Wednesday, August 22, 2012

To Begin You First Need Courage





An inability to step out of your comfort zone will profoundly limit your performance.  Within each one of us lays great potential.  The way you explore that great potential is to make changes and take risks. We stumble and fall in the learning process, but success can only be reached when we are prepared to take those steps.

Courage is making the decision to learn something new by testing and stretching your abilities and taking those risks.  David Archuleta has tremendous reservoirs of potential within him as he steps out and boldly pursues them.  The difference is his attitude; he greets the unknown with a sense of eager anticipation and welcomes it

David has the courage to step out in faith and change his life. He may not feel courageous at the onset or even through the journey, but it is still a courageous act.  He is gaining more self-esteem, confidence and a stronger sense of self. 

It seems he wants to take all he can out of life, and take advantage of every chance he gets.  Courage is about following your heart and growing.  His journey of self-discovery begins with a commitment without complete knowledge of the probable outcome.  David knows that God is the One who goes with you He will not leave you nor forsake you.
 
David has the courage to discover just how much music he can make when he returns.  How much will he do? How much joy can he share?  I’m convinced that the world, more than ever, needs the music only he can make. 

Every song in “Begin” seems to have a story and there is “newness” to them in terms of style and delivery, but there is also a timeless message that fits in what he is singing about.  These song choices reveal a self-awareness that comes with maturity and also shows a young man in continuous change.
David has that heart on your sleeve honesty that manages to keep listeners interested. With “Begin” these songs are just saying what’s in his heart. They represent a window into the place and time when David finds himself at the age of 21. 
 
I just finished watching his latest video “Everybody Hurts” and he knocked my socks off with his four minutes and fifty three seconds of passionate, soulful and penetrating vocals.  He is a storyteller that can open people up to their inner soul and is an artist of selfless giving that will shine bright forever. 

David seems to be emerging as an independent artist who may prefer to control his career and not be led by someone else’s opinion of how his career should unfold.  Courage is about choice and acting on what we know we should do and David seems to be making the right ones.

The lyrics to “Everybody Hurts”……Hang on, hold on, you’re not alone…..says it all!  

We are holding on for your return. 

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

David Archuleta's "BEGIN"








David Archuleta continues to be one of the most dynamic and versatile recording artist today.  His brilliant new album offers a mix of rearranged favorite covers as well as a new song musically penned by David himself. He has given us some mighty impressive stuff here
.
Each time I play this album I enjoy it even more. I’m writing in a state of bliss after listening to these songs. He’s really so good, isn’t he? 

His “Be Still My Soul” comes deep from the depths of his spirituality, his voice shines and soars and drives straight to the center of your heart. He sings with a conviction of his place in heaven, and perhaps his place in singing history.  The emotions David’s arouses and masters with this song establish his connection to his music and his faith.

His voice is indescribable exciting, and forever a wonder to behold.  Does it get any better than this….I think not.  David’s vocals are exquisite and his renditions capture the intensity while keeping the integrity of the originals.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” is a favorite of mine and has always been associated with hard times and great emotional beauty.  David’s strikingly pure vocals put to shame every other singer attempting this song.  His fabulous version has depth, power and great sincerity. His voice soars and then pulls you back for the next flight of genius and after he is finished you are exhausted emotionally and in awe of his powerful performance.

With “Angel” he gives the song great respect.  This song is able to be interpreted by so many people in so many different ways.  It can mean that some people are somewhere that they don’t want to be in and don’t want to stay in.  It’s also about choices and the power of Angels. The quiet softness David adds to this song leaves you breathless.

“Broken” masterfully illustrates his musical gift writing.  I recall several months back him sitting at a piano playing with those ivory keys and saying he was just trying something out.  What a beautiful intense and hopeful song.

This next song “Everybody Hurts” just blew me away.  David’s vocal delicacy and tenderness conveys the theme of this song, that we are not alone.  He is amazing and evokes so much emotion, this is really great music. 
 
“True Colors” is true love, “Beautiful” is beautiful, “Pride” and “Don’t Give Up” succeeds in showing us the heart of David Archuleta, and “Somewhere Only We Know” busted out at the seams and revealed David as an outstanding great songster.

I challenge anyone who says David Archuleta can’t articulate his feelings.  He has emerged as a young man, an artist with purpose and a mission of determination and hope. 

Begin brought David an avalanche of publicity less than a month before its release.  Fans are enraptured by his new album.

David continues to demonstrate that he’s among the truest, brightest talent to come on the scene in quite a while.  He seamlessly flows between pop, R&B, and now inspirational without ever breaking a sweat and has given us an excellent selection of strong and passionate vocals.

Begin is an album that can be enjoyed and appreciated by listeners of all ages. This is good music, no this is great music.  Soak every bit of it up, remember it, enjoy it and share these great songs with many.

Thank you David for your beautiful music.

Always know David we feel your heart………….and always know you hold our hearts forever.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

David Archuleta Retrospective Series Part Six: Crush





By Pamela Pike and Rosanne Simunovic


Pamela Pike's Recollections

Crush was the first official track released as a single by David Archuleta back in August 2008 and was also included on his debut album, simply entitled David Archuleta.  Crush was c0-written by Emanuel Kiriakou, Jess Cates and Dave Hodges.

