David Archuleta, Earthly Delights (EP) | 📀 Review

Beloved American Idol runner-up David Archuleta shines on his mature pop EP, Earthly Delights, his first project since coming out and leaving the Mormon faith.

It’s been a long time coming, but our handsome Latino ‘short king’ with an amazing voice, David Archuleta, dropped an EP! Earthly Delights shows us a mature, fully-grown Archie who sounds much more comfortable and liberated.  Coming out and stepping away from the Mormon faith, David seems to be in a better place, and his music reflects that. Earthly Delights may be short, running shy of 20 minutes, but this new-look Archie, presented over the span of six songs, including bops like “Crème Brulée” and “Can I Call You”, is muy caliente!

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1. “Give You the World”	2. “Crème Brulée”	3. “Can I Call You”	4. “Lucky”
5. “Home”	6. “Dulce Amor”	The Verdict 👨🏾‍⚖️

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“Give You the World”

“You can have my body on a Friday night / You can hold me like I’ll be yours the rest of your life,” David Archuleta sings on the adult contemporary pop-tinged opener from Earthly Delights, “Give You the World.” This self-penned, self-deprecating love-oriented song opens sparsely, with driving rhythmic guitars fueling Archie’s fire. Archuleta’s vocals are impeccable.  His tone is warm, and he sings with ease.  As the record progresses, the piano enters the mix, filling in the accompaniment. During the chorus, the sound becomes even fuller yet never overwhelming. Archuleta elevates his game during the chorus, asserting, “I would let you be skin on my skin / But I’d be damned if you ever  get in.” Why, David? Because “Staying in love isn’t one of my strengths / You should know before we get too far / I could give you the world, but I’ll never give you my heart.” Ooh-wee! Notably, the brief second verse features fuller production from the start. While Archie does the heavy lifting, background vocals accentuate the song.  Archie also delivers great ad-libs and riffing towards the end of the track. All in all, “Give You the World” is a radiant, well-rounded opener that sets the tone on Earthly Delights.

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“Crème Brulée”

“Oh, no, another man down / Another heart left on the dance floor / Took a bite, now he wants more.” David Archuleta quenches our thirst with the flirty, decadent ⭐️ “Crème Brulée”.  Not only does he sing his cute little ass off, but he also shows off his cuteness in a must-see music video. David penned “Crème Brulée” with Robyn Dell’Unto, and Ryan Nealon. Michael Blum produced it. He is confident and G-A-Y from the get-go, embracing himself unapologetically, with no strings attached.  See the second verse: “Poor you, won’t leave my bedroom / Your serotonin on the nightstand / I’m not even tryin’.” Yes, you read and heard right.  Our innocent David has had a boy over, and the pleasure was sweet as… The rush begins in the pre-chorus, with “three-word phrases, skipping stages,” and is fully realized in the centerpiece, the chorus:

“Oh, no, there goes all of your clothes

Speaking words, you don’t know

Yo te vuelvo loco, loco

Oh, no, you want me in slow-mo

Snap me like a photo

Yo te vuelvo loco, loco

I can’t help but you don’t wanna wait (Okay)

Now you’ve had a taste of crème brûlée (Yo sé)

Oh, no, there goes all of your clothes

Speaking words, you don’t know

Yo te vuelvo loco, loco.”

Archuleta is even finer, hearing him flirt and drop those Spanish bars.  His voice is top-notch.  He is accompanied by a sleek musical backdrop that ‘ups the ante’ of the sexiness. The “Crème Brulée” he serves up is tasty… and makes you feel things.

Appears in:

David Archuleta, Crème Brulée: Beaming with Pride 🏳️‍🌈 No. 25 (2025) Bops from 2025 That Make You Beam with Pride

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“Can I Call You”  

“Saw you standing there in a crowded room / I didn’t see anyone but you,” Archie asserts on ⭐️ “Can I Call You”. David is ‘taking action’: “I can see my shot and I’m gonna take it,” he asserts in the first verse. He is optimistic that “it’s more than a crush, maybe it’s love.” He makes our ears perk up with “Can I Call You,” which he co-wrote with Michael Blum and Noah Davis. Blum produced it.

“Can I call you? We don’t even need to talk

Don’t need no volume, you can listen to my heart

Boy, you’re the sweetest like peaches

Even if it’s just you breathing that’ll do, oh

Can I, can I, can I call you?

Can I call you?”

