David Archuleta is no stranger to our playlists. Having stepped into the pop spotlight over seventeen years ago when he won first runner-up in “American Idol” Season 7, David has enchanted fans with his charming voice and genuine star power.

Today, the American singer-songwriter marks a bold and confident new chapter with his newly released EP, “Earthly Delights,” featuring six tracks that explore pleasures, sensuality, and fiery human attractions.

The artist has come a long way from his “Crush” days or his previous music that sang about the ups and downs of being in love, as he tackles themes that describe the more physical aspect of love, all the while embracing his queer truth and his most authentic self in this new compilation.

“I’m in my indulgence mode when it comes to giving into my sensuality. Something I always villainized before,” the artist shared in an official statement.

“There’s something sweet about being naughty, and it’s actually helped me to get in touch with more tender, vulnerable parts of myself. ‘Earthly Delights’ is taking in the pleasures of what I always thought would keep me out of heaven. For the belief I always had of the hell and unhappiness I would experience for giving into my 'carnal nature' of sexuality, which is the natural instinct of humans and even what leads to the source of life itself, here’s to a big F you to my old fears and embracing the sensual side and 'earthly delights' of how good and rich it feels. It really is the source to life.”

Pleasure Reimagined

We dove into the opening track expecting a continuation of the upbeat, dance-floor energy introduced by the EP’s funk-pop lead single “Crème Brûlée.” Instead, we were met with a stripped-down guitar strumming and raw vocals. “Give You the World” emerges as a tender ballad, romantic on the surface yet carrying an unexpected contradiction. Despite its sweet title and lush instrumentation, the song reveals a poignant truth: the singer can give everything to his partner, but his heart. Gentle drums and a wistful piano melody weave seamlessly with the guitar, evoking the nostalgic feel of a teen drama montage.

What makes this first track resonate deeply is its lyrical honesty, as David admitted, “staying in love isn’t one of my strengths.” That vulnerability — the fear of letting someone too close — renders the song both relatable and quietly devastating. As an opener, it sets the tone for the record: acknowledging the “carnal nature” of desire while reframing it with tenderness. We believe this ability to make sensuality feel delicate and earnest is something the artist has consistently done well throughout his discography.

In an interview with The Beat Asia, David revealed the opening track to be the most personal on the album, showcasing a vulnerability he had never fully explored before.

“‘Give You the World’ really shows that brokenness that you can feel still — even when you’re in a good place in life, you still feel raw and exposed,” he explained. “Th,is feeling is so weird to get out, but at the same time it’s also satisfying. You feel that frustration and anger — 'Why am I like this? Why has this happened? Why do I hurt people?' I don’t know, but I do. I can at least be honest with that in a song.”

In “Crème Brûlée,” the singer takes on a more flirtatious tone as he sings about the sweetness of the first spark of attraction and thrills of casual sex, painting it in lyrics like “Just one night and had the best bite of your life” and “I can’t help that you don’t wanna wait.” Even its catchy pre-chorus cleverly points out how fast dating goes these days, with how people are often “skipping stages.” This is also a lot steamier than anything we’ve heard from the artist before, and although it doesn’t cross over to the explicit side, it definitely highlights physical desire.

We see some development in the compilation’s storyline in “Can I Call You,” which describes the situation when you get hooked on someone and start wanting to be with them every hour of the day. Coupled with its dreamy synth pop sound, it delivers a sexy but also romantic vibe that stands out from the earlier tracks.

David goes full-on romantic in the dreamy, R&B-infused “Lucky,” a track that captures the dizzying feeling of being so head over heels that reality itself feels surreal. The slow-burning rhythm maintains the EP’s sensual tone, but lyrically, the song shifts towards sweetness and unabashed romance.

This progression carries into the fifth track, “Home,” where David sings about his partner becoming a place of belonging. Among all the songs on this record, this feels the most personal and unguarded, supported solely by delicate piano keys and his unadorned vocals. The rawness gives the track this certain heaviness, like the words were taken directly from a diary entry. This intimacy crescendos in the bridge where he delivers the vulnerable line, “Home is where I can finally be myself” in his soaring falsetto before ending with a strong declaration, “Loving you feels like coming home.”

Since coming out in 2021, the LA-based artist has embraced his queer identity with sheer openness and has begun writing songs that reflect his unfiltered truths since 2022, with narratives evolving around growing up as a closeted Mormon kid, and the journey towards living authentically while allowing himself to find love. The closing track, “Dulce Amore,” feels like a culmination of this arc; the gospel-like song feels almost reverent, like he’s finally fully accepted himself and is determined to love openly and with all of his mind, body, and heart.

David shared more about his experience in curating this compilation and how that stage in his life inspired his new music, describing it as his “Lover Boy” era, where he can be more open, bolder, and expressive.

“With any project that I do, I’m just living my life, but I feel like with this, I’m living my life more. I was a missionary, and everybody in my religion was dedicating their life to God. Even back then, other missionaries would say how square David Archuleta is. He’s really uptight, and he’s having a hard time having fun because of how he takes things so seriously."

When asked how he got into the groove of this new direction in his music, he added, “I think it had to do with how I was closeted, and I didn’t understand what I was holding. I feel like I had a hard time holding it in. Now, I’ve learned to just let go. And I feel like it’s coming into the music. It feels like an exhale. I feel like I’ve always had to explain myself in my music before, and that was fine because that was the only way I knew how to connect with other people and express myself. But now, I feel like I don’t have to try so hard. I can just be and feel things out, and I feel like that shows in the music now, which is really refreshing for me as an artist.”

Final Verdict

“Earthly Delights” is a beautifully curated record that takes listeners on a journey of love, lust, and acceptance. We believe the artist perfectly captured the essence of modern love with honesty, reminding us that desire and pleasure are natural, not something to be vilified. More importantly, it sends the message that these emotions are integral parts of what it means to love and be loved.

His voice seemed to have also changed, giving us a deeper and more polished tone that is slightly different from his earlier releases. We believe it added to the record’s maturity, like he’s showing a stronger, more refined version of himself through his voice.

Sonically, the album gave us enough flavor to keep us interested, marrying David’s signature ballad timbre with pop sounds that bring out a more fun side of the artist, proving his versatility. Although the music mimics other dance pop songs we’ve heard before, his heartfelt and honest lyrics make up for originality. The album was also arranged well, narrative-wise, providing a chronological storyline — from not being able to let someone in to finding love in the end — that makes it feel as if we’re not just listening to the songs but also experiencing it.

David confirmed that the narrative was intentional, how he starts at a broken place with “Give You the World” and traverses the shaky waters of dating before finally finding that special someone in “Home,” which the singer described as the “real ballad of the EP.”

“It was the moment when I realized, 'Oh, this is how love can feel like.' I’ve heard about love. There are so many love songs and movies, and I always thought that was just a story. I didn’t know that it could be a lived experience for myself. ‘Home’ is the realization of this is what it feels like. It feels safe and beautiful.”

For “Dulce Amor,” the artist also shared an exciting tidbit, as he revealed that he wanted to make it sound like the EP isn’t finished and that there’s more to come — hinting at the two new songs, “Fade to Black” and “Inside Out” to be featured in the EP’s deluxe version, releasing on Sept. 12, 2025.

“Before, I thought this would be the worst place to ever come to,” he said as we talked about the closing track. “Like a sinner, you brought me down, but it’s so sweet, and there’s a pulse to the song. I want it to feel like it’s continuing — that there’s life going on.”

A strong comeback from one of pop music’s most beloved artists. Listen to “Earthly Delights” today!

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