Samantha Diaz Subway

Samantha Diaz is back on the subway! Just Sam, the winner of the 18th season of American Idol, is back singing on the Subway.

Samantha Diaz reportedly announced the embarrassing news of her return to the subway on Instagram, according to People!

“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,” she reportedly wrote on Instagram.

Below is everything we have collated on Samantha Diaz – Just Sam’s return to the Subway.

Three years after winning American Idol, Samantha “Just Sam” Diaz has returned to performing in New York City subways.

Last month, the musician began sharing videos of herself singing in subway stations on Instagram and recently opened up about her journey since winning the hit competition series, noting that she was “super embarrassed” to let fans know she’s back to busking.

American Idol winner “Just Sam” is back performing in subway stations 3 years after win. pic.twitter.com/fqpZRKA4J1
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 23, 2023

Alongside a clip of herself singing Ariana Grande’s “Almost Is Never Enough” in a subway station, the 24-year-old performer explained her situation on May 1 in a since-deleted caption.

“Back in 2021, I was super embarrassed to be going back to the trains. 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,” wrote Diaz, according to The Sun.

“I was disappointed in myself for allowing myself to fall so low after winning Idol, but then I had to take it easy on me and remember that I started my journey with Idol at 20 years old. Not even knowing anything about Hollywood or the music industry,” the performer, who won season 18 of Idol in 2020 over runner-up Arthur Gunn, reportedly continued.

Diaz added, per the outlet, “Since then, I have learned so much and 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.”

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A post shared by Samantha Diaz (@samanthadiaz)

She 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.”

“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,” wrote Diaz, according to The Sun. “I never expected to win, but I did, I was so grateful and I know that people are feeling like I let them down.”

The musician reportedly admitted that she “used to feel like I let myself and everyone down too” but holds faith “that there’s more coming for me.”

“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,” wrote Diaz, per the outlet.

She added 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,” Diaz reportedly said.

“We didn’t know what to do with the win especially being that we had absolutely no help,” continued Idol winner about her journey on the series, per The Sun. “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.”

Samantha Diaz, who performed in NYC subways before auditioning for Idol in 2020, previously opened up via Instagram Stories about how she “ended up broke” after parting ways with Hollywood Records.

“I am making music,” said the performer last year, per Just Jared. “I just cannot afford to release music, because mixing and mastering music costs a lot of money. And I invested in myself and ended up broke. That’s the truth. Not broke, broke – like I’m living. I have my own place.”

At the time, she revealed that she left the label — which signed her in May 2020 after she won Idol — before releasing an album and owed money to the company.

“I’m not even going to tell you guys the amount of money that I had to pay after leaving the label to claim songs that I had already recorded,” she said. “I’m recording all the time or making music all the time, writing every day, doing what I have to do to survive.”

Culled from PEOPLE!

Wiki

Samantha Diaz (born November 23, 1998), known by their stage name Just Sam, is a singer-songwriter from Harlem, New York who rose to fame after winning the eighteenth season of the singing reality show American Idol.

Just Sam was born and raised in Harlem, New York. When they were six years old, their grandmother, Elizabeth, adopted Diaz and their sister, Anabelle, after their mother had been incarcerated.

They were the topic of a short documentary in 2018 called Sam, Underground, which was shot and produced by Joe Penney and Ladan Osman.

In the documentary, they explained that in high school, they were bullied for how they dressed, inspiring their “Just Sam” nickname.

Prior to appearing on American Idol, Samantha Diaz made a living singing in subway trains, and auditioned for America’s Got Talent and the American iteration of The Voice, but neither one came to fruition.

Just Sam auditioned for the eighteenth season of the singing reality show American Idol in Washington, D.C. on October 14, 2019.

After surviving Hollywood Week and making it into the Top 5, Just Sam received the most votes to win, and on May 17, 2020, Just Sam was crowned the winner of the eighteenth season of American Idol, beating runner-up Arthur Gunn.

After winning American Idol in May 2020, Just Sam signed with Hollywood Records, although this arrangement was short-lived.

Just Sam left the label without releasing any albums under them, explaining in 2022, “I thought it was gonna be easy. Just go to the studio, record, put out music, 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.”

Just Sam had to pay Hollywood Records to claim the music they recorded with the label, stating that they “ended up broke” in the process, but that they planned to release music “when I can and when it’s ready.”

On March 13, 2021, Just Sam released “Africando,” their first single since American Idol, which they wrote with a co-songwriter named Cat Clark and released with the help of independent digital music service DistroKid.

On September 28, 2021, Just Sam released a second independent single called “Change,” which they wrote and recorded with Cat Clark. Just Sam dedicated the song to family members and friends who were murder victims.

In a May 19, 2020 interview with Chuck Arnold of the New York Post, Just Sam stated, “I am a child of God, so that’s always gonna come first. That’s actually the only label that I ever want to have. But I like what I like, and that’s just that, you know? And it’s not men. Like, at all.”

On August 24, 2022, Just Sam was admitted to the hospital for an undisclosed illness. Diaz’s weight dropped to 100 pounds.

On August 26, Diaz posted an update confirming, “I’m doing much better now.”

Just Sam goes by singular ‘they’ pronouns.

Culled from Wikipedia

Samantha Diaz American Idol

Season 18 winner of American Idol, Samantha Diaz (Just Sam), revealed on their Instagram Story they had recently been hospitalized. While Diaz did not disclose the reason for the hospitalization, they were reportedly admitted earlier this week and have since returned home.

In an Instagram Story posted on Wednesday, August 24, Diaz said, “Thank you to everyone that checked on me. I am ALIVE and out of the hospital.” On Friday, August 26, the singer posted a photo of a scale in a medical room with the caption, “100lbs is crazyyy … I seriously need help.”

Diaz has since been released from the hospital, saying in another Instagram Story post, “I’m grateful for the prayers everyone. I’m doing much better now,” per TMZ.

The 23-year-old was the winner of the third season of the new iteration of American Idol on ABC, which took place via Zoom during the coronavirus pandemic. When they were crowned the winner, Diaz said, “Can I thank America now? My dreams have come true. My grandmother has been saying that she doesn’t believe that people like us can have their dreams come true. This is proof to her!”

“I kept on pushing, kept on singing and look where it’s brought me,” the singer continued. “I hope to inspire all the little girls who believe their dreams can’t come true. Anyone can do it.”

Born in Harlem in 1998, Diaz got their start singing on the subway to make ends meet. They continue to share videos of their subway and other performances on their Instagram and TikTok accounts.

Hopefully, Diaz is now healed and can continue using their beautiful voice to bring joy to all their fans.

Culled from TV Insider