David Archuleta Talks Baleadas & ‘Warm Me Up’ | Takeout and Talk
David Archuleta is living his Miley Cyrus fantasy.
I say that because the singer literally just hopped off a plane at LAX, much like the lyrics to Miley’s pop anthem ‘Party in the USA.’ A mere hour after touching down, he’s already touching bases with me over a much-needed meal.
In keeping with his heritage, Archuleta orders a traditional Honduran breakfast plate from La Ruta Catracha in the San Fernando Valley. It comes with egg, cheese, avocado, beans, plátano maduro and a side of crema. That doesn’t compete, however, with the massive baleada he’s also ordered, which looks like an absolute triumph of a treat. And to wash it all down, an iced horchata de morro.
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He says his choice is an homage to his mother, whose recipes and dishes (e.g. caldo, carne con papas) helped shape his early love of food.
“[Food] is one of the things that brings you comfort,” Archuleta said. “It's one of the things that helps you remember that you're in a place of safety because it's a place that you're being nurtured and taken care of.”
As for me, I chose to be nurtured today by a fried egg sandwich from Vive La Tarte here in San Francisco, pairing it with an iced latte.
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(Oh, you know, just two queer-identified men with their iced beverages in the middle of fall - the cultural meme continues!)
Speaking of seasons, Archuleta is about to become a winter sensation with the Oct. 30 release of his latest holiday album – his third in this genre – called ‘Warm Me Up.’ Then on Nov. 28, he’s hitting the road and embarking on the corresponding ‘Warm Me Up Holiday Tour,’ taking him to 14 cities across North America like a Honduran-American Santa Claus.
Perhaps it’s only fitting that the tour begins in Utah, where Archuleta grew up and spent most of his childhood. It’s the backdrop of his acclaimed memoir Devout, which, among other sensitive themes, documents his complicated journey navigating the Church of Latter Day Saints as a young person questioning his sexuality.
Archuleta, who battled much speculation about his identity since first appearing on American Idol in 2007, officially came out as queer in 2021. It was a couple years after that he chose to officially leave Mormonism, a religion he says taught him early on that homosexuality and queerness were “punishable” behaviors.
“In order to continue on to the next chapter of my life and to allow myself to grow the way I know I need to into my adulthood, I have to be willing to let go of some of these beliefs that I allowed to shape how I perceived my world,” Archuleta said. “I couldn't hold on to them and grow into the person that I needed to become.”
Of course, part of the complication of figuring out who he needed to become came from his early experiences with fame. David was still a teenager when he placed second on Idol – he’s now 35. It’s been nearly two decades of him receiving both internal and external messages about who he’s meant to be in life.
“You know, they all love who you are, but you don't know who you are yet. So you're kind of like, who are they in love with?”
But it’s clear that his fans are in love with his voice, his authentic performance style, and his continued work at dazzling them with his showmanship. In case you didn’t know, he calls that version of himself ‘Archie.’
“I kind of look at it like, I’m Archie onstage. And then I’m David when I’m not onstage,” Archuleta said. “And I feel like, because I’m getting to know myself in a more full way, I have more say of who I can become and what elements of me I get to explore.”
“[Archie is] more sensual. I’m not going to lie, David on a day-to-day basis isn’t as sexy and sensual and confident and wants everyone to look at him the way he does when he’s onstage. Because I have something prepared to offer to people when I’m there.”
And he’s prepared to turn folks attending his ‘Warm Me Up Holiday Tour’ into true David Archuleta fans, telling me that there will be “fun, little treats” for them when they arrive. He admits that he loves creating music tied to this time of year because it allows everyone to feel like a kid again and to relish in the joyous moments.
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And after an incredible 2026 chock full of professional accomplishments (including the release of additional music like the ‘Love For Free’ single), Archuleta is definitely having a “moment.”
“I feel like that's my biggest role as a singer and as an artist is to be a connector of humanity in whatever small way I can.”