'American Idol' alum David Archuleta opens up about his new single 'Crème Brulée,' embracing his queer sexuality and parting ways with his Mormon garments.
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00:00I've been your good boy for over a decade now.
00:03I still try to be that, but like, it didn't matter if I was still a good boy,
00:06the fact that I was queer and accepting that.
00:08Then I'll just be whatever I want.
00:13They sent me creme brulee, which I've been listening to on repeat.
00:18Oh my gosh, that makes me happy to hear.
00:22Yeah, it's so fun.
00:24And it's definitely a little bit spicier, I feel like,
00:27than some of the stuff that you've done before.
00:30I guess to start, like, uh, what needs...
00:33Spice is a good word.
00:34Yeah, yeah, like move, I guess, in that direction.
00:39It's spicier for sure, because it's also in touch with my Latin roots,
00:43and just Latin culture tends to be a little spicier.
00:47It's my first time singing in Spanglish, which is how I live my life anyway.
00:53It was fun to do that, kind of get in touch with the flirty,
00:57more sensual side of David.
00:59Something that's kind of new for David, to be honest.
01:02So it's like, I'm growing into maturing now,
01:06and becoming more playful while I'm at it.
01:08I feel like the internet will have a lot of feelings about this song,
01:12you know, sort of in multiple different directions.
01:15Are you nervous about that?
01:18What are your sort of feelings anticipating its release?
01:21Yeah, I am nervous about it, not gonna lie,
01:24but it's also like, you know what,
01:25give me some grace because I'm trying to figure myself out.
01:28It's a song about sometimes people want what you have,
01:32and sometimes you're like, well, you know what,
01:33you're gonna have to work a little harder.
01:35So I grew up in a very, very, like, conservative Christian background,
01:39and I read in an interview that you wrote,
01:42it wasn't until I was 27 that I said my first curse word.
01:45Now I can talk about sensuality,
01:47but I still feel like this Mormon wall is up,
01:50which I definitely felt that as well.
01:52How has it been pushing back against that?
01:55Respectfully, I don't give a f**k anymore kind of song.
01:58It's just like, you know what,
01:59I've been your good boy for over a decade now.
02:02I still try to be that, but like, y'all,
02:04it didn't matter if I was still a good boy,
02:06the fact that I was queer and accepting that
02:08made me a bad person already for you.
02:10So now it's like, you know what, okay,
02:11then I'll just be whatever I want,
02:12because all you want me is to deny my queerness,
02:16and I'm not going to do that.
02:18I was still a Mormon when I came out
02:20for like a year after coming out,
02:22and people still wanted to put me as like a betrayer
02:25and the bad guy just because I was okay
02:29with the idea of falling in love with a man
02:31and accepting that.
02:32Like if that was my course tonight, so be it.
02:35And people were just like, we knew you were bad.
02:38They thought I had lipstick on.
02:40I'm like, why is lipstick bad anyway?
02:42It doesn't matter.
02:42But I didn't have lipstick.
02:44My lips were red from eating chili peppers on my pizza.
02:47And if I talk about sensuality and,
02:49oh, that is not appropriate.
02:50It's like, for who?
02:51Like, I'm not trying to impress you anymore.
02:53I'm in my thirties.
02:54God forbid I talk about someone who wants,
02:57you know, a little action from me, like whatever.
02:59If Bruno Mars can do it and no one cares
03:01and everyone loves him,
03:02then it's like, I can just sing about whatever I want.
03:03Have there been other sort of artists,
03:06queer artists, influences that have really
03:09sort of helped you on this journey?
03:10I feel like it's just pulled from a lot of different people.
03:13Billie Eilish, because she's able to be her crazy self.
03:17And yet still be chill in her music.
03:19And she can say whatever she wants
03:20and be a little absurd and wild with her style
03:23and how she talks.
03:25But then like the music just be like
03:26putting you in like a little chill trance.
03:29Like, I love that.
03:30Then you've got Chaperone who just comes out with a bang
03:34and is just larger than life in her persona
03:37and in her music.
03:38And she's talking about having sex with girls
03:42and full out lesbian theme.
03:44And it's like, wow, that's amazing.
03:46And people love her.
03:47I think that's what's interesting.
03:48Like, I think people are shocked about what she says,
03:52but it's all about like people's expectations
03:54because if Bruno Mars or Chaperone says,
03:57it's like, well, that's expected of them.
03:58But David Archuleta is like,
04:00oh, but that's not the David Archuleta.
