The show calls itself “the search for a superstar,” but it doesn’t always create one. Former American Idol winner, Just Sam, is striving to make a comeback after winning the competition in 2020. Speaking to TMZ, the non-binary performer admitted to returning to subway busking to eat and pay bills. Sam believed American Idol would be a fast track to fame and fortune. However, winning the competition at the start of COVID was a hurdle for the singer. The pandemic made getting into the studio and recording next to impossible. Glossing over and blindly signing contracts also caused problems. The show has produced major personalities like Kelly Clarkson and Broadway and movie stars like Fantasia Barrino. Sadly, Just Sam hasn’t been so lucky.
Just Sam’s ‘American Idol’ Victory Isn’t the Only Letdown From the Show
Just Sam isn’t the only American Idol winner whose victory meant very little. Many Idol winners have failed to stay in the spotlights after their wins. Meanwhile, some of the most successful American Idol contestants didn’t even make the top three. Kris Allen won the competition in 2009, but his runner-up Adam Lambert regularly performs with Queen.
Season five favorite Chris Daughtry came in fourth place, but he’s released albums that have reached gold and platinum status. David Archuleta was recently the runner-up on The Masked Singer and is releasing a new album. And while Jennifer Hudson may have come in eighth place in season three, she went on to be an Oscar winner, Grammy winner, and talk show host. As Just Sam has learned from the American Idol experience, fame is a complicated and ironic industry.
At the moment, it appears that Just Sam is proving to be yet another American Idol winner that didn’t achieve what the show promised. However, the singer is eager to make a comeback with a few collaborations in the works.
