What's so Great About American Idol's Daviid Archuleta?

In this season of American Idol, as with every season, there is a competitor that stands out as the one that everyone is meant to fall in love with. This season, that person is David Archuleta. The seventeen year old has created a stir in the public with his innocent good looks and seemingly good intentions.

During tryouts, the public found out that Archuleta had suffered from vocal paralysis. There was a time when he thought he would never be able to sing again. Luckily, he got his voice back and went on to perform on American Idol.

The story of Archuleta overcoming adversity has inspired millions of people and helped him to garner a lot of media attention. It would appear that he takes it all in stride week after week, with a shy smile and half wave to the audience as he performs another song of inspiration.

David Archuleta is a good singer. He had a nice, rich voice, and I do think that he is a very talented young man. That being said, I find him to be boring and predictable. Chances are, he will sing a ballad of inspiration. Chances are, he will hit most of the notes, although his lower register sounds like it needs to have some extra practice or maturity to sound as it should. He will smile and wave, and speak of how the song really meant something to him. His voice will quiver with excitement and emotion as he answers the interview questions after his performance. That is all wonderful. It's nice to see a kid who cares. Still, I'm not sure if David Archuleta transcend past season seven of American Idol.

Earnestness does not necessarily sell records. Teenage girls grow up, and trends fade. While he might have a big following in 2008, that could all change in a year or two when the majority of his audience has grown up and moved onto bigger or better things.

Most of us go through our songs of inspiration phase. I remember getting goose bumps after listening to certain songs about war and homelessness. As we grow up, though, we don't necessarily want to fill our ipods with music about the growing world problems. That is David Archuleta's main problem. He does not realize how to have fun as an artist.

I have stated that in the past, and someone pointed out to me that Archuleta did the song "Shop Around." I will agree that song was the one up tempo song that he has done that did not fall apart on him. Any other time that he's tried to sing up tempo, he has allowed the song to get away from him, and worse than that, he has forgotten the words, which can be a fatal error on American Idol. Still, Archuleta was given a free pass because right now, he's hot.

When I was young, New Kids on the Block were the big thing. Generations after me have followed 98 Degrees and the Backstreet Boys. Those bands have faded over time because they did not have the staying power that a major artist has. They appealed to lots of people at one time, but it eventually became a social death sentence to continue to follow New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees, or the Backstreet Boys.

Pop culture lives in the now, and right now, David Archuleta is hot. There is no denying that. I am not trying to argue against his popularity. I am simply saying that he needs to capitalize off of this fame now, because it will die down within the next couple of years.