Hannah Montana features singer David Archuleta in season 3, episode 14, “Promma Mia”, where the musical pair sing a duet. A classic of Disney Channel original programming, Hannah Montana was most people’s first introduction to Miley Cyrus as Miley Stewart, who sang under her stage name (and stage wig) “Hannah Montana”. Pop superstar by night, normal teenager by day, Hannah Montana had a brilliant premise for a kids’ TV show and was fortunate to land a star who has as much singing talent as she does comedic timing.

The series featured many cameos from notable music personalities, including Cyrus’ real-life dad, Billy Ray, who played her father, Robby Ray. One of these stars to appear was American Idol season 7 runner-up David Archuleta. Archuleta came to national attention thanks to his crowd-pleasing performances on the the singing competition series. The Hannah Montana episode came out a year after Archuleta’s run on the series, around the time he released his second studio album, Christmas from the Heart, an album of classic Christmas song covers. He and Cyrus are an excellent pairing, making “Promma Mia” a memorable episode.

In this episode, a geeky student asks Miley Stewart to the prom. First annoyed, Miley says yes after realizing he won’t be able to go if she doesn’t accept. However, when the opportunity to sing with David Archuleta arrives, she ditches her date, only for her conscience to get the better of her. Miley and Archuleta do get to sing one song, however: “I Wanna Know You”. This poppy anthem has a very catchy synchronization between Archuletta and Cyrus’ voices that works well together. Trumpets lay down a powerful and modern beat that elevates the tune.

Archuleta does not do much more than sit in the studio to sing alongside Miley, but he’s gracious when she announces she has to cut their recording short to go to the prom. “I Wanna Know You” was originally recorded by Cyrus alone for Hannah Montana season 1 but was then re-recorded as a duet for Archuleta’s appearance. Both songs can be found on the show’s third soundtrack, Hannah Montana 3.

Since his appearance on Hannah Montana, David Archuleta has continued making music, releasing his eighth studio album, Therapy Sessions, in 2020. In 2021, Archuleta publicly came out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. He says he wrestled with his Mormon upbringing and sexual identity for a long time before revealing it to the world. Though he doesn’t claim to offer any solutions to those experiencing a similar struggle, he still felt it was important to share.

A few years later, Archuleta made his way onto The Masked Singer, appearing in season 9 of the show as “Macaw” and once again earning second place. From American Idol to Hannah Montana to The Ma