 On his American Idol " Fast Facts " page , Archuleta cited his musical influences as Natalie Cole , Stevie Wonder , Kirk Franklin and Bryan Adams . Like Elliott Yamin and another singer he admires , John Mayer , Archuleta tries to infuse his pop selections with a soulful vibe . In a Seventeen interview , he cited Sara Bareilles as a clever singer @-@ songwriter whom he looks up to . 
