Song of the Night: David Archuleta - Elevator

Off a his sophomore album The Other Side of Down, the song of the night, a song that's been stuck in my head all day, is David Archuleta's "Elevator." Written in 30 minutes about a dream he had, I feel like this song never got the recognition it deserved back in 2010 when it was released.

The simplicity and realness that this song carries makes it enjoyable, while the inspiring lyrics and cute tune make the song so inspiring and so 'David'. Some people may see this song as just a song about an elevator going up and down, but if you really pay attention to the lyrics, you'll realize that the song is about life. There's ups and downs, but it's the butterflies that keep you feeling alive.

This song is clever and fun, and is, in my opinion, the hidden gem of David's album. You can watch David perform the song live for Z100 below:


Credit to Hanne58

‎5 days, 5 artists, 5 songs! Day 4: Top 5 - David Archuleta

As a big David Archuleta fan, I know second place is his sweet spot. Whether it's his sweet balladeer side or his fun pop side, whether it's the crooner in him or the enthusiastic belt-it-out-like-there's-no-tomorrow part of him, David is truly one of the most amazing performers I have ever seen. David's got a big voice and the heart to match, singing always about positivity and the good things in life. Here are, in my opinion, the Top 5 best songs by David Archuleta:

"Imagine"
If you asked anyone what song they remember most from David during American Idol, I'm pretty sure 99% would say "Imagine." His slower cover of the famous John Lennon song shows the best of David in every way; David's powerful voice singing this inspirational ballad as David truly believes in every word he's singing, that is the "magic" that is in this performance.

Credit to zzcali

"Crush"
There's just something about "Crush" that brings every David Archuleta fan right back to the summer of 2008 when it was a hit on the radio all over the country. Now, after hearing the song every day on the radio and David singing it at every concert, some may get tired of listening to it after a while. But even so, once that known piano melody starts playing, you can't help but listen to David sing and wonder, "Is it real or just another crush?"

Credit to DavidArchuletaVEVO

"Touch My Hand"
From the very first time I heard it, "Touch My Hand" has always been one of my favorites from David's debut album. The song is quite simple: David sings about being on stage and singing to his fans, and wanting to take in the moment and take their hands. When David performs this song live, he puts even more emotion into it and connects to his fans in a whole new way as everyone he's singing to also relates to the lyrics, "Can't let the music stop, Can't let this feeling end, Cause if I do it'll all be over, I'll never get the chance again"

Credit to DavidArchuletaVEVO

"O Holy Night"
I had to throw in a Christmas song, after all, David's Christmas album Christmas From The Heart is one of my favorites and David is sure to sing this song on his My Kind of Christmas Tour in December (at least I hope). I went back and forth between this song and David's original "Melodies of Christmas", as that song too is my real favorite from the album. But "O Holy Night", though bored me at first, now seems to have a deeper meaning to me, probably because I remember every second about seeing David perform this song live. David sang this as his encore during his Christmas tour in 2009, and as I stood there as the music began, him singing as his voice soared throughout the concert hall as he sang each note beautifully, I was awed. For the rest of the night, that was the song that was stuck in my head, making the night simply unforgettable, which is why I chose this concert video of David performing "O Holy Night" in Boston:

Credit to AnnAve47

"The Other Side of Down"
Though I have many favorites from David's sophomore album, the title track is definitely one of the best. With it's uplifting beat and David's captivating voice, "The Other Side of Down" goes through the ups and downs of life and puts you in a positive mindset, making you want to be 'on the other side of down'. One of my favorites performances of this song was when David sang it on FOX's New years Eve Live in 2010. The strong impact  of David's voice and these lyrics that shines through in this performance is fun and inspiring (not to mention he looks really cute!)

Credit to bumpaworm

Honorable mention: "God Bless America"
I've posted about David's amazing version of "God Bless America" before, which is why I made it an honorable mention. Even more so this year, I've noticed how absolutely stunning David is when he sings patriotic songs. He always kills it when he sings the National Anthem, and I guarantee he will blow you away with this version of "God Bless America":

Credit to 8throwcenter

Gets my mood up, but calms me down too

Upon seeing this tweet from David Archuleta earlier, it got me thinking - what music gets my mood up, but calms me down too? Well one I know for sure is David's music. His album The Other Side of Down, for me, is the definition of what he described. Every song on that album is uplifting yet calming, and is perfect for any occasion. From the positive "The Other Side of Down" to the enjoyable "Parachutes And Airplanes" to the inspirational "Things Are Gonna Get Better", every song on that album puts you in a different mindset and gets you pondering about your life as the music takes you on a journey into David's view of life. David's wisdom and positive outlook that shines through in these songs definitely always puts me in a good mood and calms me down, and I'm sure a lot of Archie fans would agree.

