Three years ago, former American Idol star David Archuleta hadn’t yet attended a Pride festival. He had only just “come out” at age 31 after denying his sexuality for all of his life.
David Archuleta, runner-up for American Idol in 2008, headlines Cedar Valley Pride Fest Saturday night.
But now, as he prepares to headline Cedar Valley Pridefest in Waterloo, Ia., Saturday night, Archuleta is an over-the-top ambassador for the annual LGBTQ+ tradition celebrated worldwide.
“It’s really ok to learn to love yourself,” says Archuleta, 33, in July from Los Angeles during a flurry of press interviews for his new single, “Hell Together.” Having now performed at almost a dozen Pride festivals, Archuleta says the tradition has helped him “learn to not be ashamed of who I am.”
“I was always afraid,” says Archuleta, who left the Mormon church he’d belonged to lifelong, after “coming out” as a gay man in 2021. “I even thought that Pride, and being prideful, is not a good thing. I used to think, ‘How dare they call it Pride?’
“Now to be able to step away from that mindset. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so proud of how far I’ve come.”
“Rather Be Lonely” is one of Archuleta’s most recent singles and shares the pain of fearing love.
Former American Idol star lives by new creed since ‘coming out’
Archuleta sang his way to “runner-up” on the seventh season of American Idol in 2008. His beaming smile, sweet voice and innocent youthfulness left him labelled as the boy next door.
In reality, Archuleta has since shared, the experience was emotionally traumatic and left him with “panic attacks and trust issues,” he told American Songwriter.
Archuleta was also harboring a secret at that time: that he was gay. His lifelong membership in the restrictive Mormon Church amplified both his “good kid” persona, and his personal struggle.
The singer finally “came out” in 2021 and left that church. Even today, as he recalls his struggle with personally and publicly accepting his own sexuality, you can’t deny the lingering hint of “aw shucks” in Archuleta’s demeanor.
“Gross,” “icky” and “nasty” are words he recalls he used to assign to the celebration of Pride. He also asked three different women to marry him. He eventually came out with the help of therapy.
Now, he’s all in with being open about his sexuality, and with Pride events. He’s headlined them in San Diego, Milwaukee, Houston, Fort Worth, Providence, R.I. and more.
Former American Idol star David Archuleta brings both revelry through dance and thoughtful melancholy to his songs and live performances.
This Saturday, he headlines one of Iowa’s largest Pride events, Cedar Valley Pridefest in Waterloo. The two-day event starts at 5 p.m. Friday night and continues all day Saturday, with Archuleta headlining at 10 p.m. Saturday.
Archuleta says he is freed and lives by a different creed now.
“I used to feel like, ‘You should try and hide (your sexuality), and you should not even let people know about it. You’re doing a disservice to them.’ But now, it’s like you know, who gives … (mumbles where you’d expect a curse word) what people think of you.
“Stop letting other people tell you if you’re of value or not. You tell yourself, ‘I am of value, I am of worth.’ Even if it takes you a little while to feel that.”
Archuleta melds dance, party vibe with melancholy, thoughtful tunes
Some of the Pride events Archuleta has experienced have been family-friendly events. Others, he says, are more like adult raves where he’s been able to share his newly discovered love of dancing.
Just like Pride celebrations and LGBTQ+ sexuality, Archuleta’s dancing and “going to clubs” were forbidden by Archuleta’s former religion. He now is starting to build dance into his stage shows.
“Dancing is so freeing, so expressive,” he says. “I feel like our bodies are made to move and to feel and respond to rhythm and melodies. Now, to incorporate choreography and dance into my shows is so fun.”
Among his favorite highlights: a cover of Sabrina Carpenter’s ‘80s comeback hit, “Expresso.” Archuleta has also created dance mixes of his new single, “Hell Together.”
@davidarchie It’s a very special song and I can’t wait for you all to hear it in full on July 19th. Pre-save it now. #RatherBeLonely #NewMusic
Even with his newfound appreciation of cutting loose and revelling in the celebratory part of Pride, Archuleta retains the melancholy vibe that helped boost him to fame originally.
His original version of “Hell Together” is a soft tribute to his mother, who told him three years ago that she’d rather “go to hell together” with him than be part of a church that would reject him for his sexuality. Archuleta says the song helps him release some of the emotions he experienced while coming out, overcoming suicidal thoughts, leaving the church, and pursuing therapy.
“Rather Be Lonely” also showcases Archuleta’s vulnerable side, sharing the feelings of fearing intimacy. Archuleta says sharing his own struggles “helps him to not be alone.”
“That’s how life is, full of these up and down moments,” he says. “Maybe I’m all over the place with my music, but at the same time, I like to be real about every moment of life.”
Cedar Valley Pride Fest features “robust” entertainment line-up
Archuleta is just part of a two-day stage line-up that takes the 12-year-old Cedar Valley Pridefest to a new level, says co-founder Dave Deeds.
“One of the great things about our event and smaller prides is, they’re only successful if you get a cross-section of the community to participate,” he said. “It’s not just LGBTQ+ people, it’s allies. It’s people who are interested in learning more. One of the ways we get more community members engaged is by having a more robust entertainment schedule.”
Additional performers at Cedar Valley Pride Fest include (clockwise from top) Allegra Hernandez, Alyx Rush, Miss Christine, bellbastien, Carmit, and Alisabeth Von Presley.
The festival has expanded to two nights and four blocks over the years. This year’s line-up features three other live performers Deeds said are known to pull out a crowd.
• Bell Bastien: This Detroit duo, formerly known as OneUpDuo, gained fame in 2020 as the first-ever LGBTQ couple on “The Voice” (Season 15). They’ll perform Friday evening.
• Carmit: This original member of the pop supergroup The Pussycat Dolls is also a renowned dancer who has toured with Ricky Martin, Beyonce and Janet Jackson. She’ll perform Saturday evening.
• Alisabeth Von Presley: A Cedar Rapids native whose accolades include appearing on ABC’s “American Song Contest” in 2022, Von Presley has also performed at Pride festivals throughout Iowa, Illinois and nationwide, and takes the stage Friday night.
Also featured: transgender rocker Allegra Hernandez from Des Moines; silky-voiced Alyx Rush of Iowa City; “genderqueer singing bassist” Miss Christine from Iowa City; five other bands and musicians; and drag performers throughout both festival days.
Admission to the festival is $25; order yours and learn more about the schedule at cedarvalleypride.com.
A version of this article originally appeared in the August 2024 print edition of The Real Mainstream. Subscribe here!
