently appeared as the macaw on “The Masked Singer.”
When it came to singing in disguise, he had a blast.
“‘The Masked Singer’ is so fun because it’s like being a kid, you get to play dress up, be in this big costume and sing songs,” he explained to Dayna Devon on the KTLA 5 Morning News.
Archuleta was the runner-up in the competition and back in 2008, received second place on Season 7 of “American Idol.”
“‘American Idol’ is amazing as well, but compared to all the high pressure and the stress and being critiqued all the time, compared to ‘Masked Singer,’ where you’re just being silly. You’re just loosened up, people don’t know who you are. It was so lowkey and just fun,” he said when comparing the two shows.
While some may find singing in disguise more stressful because people are paying more attention to your voice, the “Crush” singer didn’t see it that way.
“I feel the pressure like if people know David Archuleta they’re like ‘Ew I don’t like him, I don’t want to listen to him,’ they have all these preassumptions already,” he explained. “Whereas when you’re in a costume, they’re like ‘Who is that?'”
Archuleta couldn’t tell anybody that he was competing in the show, not even his family. However, they figured it out when they noticed the macaw was closing his fist while singing, something the singer happens to do, but never noticed before.
“I didn’t even know that! My sisters were like zooming in saying ‘we know it’s you!'”
Performing as the bird had a deeper meaning for the singer as his family comes from Honduras and the macaw is the country’s national bird.
“It was a nod to my family roots,” he said. “They’re so thoughtful on that show.”
Riding high on his wave post-“Masked Singer,” Archuleta is releasing new music. His new project will reflect where he’s currently at in life. He’ll possibly touch on his journey of coming out to the LGBTQ+ community and leaving the Mormon church.
“Religion was a big part of my life. I was so devout and it was really difficult for me to step away because I tried to talk to my leaders to explain why I was struggling so much,” he revealed. “The music is about ‘Hey, I’m free and I’m just going to have fun!’ I’m going to love myself, something I thought I wasn’t allowed to do because of how I was.”
His new song “Up” talks about the journey from where he was to where he is now.
“Up” will drop on June 2; preorders are available now.