Read my review of The Other Side of Down HERE.

Album Review: David Archuleta - The Other Side of Down

It was back in September 2009, just days after his wisdom teeth removal, when David Archuleta headed to Nashville to start the writing process for his second pop album. Now, over a year later, the new music has finally been released. David's new album, titled The Other Side of Down, in which he co-wrote 10 of the 12 tracks, came out on October 5th, 2010. For most artists, the second album is the most crucial. Either a big step forward, or a big step backward in a singer's. In my opinion, David's taking a big step forward all the way to the other side of down. Just by looking at the CD cover, you can tell David went a completely different direction with this album. Going from almost a death glare on his face, to a smiling David leaning back on a chair, it’s pretty obvious that this album fits his personality better. He has said that he wanted this album to introduce people to David Archuleta, and I think he did just that.

The fun, quirky "Elevator" and the deep ballad "My Kind Of Perfect" are only two examples of how this album is more "David". "Elevator" was apparently written in 30 minutes, and is about a dream David had, where he didn‘t know which floor to get off on career-wise. Though many different opinions flew around about this song, I'd have to agree with the ones who gave it a thumbs up. Even if the song is very simple, there's still so much hidden meaning to it. It’s not necessarily about elevators going up and down, it’s about life. How it’s an endless ride and things are always changing. A dream become reality, and it’s a creative song when you really pay attention to what David’s really saying.
"My Kind Of Perfect" is a cute ballad, which David described to be about his future "perfect". David's sensitive and soothing voice will just captivate in this song, and the piano just adds to the adorableness.

In other tracks, such as "The Other Side Of Down" and "Who I Am", David talks about himself, and all of his doubts and concerns with life. Though a complicated title, "The Other Side Of Down" is a really meaningful song when you understand it. Basically what he's saying is that he needs to stop worrying in order to get to the other side of down, which is up, which is another way of saying he needs to think of the positive side. It's almost grammatically incorrect, like his old single "A Little Too Not Over You", yet it really makes you think. 
For "Who I Am", David explained that on his way to that day's writing session, he got stuck in a cab for 2 hours, which gave him time to get his creative juices flowing. "Been two hours in a taxi cab, I'm just driving around and I'm running a tab, But it doesn't really matter, no I'm not getting mad, It's ok cause I know where I'm going". This is one of the realest songs on the album, where he's just trying to figure out who he really is as a person and as an artist. 

Then there's the more inspirational tracks, like "Complain" and "Things Are Gonna Get Better". "Complain" is one of the two (the other being the ballad “Falling Stars", written by two of the writers who wrote David‘s hit “Crush”) that David didn't pen, but it definitely sounds like David could have written it. The song talks about how even if you don't think things are going too well, you still can't complain, because look at all you that have. David has said those exact words numerous times, and now it's been put into song. 
"Things Are Gonna Get Better", the most inspirational song on the album in my opinion, has a gospel feel to it, and in it David mentions numerous situations that everyone is in at some point in their life. Feeling hurt, making mistakes, losing a loved one, etc. But the most important thing is that you need to move on, because, according to the song, things will get better. Though it may not always be easy to believe, I think the song really makes you think about your life and the way you may be looking at it. For the time you're listening, it really makes you want to keep thinking "things ARE gonna get better".

Other popular tracks on the album are "Parachutes And Airplanes" and "Stomping The Roses", two very well written songs. "Parachutes And Airplanes" (my personal favorite) is a song that really makes you wonder, with it's playful beat and random lyrics. "Thinking about parachutes and airplanes". Just take a second and think about parachutes and airplanes... Does it make you happy? It makes me happy. If it didn't make you happy then you should listen to the song, because it's one of the most creative, uplifting songs on the album that really makes you think.
"Stomping The Roses", written by Bryce Avery, then touched up by David himself, is a fun and catchy, yet very realistic song. It talks about someone in your life who just continuously hurts you, therefore, they're stomping the roses. It's very relatable, especially the line "One of those complicated soap operas, I almost felt like I was watching myself", at least to me anyway. 

So all in all, if you add in "Good Place", the song written about David's career, the upbeat “Look Around”, about how you should always look around and realize everything you have in life and the first single "Something 'Bout Love", about how there's something 'bout love that you can't give up on, David's new album really shows you the way David looks at life, with fun, motivating, and different songs. This is something David’s first album didn’t quite accomplish, but I think he’s in for major success with this one.