The season 18 winner of the hit singing competition show reveals that she's forced to return to singing at New York City subway stations with a white donation box with her to make money.
- May 24, 2023
AceShowbiz - Life isn't always easy for Just Sam despite winning "American Idol" three years ago. The season 18 winner of the hit singing competition show reveals that she's forced to return to singing at New York City subway stations to make money.
Sam has been sharing on her Instagram account videos of her singing at subway stations with a white donation box with her. She also opened up about her journey since launching to stardom on "American Idol" back in 2020.
"Back in 2021, I was super embarrassed to be going back to the trains," Sam wrote in a now-deleted Instagram comment, per The Sun. "I didn't want people to know that I legit needed the money. I didn't want people to know that it wasn't optional."
Sam went on to admit that she "was disappointed in [herself] for allowing [herself] to fall so low after winning Idol." She added, "But then I had to take it easy on me and remember that I started my journey with Idol at 20 years old."
Of her post-"American Idol" journey, the singer explained, "I have learned so much. I've been able to take my experiences and share them with other artists in hopes that they don't experience the same things that I did when It comes to making it in This life."
Sam reportedly noted that her season of "Idol" occurring in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic left her in a state of uncertainty about the future, but she "was ready and waiting for whatever it was." She divulged, "Everyone wants to know what happened and why this or why that & I will answer those questions someday, but in the meantime I'll say this. I never expected to win, but I did, I was so grateful and I know that people are feeling like I let them down."
"I know that everything happens for a reason and I know that this too shall pass no matter what things may look like right now," Sam allegedly said, adding that her grandmother, who knows "absolutely nothing about the music industry," is her main guidance and support system. "All she knows is how to listen and call out a good singer when she hears one," she noted.
"We didn't know what to do with the win especially being that we had absolutely no help," the "American Idol" alum continued, before concluding, "There are people who have had more success than me and good for them I'm happy for them, but I am not them. I don't like my situation, but it won't be this forever."
After winning "American Idol", Sam reportedly parted ways with Hollywood Records and had tried releasing music without help from a label. "I thought it was gonna be easy, just go to the studio, record, put out music," the "Question" singer wrote on Instagram Stories back in January 2022. "And that's not how the world works. That's not how the industry works. It takes time, it takes money that I don't have. It takes patience."
"I have people who are helping me. I'm putting out music when I can and when it's ready," Sam said. "It's just hard because I'm coming out of pocket and I have bills to pay. And American Idol is not going to pay my bills. Lionel Richie's not going to pay my bills. Katy Perry's not going to pay my bills. Luke Bryan is not going to pay my bills. I have to pay my rent. I have to make sure that I'm eating every day, which is hard to do."