04:02You're like the little sweet little boy next door
04:04when we saw you.
04:05I was like, yeah, because I was young.
04:07I was a little boy and I had not,
04:09I was sheltered and I was a Mormon boy.
04:11And now I'm not.
04:12I'm exploring that.
04:13I was a 30 something year old
04:14before I even knew how wet dreams worked
04:17and masturbation and things like that
04:19and orgasms and things like I did not know.
04:23And I was in my thirties.
04:25So it's like, oh, like I'm learning
04:26that this isn't just part of life.
04:28So many Mormons are like sheltered.
04:30It's like, don't talk about sex.
04:32Do not masturbate.
04:33Do not even think anything
04:35that is by their terms, inappropriate.
04:37But once you get married, okay, now have sex.
04:40And they're like, we don't even know how to have sex.
04:43So many of my friends are like,
04:44we don't know how to have sex.
04:46And some of them are like,
04:47I cried when my husband or my wife
04:50and I had sex for the first time
04:52because I was doing something.
04:53I was told all my life to never even speak of.
04:58And now you're suddenly just thrown in
04:59and it's like, have sex, have kids, make babies.
05:03And they don't even know how to
05:04because you don't get the proper sex education.
05:07You don't talk about it.
05:08Your parents are too embarrassed
05:09to say anything about it.
05:10But it's like, that's the reason why you're here
05:12is because they add it.
05:13I don't know, it's just, it's so interesting to me
05:15that it's so inappropriate.
05:18It's not like I'm like a sex freak or anything.
05:20It's just like, you know,
05:21when you find someone you fall in love with
05:23and you want to connect with them,
05:24it's usually comes with the connection.
05:26It's part of the human longing for connection.
05:28As you've come out, how has your style evolved?
05:33And have there been particular like things you've worn
05:36or events or things that you feel like
05:38really stand out as like,
05:40oh, I've sort of been wanting to do this for so long
05:43and now I finally get to?
05:45Yeah, I got my ears pierced.
05:47That was a big no-no.
05:48Like you're not supposed to pierce your ears.
05:50Especially like in Mormonism when I grew up in it,
05:53because it's constantly like adjusts.
05:56Guys are not supposed to have ears pierced
05:58and no tattoos.
06:01I don't have a tattoo yet.
06:02I think it'd be fun to get one,
06:03but I always wanted to get my ears pierced
06:05since junior high.
06:06Like since sixth grade,
06:07I thought it'd be so cool,
06:08but I'm like, oh, I'm not supposed to.
06:09So last year I got my ears pierced
06:11and I was really excited about that.
06:12I can show more of my chest
06:14because before I wore garments,
06:16the garments came like up.
06:17I wasn't allowed to show anything that passed my garments
06:20and I was supposed to always wear my garments.
06:23So now I can wear tank tops.
06:26So that's fun.
06:28I love tank tops.
06:28I like to live in a tank top,
06:30but I like the ones that are like a little broader.
06:33I don't love like super tight tops.
06:35I love like super thin ones.
06:36I feel shirtless at a rave or a festival.
06:38I can and it's fun and I just enjoy it.
06:41I can wear higher shorts.
06:43For previous Mormon me,
06:44that's like a big thing.
06:45Once you have sex,
06:45you'll never be a virgin again.
06:47Once you pierce your ears,
06:48you've pierced your body.
06:50Once you get a tattoo,
06:51it's like all these,
06:52it's like doom or gloom,
06:54like all or nothing way of looking at life.
06:56It's like you can do things
06:58and still be okay after you've done it,
07:01but they make you feel like it's unfree,
07:03like there's no going back.
07:06Where did you get your ears pierced
07:08and what was that like?
07:09It was just at a tattoo store in Hollywood.
07:11I went with my friend Jules
07:13and so we went together.
07:14We went and got brunch first
07:17and then pierced our ears.
07:18Who are your sort of like dream collaborators
07:24to make music with?
07:25I feel like Victoria Monet would be pretty sweet.
07:28That'd be hot.
07:29And then Thames,
07:30I love Thames too.
07:31Justin Bieber would be pretty sick.
07:33I love Tori Kelly,
07:34my girl Tori,
07:35the best singer in the world,
07:36I think, that we have.
07:37She's just incredible.
07:39Charli would be sick.
07:41Sabrina would be sick.
07:42Yeah, like there's so many fun people
07:44that would be cool to collab with.