Just Sam

Just Sam
Birth name	Samantha Diaz
Born	(1998-11-23)November 23, 1998 New York City, New York
Genres	R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	2019–present
Labels	Hollywood

Samantha Diaz(born November 23, 1998), known by theirstage nameJust Sam,is a singer-songwriter fromHarlem,New York, who rose to fame after winning theeighteenth seasonof the singing reality showAmerican Idol.

Early life

Just Sam was born and raised inHarlem,New York. When they were six years old, their grandmother, Elizabeth, adopted Diaz and their sister, Anabelle, after their mother had been incarcerated.Just Sam was the topic of a short documentary in 2018 calledSam, Underground,which was shot and produced by Joe Penney and Ladan Osman. In the documentary, Just Sam stated that in high school, they were bullied for how they dressed, inspiring their "Just Sam" nickname.

Prior to appearing onAmerican Idol,Just Sam made a living singing andbuskingin subway trains,and auditioned forAmerica's Got Talentandthe American iteration ofThe Voice,but neither one came to fruition.

American Idol

Just Sam auditioned for theeighteenth seasonof the singing reality showAmerican Idolin 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 ofAmerican Idol,beating runner-upArthur Gunn.

Just Sam's victory was notable as having occurred during the nascent months of theCOVID-19 pandemic;due to the pandemic, the show's production was initially suspended in March. The pandemic ultimately required the show to film remotely. While most remaining contestants performed remotely from their homes, rather than returning to their grandmother's home in New York City, Just Sam opted to remain in a rented apartment inLos Angeles,which was where most of their own live performances were filmed. The announcement of the winner was also filmed remotely and marked the first time the winner ofAmerican Idolwas announced virtually.

Performances:

Week	Theme	Song(s)	Original artist(s)
Audition	Auditioner's Choice	"Rise Up"	Andra Day
Hollywood Week, Round 1	Contestant's Choice	"Hearts Ain't Gonna Lie"	Arlissa
Hollywood Week, Round 2	Duet	"Mercy"(with Sheniel Masionet)	Shawn Mendes
Hollywood Week, Round 3	Contestant's Choice	"I'm Here"	Cynthia Erivo
Top 40	Showcase Round inKapolei, Hawaii	"Como la Flor"	Selena
Top 20	Contestant's Choice	"I Believe"	Fantasia
Top 11	Homeword Bound	"Grandma's Hands"	Bill Withers
Top 7	DisneyNight	"A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"	fromCinderella
	Mother's Day	"I Turn to You"	All-4-One
Top 5 / Finale	Contestant's Choice	"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"	Kelly Clarkson
		"Rise Up"	Andra Day

Non-competition performances:

Collaborator(s)	Song	Original artist
Lauren Daigle	"You Say"	Lauren Daigle
Cynthia Erivo&American IdolTop 11	MedleyofAretha Franklin songs	Aretha Franklin
Lionel Richie&American IdolTop 11	"We Are the World"	Michael Jackson& Lionel Richie

Post-Idol

After winningAmerican Idolin May 2020,Just Sam signed withHollywood Recordsfor a short period of time before they left the label without releasing any albums under it, 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 sinceAmerican Idol,which they wrote with a co-songwriter named Cat Clark and released with the help of independent digital music serviceDistroKid.

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

In 2023, Just Sam revealed that they had to return to busking in New York City's subways, three years after their win onAmerican Idol.Just Sam stated that their return to busking was out of necessity: "If I ever went back to the trains, I didn't expect it to be something that I had to do. I felt like it would be something that I did for fun, you know, relive an old moment or memory, you know? But I literally could not afford to pay my rent. I couldn't afford to eat."Their situation bolstered scrutiny towards reality talent shows, includingAmerican IdolandThe Voice,for the lack of support reality talent shows provide to their contestants following their seasons' conclusions.Afterwards, rapperLil Durkand producer/rapperTimbalandoffered support to Just Sam, with the latter featuring Just Sam performing live on a post on hisTikTokpage.

In late 2023, Just Sam signed a deal with the CrowdMGMT management company and got a new agent through the company.

On April 28, 2024, Just Sam was a guest performer onAmerican Idol,performing a cover of "One Moment in Time"byWhitney Houston.The performance marked the first time Just Sam performed on theAmerican Idolstage since their victory in 2020.

Personal life

In a May 19, 2020, interview with Chuck Arnold of theNew 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 bysingular 'they'pronouns.

Discography

Singles

Year	Title	Album
2020	"Rise Up"(Performance Version)	Non-album single(released byHollywood Records)
2021	"Africando"	Non-album single(released bySamantha DiazthroughJust Sam Entertainment)
2021	"Change"
2022	"Safe N Sound"
	"Pain is Power"
	"Question"