The single debuted on New York City’s Elvis Duran’s radio station Z100 the morning of August 1st. David was very excited knowing his single was debuting and admitted he was very jittery the night before and couldn’t wait till this morning.  They were in the studio late Thursday night still putting finishing touches on the new single.

The lyrics to Crush explore the old question of true love and whether it is reciprocated, questioning if his feelings are real or not.

The song managed to "crush" the competition upon release. It rose to the top of the American charts and received positive reviews from the music press. Crush is an age appropriate mid-tempo pop song showcasing his vocal styling with lovely harmonies and great falsetto effects.

The lyrics are sweet and innocent and concentrate on the common teen emotions which suit him perfectly to keep his young spirit evident. Crush mixes R&B beats with pop lyrics and sounds hip and contemporary

His voice captures the same doubt and hope your heart has when it beats each time you think of someone that takes your breath away.  This song is very catchy and has enough speed and variety for both young and old.
 
Crush’s initial sales were strong enough to push the song to a #2 debut on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on iTunes and #16 on Amazon.com after one week release.

VIDEO

Crush video was released on September 16, 2008, on iTunes and was directed by Declan Whitebloom.  

The video innocently portrays David on an outing with friends trying to get the attention of a girl on whom he apparently has a crush.  Several teens are together swimming at a lake, the guys get out, and David stays behind to help her out of the water. The teens are also shown in the cabin playing games and David is shown playing the guitar.  Other scenes show them by a campfire and at the end, David goes out on the deck of the cabin and the girl follows him, showing that she shares his feelings.

Crush never gets old and you can get star struck listening to David’s fantastic voice and fall head over-heels in love.  He takes you back to those bygone days of school girl crushes while you unconsciously hum along to the music and lyrics.


With lines like “Why do I keep running from the truth, all I ever think about is you, You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized” it’s hard not to feel for David as he cries, “I know this crush ain’t goin’ away,” and neither has ours!



Rosanne Simunovic's Recollections

When "Crush" was released in August 2008, I remember thinking that I wasn't sure if this was the direction I had wanted David to take with his music.

However, in retrospect, the song was genius in that it contained a hooky feel in the melodic line, something so important to the success of a song on the Billboard Charts. It was the perfect song at the perfect time in David's career.

And the positive reviews reflected this success. It was an instantaneous hit with the critics and positioned David as a strong musical force in the entertainment industry.

According to information gathered from Wikipedia, Chuck Taylor of Billboard had this to say:

(Crush) is a suitable match for Archuleta,  "hummable, age-appropriate mid tempo pop ditty for the 17-year-old, showcasing his fine mass-appeal vocal stylings with creamy harmonies and some nice falsetto effects."

He also predicted chart success for the song, saying "'Crush' is likely to put its money where its title is on the charts."

Strong words for a strong artist. And the reviews kept pouring in.

Ken Barnes of USA Today further commented that he "liked the "effortless glides into falsetto and some rousing moments in the bridge and chorus", while Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly called the song "surprisingly good!" as well as "hip and contemporary."

He further stated, "David adroitly walks the line between giving his core fans their fill of vocal runs while showing enough restraint that he won't automatically alienate non-Idol-loving
listeners."

I had the pleasure of reviewing this song on two separate occasions. One was  http://masterclasslady.com/2008/12/05/a-masterclass-review-of-david-archuletas-new-cd/immediately after the release of his new CD, "David Archuleta"and the other when David http://masterclasslady.com/2008/08/17/david-archuletas-new-single-is-set-to-crush-the-airwaves/released "Crush" as a single in August 2008.

Here are my thoughts from the August 2008 article:

David Archuleta’s new single, “Crush”, has received overwhelmingly favorable reviews. And, rightfully so! This new single should dispel any rumors that David is not destined for an extremely lucrative career as a current pop artist.

Today, August 12th, the CD was released and the buzz is certainly out there. David Archuleta has arrived and in a monumental way.

Recently signed by 19Recordings/Jive Records, a record company noted for it’s ability to successfully create and market young artists who appeal to the mainstream audience, David’s new single is brimming with the youthful enthusiasm and soulful excellence that has made him a star in the past season of American Idol.

As I listen to “Crush”, I am immediately impressed by the clarity of the end production. Usually, the singer’s voice is overshadowed by the background arrangement but, in David’s case, his superior vocals remain the focal point in the production mix.

And so it should! After all, it’s David’s extraordinary voice and capability to touch people’s hearts with his vocal instrument that has allowed him to distinguish himself from the rest of the pack. His unique ability to combine his passionate soulful artistry with brilliant vocal skills is something truly special in this day and age of over-processed vocal recordings. His voice should – and needs to – be heard and I believe that Jive understood this fact above all else.

David has since moved on but, at this particular point in time, his decision to work within the guidelines that Jive envisioned for him were absolutely on the mark.

However, his career has now taken a more diverse road, one that I always felt was more suitable to his enormous talent. And one that would continue to separate and distinguish him from the rest of the pack.

A crushing talent? Oh my yes!