訪談看起來有一段時間了(去年嗎?)照片也有點舊。應該是大衛最近要開演唱會，順便把舊的東西加進去而已。

David Archuleta still adjusting to the limelight

| Wednesday, June 17, 2009 12:11 PM PDT

David Archuleta's first single, "Crush," peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

ALICIA RANCILIO - Associated Press

On the seventh season of "American Idol," David Archuleta's version of "Imagine" earned him the title of "the one to beat" early on. He never once placed in the bottom three. In the end, David ended up losing the crown to another David ---- David Cook ---- but he still got a chance to pursue his pop star dreams with a record deal on 19 Recordings/Jive Records.

Now, the 18-year-old runner-up is hoping all those votes on TV's top-rated show will parlay into album sales. His self-titled debut is in stores now and he performs Saturday at the San Diego County Fair (just two days after David Cook).

So far, the teen's future looks promising. His first single, "Crush," peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and has been a top download on iTunes.

Archuleta talked recently to The Associated Press about going solo and what he thinks Simon Cowell may have to say about his record.

AP: What does it feel like to release this album?

Archuleta: The album coming out is a pretty exciting time for me in my life because I've always been looking forward to it. After all the hard work over the summer and a lot of time and effort put into it, it's cool to see the finished product, because now everyone's gonna be able to get a chance to listen to it and it's really exciting.

AP: David Cook's album came out in October, too. Do you feel like there's a competition all over again with him?

Archuleta: It never really felt like a competition with Cook. Not even on the show were we competitive very much. We're kind of in our different categories in the music world, but I'm just hoping for the best. I'm real excited for his album, too. I've heard a few of the songs and they sound great.

AP: What about fame has surprised you? Or what didn't you expect?

Archuleta: Well, the surprise of fame, I guess, is actually the fact that I'm actually dealing with it. You know, you see what other people have to go through and stuff, all the attention, and I guess I never really realized that it would actually happen to me the way it has. That's pretty crazy, to see how it goes with all the gossip and rumors and celebrity stories. People always wanting to know everything about what's going on, every little bit of your life ---- but I guess that's what comes with this whole thing.

AP: You got to act in your first music video for "Crush." What was that like?

Archuleta: It was a lot of fun. I was a little nervous at first because I was wondering, "Oh, am I gonna be able to pull it off? I don't know if I'm a very good actor or anything like that." (Laughs) But it was really easy and it was a lot of fun to do, and I think it went really smoothly. It was just a lot of fun to be able to get into character and the story and the whole thing, and be able to kind of like, work with other kids my age in the music video.

AP: What do you think Simon Cowell will have to say about your album?

Archuleta: You know, you never know what Simon's gonna say (laughs). I hope that he likes it. You never know what he'll think. I'm sure he'll have an opinion, but hopefully he'll appreciate the work that went into it. I know he understands how much work goes into making an album. Hopefully, there will be at least one song he likes (laughs).

AP: You're in your senior year of high school. How are you balancing school work with the music business?

Archuleta: It is quite a challenge trying to balance both school and this crazy music world, but I've been trying to keep up with that. ... So far it's been pretty good. The entertainment world is so unpredictable. There's not really like, "Oh, this comes after this and then this time, and then you get a day off on weekends." It doesn't work that way. It's like, "OK, oh, by the way, later on today you're going here and doing this." It's like, "OK." Flying out here or there or everywhere.

David Archuleta, with Kina Grannis and Aja Alycean

When: 7:30 p.m. June 19

Where: Grandstand Stage, San Diego County Fair, Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar

Tickets: $24-$57

Info: 858-755-1161 or sdfair.com

Web: davidarchuleta.com

credit:North Country Times