I Am Who I Am

American Idol’s David Hernandez is releasing a re-imagined version of the title track from his first EP, I Am Who I Am.  The new version has been shortened to “I AM,” but still tells the story of David’s earlier years, growing up in a broken home among family members struggling with substance abuse, all while being bullied in school for his differences.  “I was listening to that old record, going down the memory lane of my life and career, remembering that young kid who was scared yet somehow had the audacity to chase his dream on national TV,” David Hernandez reflects today.    “It occurred to me how much I still relate to him.” It got David to thinking: what if he re-recorded the track and revamped it for the modern era, as a nod to all that he has been through since? He reached out to the producer of that first EP, Alex Teamer, and within a few days, they had a new version of the song.  

“So much of what I sang about in my first album still rings true today,” David Hernandez continues from his Los Angeles home.  “I’ve worked so hard to overcome the traumas of my childhood, and by the grace of God, I have managed to heal so much of my past pain, but I would be lying if I said that some days weren’t still a struggle.  I think I will always be discovering who I am until my dying day. There’s a beauty in that.”

The new version of “I AM” is an anthemic pop song, with David’s powerful vocals amplified by the addition of orchestral strings, piano, and drums.  Like the original, it delivers hints of soul and R&B but the new version adds major and minor chords throughout that produce a sense of push and pull, reminiscent of the emotional tugs many people battle on their journey to self-discovery. There is also a huge climatic chorus and an ending choir that takes listeners to church with a spiritual experience meant to drive home the feelings of hope and redemption.

The music video, co-produced and directed by David Hernandez and Johny D. and shot in Burbank at Stage 35, echoes the sentiment of the song.  It opens with David, the music star, about to perform on stage, greeted by applause and adulation from screaming fans while at the same time, facing an onslaught of criticism and homophobia from the media.  The pressure is intense and an emotionally beaten David Hernandez wonders, “Who am I?”.  A polaroid image of David as an adorable child in a Mickey Mouse shirt is depicted on a screen and then we see an all grown up David in that same Mickey Mouse shirt as he looks back at pivotal moments of his life and career.

“I remember the initial excitement of stardom when I thought it was all cheering crowds and fancy clothes,” David says.  “But pretty quickly, the doubts crept it along with the questions:  Is this it? Is this me? Did I hit my goal? Have I realized my dreams? Why do I feel so empty?”

In the video, Hernandez finally loses control, ripping his costume off and trashing his dressing room.  He walks out to an empty set, in complete silence and loneliness, left to his own thoughts.  There is no crowd. There are no distractions. No one is there to lean on.  Only him. 

David Hernandez gained national attention as a Top 12 finalist on American Idol. Since then, his talents have been showcased on notable platforms like The Ellen Show, The Today Show, MTV's TRL, and TV Guides' Sexiest Stars.   He even performed at the Inaugural Kick-Off Celebration ball for Barack Obama alongside renowned artists John Legend and Maroon 5. 

In his music, David draws inspiration from legends like Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Whitney Houston, Donnie Hathaway, Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, and Michael Jackson. He writes and produces his own original music.  One of David's notable hits, "Beautiful," made its way to the Top 100 of the Billboard Dance charts, with its music video becoming a viral sensation. In the past year, he has released several self-produced songs and music videos including "Sorry," "Kingdom," and the infectious summer anthem "Boomerang." 

 

David also recently completed a successful 8-month residency in the Off-Broadway musical comedy Naked Boys Singing, for which he won the Broadway World Award for "Best Performer in a Musical."

 

His latest album, Don’t @ Me, is available on all digital platforms.  It includes the hit singles "Vices" and "When it Rains, it Pours”.  The album’s title claps back at critics who publicly outed him for being gay and for being a former stripper.   “They still don’t realize how much their words have scarred me,” David says today.

 

He understands he is not alone in his mental health struggles and often hears from fans who are facing their own hardships.  “It’s why I never want to sugarcoat things in my music,” he explains.  “I hate when people act like their life has been a breeze. That's not how life works. Sometimes it's incredible and other times it is really f-ing hard. But no matter how hard it gets, it’s important to remember that we all have the strength and ability to push through our pain and turn it into triumph.”

