He's got a sense of phrasing beyond his years, I'd say (heard in his 'Imagine' verses, too):
By the way, I disagree with Simon. Compare the Williams version (below) and you can hear the diction - the communication - is clearer from Robbie, in the early part. It's true, the words 'get out there'. But Archuleta's phrasing is more interesting - or at least unique and not distracting.
Listen to David go up on "old" and "wings unfold", where Robbie just sonorously powers through, for instance. Usually I prefer the less ornate approach, but Archuleta's version helps to punctuate the end of the phrase. He also shows patience. He doesn't rush the four, very rhythmic bits just before the soaring, "and through it aaaaaaaall":
Just to be fair, David tries to take on "wherever it may take me", but "it" is a hard vowel to hit hard, so the idea is good but it loses a bit too much power (becomes jarring). He also takes on "won't", another word that doesn't quite carry the weight he wants to put on it, right? Unless you like Robbie's punching of "take me" and "break me", this is a problem with song construction, mostly, I guess. Although, two "wrongs" seem to make a right in the Archuleta version, because the ear hears and then forgives, because of the parallel construction/execution, I think.
