David Archuleta Retrospective Series Part Nineteen: Gotta Get Thru This

By Pamela Pike and Rosanne Simunovic

Pamela Pike’s Recollections

“Gotta Get Thru This” is a title of a song by artist Daniel Bedingfield. It was released November 26, 2001 as a single from his album of the same name. It was one of the biggest hits in the UK and went to number one on the UK singles chart in 2001 and 2002. It was also his most successful US single peaking at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Jazz is inspired by one’s passion, and its unique expression is drawn from life experiences and human emotion and David’s much loved jazzy cover of “Gotta Get Thru This” is pure genius. He being so young and giving his heart and soul to make this song come across is phenomenal; you feel every line he sings, he really means it.

There are those moments that David and listeners are so into the music that time itself seems to be suspended. He can evoke vulnerability with a real sense of grace.

GTT not only shows how good he is, but how his talent extends far beyond one genre. David can sing circles around anyone today. He has learned to create something all his own with his dynamic style, lush voice, versatility and good looks.

He has achieved acclaim for his rich voice, and presence as a live performer. He has a great stylistic range with his powerful bluesy singing which is soulful and classy.

His singing is brilliantly relaxed and his tenderness and fire leaves you wanting more. David’s voice and personality give you a flawless pitch every time with precise diction and phrasing.

Conveyed in a variety of ways David can interpret emotion in a way only he can with his natural gift from inside. His voice has a smooth and sophisticated resonance which can be bluesy and soulful with a depth in range that appears as if it comes in a direction from the soul.

He can croon a ballad and articulate it in a unique way. He can also be strong and sassy that seems to come out of another place of uniqueness.

His fusion of jazz and pop that makes this song all his own suggests that his enormous talent is still on a rising arc of creativity.

Rosanne Simunovic’s Recollections

Well, well, well! What have we here? David showing yet another side to his ever expanding genre base.

By now, I have listened to David sing many songs in many different genres. However, “Gotta Get Thru This” has impressed me in a very different way. And in a very good way.

The jazz-infused, almost reggae feel to this song challenges David to explore the musical depth of his artistry. This is a very sophisticated song, one that would lose momentum and meaning on an artist who does not understand or appreciate the complexity of the interpretive delivery.

However, in David, this song has found a new and very comfortable, albeit magnificent, home – one with lots of creative decor within the walls of its foundation.

This song fully allows David to tap into his musical genius, to dig very deep and squeeze every ounce of artistic vision and skill.

His imaginative and perceptive approach is so well suited for this multi-dimensional song composition. The jazz idiom is an extremely complex genre and it requires a singer who, not only possesses a stellar technical foundation, but also is not afraid to take risks.

And David totally understands this – he is so fully “in the moment” when he performs this song and never allows his artistic focus or attention to detail to waver.

I also love how he explores the depth of his vocal range – in the first half of this song, we hear the richness of his lower range, yet, as the song moves along, his range ascends to his gorgeous head voice register.

David really knows how to utilize and mix the head voice component throughout his range, adding just enough chest voice to give muscle and verve to his vocal timbre. That seamless vocal quality is what sets David apart from so many of the other artists in the music business. Plus the very fact that he has the courage, confidence and chops to sing live! Yes, live and faultless!

The lyrics in this song come alive because David is the consummate storyteller. His narrative approach draws the listener in and one cannot help but be moved by the expressive manner in which he communicates this song.

This performance is an exceptional tour de force and quite possibly one of the most masterful performances I have ever seen from David.

And, considering the fact that everything he touches with his vocal gift is transformed for the better, that is saying a lot wouldn’t you say?

David – this was a Masterclass Performance. Standing O all the way!