 

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Kingdom: The Mixtape

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David Hernandez

Prick up your eyes & ears, it's time for some David Hernandez!

American Idol’s David Hernandez has released his highly anticipated second studio album Kingdom: the Mixtape through his own label.  Self-produced and recorded in various home studios in Los Angeles, California — proving artists don’t need fancy studios to make a great record anymore — Kingdom: the Mixtape is David’s first full album release since 2011’s I Am Who I Am.  The record displays a fresh sound for Hernandez and includes collaborations with fellow American Idol Blake Lewis and the Grammy winning producer of Black Eyed Peas, Printz Board.  The music video for the album’s first single, “Shield (Coat of Armor)” is available now on Youtube.  Kingdom: the Mixtape is available on all digital platforms including iTunes, Spotify, Pandora and Tidal.

“I’ve been sitting on most of this material for years, waiting for the right time to release it,” says David Hernandez of his new album, Kingdom: the Mixtape.   “I’ve listened to too many people’s opinions about when to release, how, what images and content are appropriate… I was just over listening to what other people think I should do.  One day I finally stepped back and realized I had a great body of work that deserves to be heard, now.”

In Kingdom: the Mixtape, David Hernandez delivers 20 original tracks plus a cappella versions of “Kingdom” and “Where Love Begins” as well as a bonus cover of Hailee Steinfeld’s “Starving,” featuring YouTube star Rajiv Dhall.    Many of the songs reflect on the heartbreaks and loss Hernandez has experienced over the last decade since rising to fame on American Idol. They explore his rebuilding trust and love, his refusal to give up, his persistence to change for the better and to grow as a human.  Other songs touch on forgiveness, joy and fun because as David explains, “Life isn’t always that serious and sometimes you just wanna let go and rage!”

From Pop to R&B, with influences of soul, no one song on Kingdom: the Mixtape is the same.  The title track, produced by Mikal Blue (Jason Mraz, Colbie Caliet, One Republic) is a mid-tempo power ballad that soars with electric guitars, triumphant drums and a grand piano.   “Beautiful” produced by Mark Grilliot, is a pop anthem while “Last Supper” and “Animal,” produced by Printz Board, are beat driven dance numbers. 

Then there’s “Break,” an introspective mid-tempo song, produced by Alex Teamer, where David Hernandez opens up about his struggles with addiction.  “I wrote the song at a time when I was drinking a lot and popping Xanax. It was an awful time. We were being evicted from our apartment and everything was going to shit. I ended up in rehab and eventually got clean of prescription drugs and life became much better.”

He admits it is a daily struggle that he prefers to battle privately but felt compelled to put the song on the mixtape because prescription drug addition has become an epidemic among youth. “Young people are dying and committing suicide.  They need to know there is help,” he says.

David Hernandez began singing at age six, starring in musicals and performing with various theatre companies. At fifteen, he started writing original music and recording his arrangements.  In addition to American Idol, he has showcased his talents on The Ellen Show, The Today Show, MTV’s TRL, EXTRA, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Teen Choice Awards, Idol Tonight, FOX-TV’s Idol Gives Back.  He was also named among TV Guides’ Sexiest Stars.

At the start of his recording career, Hernandez was signed to a major music label but couldn’t meet the high expectations of its executives. “Labels were always telling me to be me but then expected me to fit their mold of what David Hernandez was supposed to be.  It was impossible.  I felt powerless and lived in constant fear that I would get dropped.”

His feelings about the music industry are reflected in the cover art for  Kingdom: the Mixtape.  It depicts a crown, symbolizing David and his music, being held by a robotic hand:  the music industry.  It is intended to illustrate an industry that is fake and how it holds and controls an artist’s work and career. 

“I hope listeners hear a piece of my soul in Kingdom: the Mixtape,” David Hernandez wraps up.  “I hope they get where I am coming from, really see me for who I am, and that they, too, can relate to the songs. I want the Mixtape to be healing, enlightening, and revelrous.”