"Works for Me" came as a bonus track on the Walmart version of David Archuleta, and "Somebody Out There" was exclusive to those who pre-ordered the album on iTunes.

"[15] Ken Barnes of USA Today gave the album a positive review saying, "On American Idol runner-up David Archuleta's first, self-titled album, the 17-year-old singer delivers a non-stop succession of polite pop songs swathed in gauzy cotton-candy textures and catchy choruses.

The New York Times writes "(Archuleta) has a lovely, foggy R&B voice out of scale with his small body".

"[16] Los Angeles Times wrote "The record is larded with awkward modernist R&B, Christian semaphore ballads like 'You Can' and warm-milk mewling that makes David Cook, Archuleta's "Idol" foe, sound like Robert Plant".

[11] The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart (issue of November 29, 2008), with sales of 183,000 copies in the United States, behind Fearless by Taylor Swift.