forbes.com: David Archuleta Headlines First Ever Forbes Holiday Concert | x

The Forbes building has been quite an eventful place of late. Had you walked into the lobby yesterday afternoon, for instance, you might have witnessed rapper Mac Miller’s chance encounter with Steve Forbes.

And had you stopped by the fourth floor newsroom on December 2nd, you’d have noticed perhaps an even more unusual scene: 60 reporters, editors, producers, salespeople and technologists gathered in a circle, watching a live performance by David Archuleta (see videos above and below).

The former American Idol star dropped by to play a handful of Christmas songs and talk about the business of holiday music. Archuleta knows plenty about both–he released a holiday album of his own, Christmas From The Heart, in 2009; this year, he’s featured on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s Glad Christmas Tidings.

Holiday music, of course, is a big business. Michael Buble’s Christmas has already sold over 1 million copies, spending the past three weeks atop the charts. Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber both pitched in with holiday albums of their own this year. For his part, Archuleta has been spreading cheer on the road, grossing $43,000 per night according to concert data provider Pollstar. But when I interviewed him, his mind didn’t seem to be on money.

“I feel like there’s something special about Christmas music,” he said. “You’re able to put your heart into it a different way than with other, just pop, stuff.”

Perhaps the earnestness of his tone convinced me, or maybe the string of lights adorning a nearby cubicle wall played to my sentimental side, but I believed him. Judging by the reactions of my colleagues bunched throughout the room, they believed him, too. After all, Archuleta had initially agreed to a simple interview. Though an impromptu performance was a lot more work, he happily accepted when I suggested the experiment.

As his voice rang through the room, accompanied by only a keyboardist–and, at one point, a cappella–dozens of faces lit up with wonder. A singer was giving away music, and a news organization was hosting a concert. Why was any of this happening?

A better question: Why not? The old business model is dying, both in journalism and for music. If there wasn’t room for moments like this in the past, good riddance. I can’t wait to see what else the new model will bring.

EW.com: ‘American Idol’: 30 All-Time Best Performances

As season 10 nears end, here’s our nominees of Hall of Fame moments that keep us coming back for more, from Carly Smithson’s ”Blackbird” to David Cook’s ”Hello” to four from this season — and our No. 1!

10. David Archuleta, “Imagine”

Imagine a 17-year-old with a robotic ability to sing every single note perfectly on pitch, and you’ve got season 7’s David Archuleta. But, for his performance of the John Lennon classic, David focused less on precision and more on passion, conveying a political message with an emotional connection uncharacteristic of someone with his amount of youthful naïveté. (Which almost made the message all the more touching.) Oh, and, of course, he sang it perfectly.

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tvsquad.com: ‘American Idol’ 10 of the Competition’s Freshes Faces

With the age requirement lowered to 15, ‘American Idol’ is all about discovering young talent ripe for the picking this season.

But ‘Idol’ has always had a knack for uncovering fresh-faced talent, as evidenced by these 10 young superstars who’ve proven that you’re never too young to start wailing on a little ‘Dreamgirls.’ (We’re looking at you, David Archuleta!)
 
Here are our picks for ‘American Idol”s 10 freshest faces and a look back at their places in ‘Idol’ history.

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David Archuleta
Age: 17
Season: 7
Fresh Factor: Despite the immense pressures of performing live on a nationally televised competition (with an overbearing stage Dad to boot), babyfaced David Archuleta made it to the top — only to lose the ‘Idol’ crown to David Cook after “owning” the finale, according to Simon Cowell, with a trio of amazing performances.
Choice Cut: ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon

buddytv.com: The ‘American Idol’ Honor Roll: The Best of Vegas and The Beatles

Excerpt:

The Beatles and American Idol: It’s an affair we can never avoid. No, I don’t mean it as a bad thing: those Liverpudlians have made some of the best songs we’ve ever heard, and some of the most memorable performances on Idol were of those songs. (Case in point: season 7′s back-to-back Beatle-themed weeks, resulting in David Cook’s “Eleanor Rigby” and David Archuleta’s “Imagine.” Yes, I know, it’s not a Beatles song, but it counts.)

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Jennifer Lopez on Rachey Ray says David’s Imagine was one of the best performances on TV ever