The first verse sets the tone.  The chorus, the centerpiece, lays it out there.  It’s giving a dedicated relationship and monogamy. Even as Archie notes, “‘Cause I’m missing your body” in the second verse, it’s in the context that they are exclusive and separated by distance (“Now you’re back in Atlanta, and I’m home in LA”).  If that’s not enough, you should hear him in the post-chorus: “In the morning, in the evening, in the middle of the night / ‘Cause I want you, no I need you (I need you, baby).” Ooh-wee, child! The longing! “Can I Call You” continues the liberation and maturation of Archuleta.  You buy what he’s selling on this sleekly produced, groovy pop ballad.  It’s sexy without being explicit.

Appears in:

David Archuleta, Can I Call You: Beaming with Pride 🏳️‍🌈 No. 40 (2025) Bops from 2025 That Make You Beam with Pride 15 Captivating Songs That Ask a Question (2025) 13 Songs Where YOU Are the Focus, Vol. 4 (2025)

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“Lucky”  

“And my mind, it goes blank / Every time you say my name,” Archuleta sings in the pre-chorus of ⭐️ “Lucky,” the splendid fourth track from Earthly Delights.  Our lover boy continues, “‘Cause it’s so surreal / that you know it.” In this sweet, compound duple meter, R&B ballad, David feels lucky to be with his baby (“I feel so lucky to be in this moment”)! In the chorus, he asserts, “And out of everyone that could’ve been / Here with me in this room / I can’t believe it’s / You, you, you.” Those yous, which appear at the back of the chorus (post-chorus-like), sound incredibly sweet.  Of course, Archie presents himself as a sweetheart.  Even the intimate moments on this song (“I can’t believe it’s you and me, under the sheets,” and “Use your hands to trace my body, take a picture of me”), and others from Earthly Delights feel tasteful even if they aren’t completely innocent.  With its strong musical underpinnings (namely, a gorgeous harmonic progression), thoughtful songwriting, and another magical vocal from Archuleta (some mean runs, folks), we, the audience, are the ones who are “Lucky” to be listening!

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“Home”

“I found a place I could stay for the very first time / When I looked in your eyes.” Ooh-wee! ⭐️ “Home” proves itself to be another strong track, specifically, the penultimate track from Earthly Delights. Warm block piano chords set the tone. Once more, Archuleta mesmerizes with his refined pipes. He sings authentically, dedicatedly, and sincerely. The melodies are marvelous, while the songwriting is sentimental – love, love, love, baby! The sensational chorus speaks to the power of love, comparing it to a feeling of home:

“‘Cause loving you is like coming home

Loving you is like coming home

All these years I’ve been on my own

But loving you is like coming home.”

Listening to “Home” makes you want to experience the same emotions that Archuleta does.  I love it when Archie breaks out the gospelized R&B runs, accompanied by ultra-sophisticated background vocals. “Home” certainly feels like home.

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“Dulce Amor”  

“You’re my favorite record, Joni Mitchell Blue / Wish I had a river, had a case of you.” What a stellar lyric, David Archuleta! It appears in the closing cut from Earthly Delights, ⭐️ “Dulce Amor.” Once again, Archie blesses us with a strong vocal performance. Better because of their presence, Archie wows the most during the chorus. In fact, his falsetto vocals during the chorus are among the sweetest of the EP.  The lyrics are S-W-E-E-T, too!

“You make life sweet

Make it complete

We got that dulce amor

I just want more

Of you every night (ah)

That good sugar high (High)

Give me that dulce amor (Dulce amor)

And I just want more.”

The self-described sinner is really feeling his lover.  In the second verse, he shares, “Barely made it upstairs / If we don’t leave this bed / All year I wouldn’t care.” Now that’s hot! No longer bitter, things are looking up for David! Amplifying “Dulce Amor” is the well-rounded, colorful production (drums and keyboard textures, etc.). Also, the contrast between chest and head voice shows off Archuleta’s versatility.  Dynamic way to end the album, period!

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The Verdict 👨🏾‍⚖️ 

So, how does Earthly Delights, a long-awaited EP from David Archuleta, stack up? Honestly, it’s strong from start to finish.  I’d argue that the opener, “Give You the World”, is my least favorite song, and yet, it is still a bop! Throughout, the vocals are on point, the lyrics are thoughtful, drenched in love and sex… tastefully, of course.  This EP is not the second coming of pop, mind you, but, if you need a cute 20-minute project to spin where the vocals are first class, look no further than Earthly Delights. Archie, you did that!

 

Song Picks ⭐️: “Crème Brulée”, “Can I Call You,” “Lucky,” “Home” & “Dulce Amor”

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David Archuleta » Earthly Delights » Archie Music » 8.15.25 [📷: Archie Music]

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