American Idol winner Just Sam reassures fans after being spotted busking on subway

Just three years after winning American Idol, Just Sam has had to respond to fans after they were spotted busking in the subway.

It’s not uncommon for videos to come out of singers performing on the streets and in the subway. But usually, those clips are throwbacks from before the artist makes it big time.

And yet it seems to have now happened in reverse for Samantha Diaz, who is more commonly known as Just Sam.

The 24-year-old blew judges and viewers away in the 2020 series of American Idol, before going on to win the singing competition.

Beating Arthur Gunn, the singer rose to national fame and even landed a record deal with Hollywood Records.

Sadly though, it didn’t quite work out so fairy-tale like for Just Sam as they left the label before even recording their first song.

They were then left with financial struggles after they said they even had to pay the label to retain copyright of songs they’d already recorded with them.

So, in the hopes of making some cash, Just Sam has resorted to busking on the New York City subway.

Just Sam regularly shares videos of their busking performances to Instagram, with one of themself singing Beyoncé’s ‘If I Were a Boy’ on the subway, complete with a microphone, speaker and shoe box for busking money.

Instagram/@samanthadiaz

But they’re urging fans to ‘be patient’ with them, promising it’s not the end of their singing story.

In a since edited caption, they wrote: “I know that it makes a lot of people sad and many people are confused by me going back to busking for money, but please don’t worry. This is only part of the story; not the end of it."

They added that even in the past two weeks, they’ve had ‘a lot of people’ showing them love and ‘reaching out’ to support their journey.

Just Sam concluded the caption and message to fans with a rather defiant: “In the meantime, I ask you all to just be patient with me because God is NOT through with me yet!!”

ABC

Fans have continued to flood the comments of their posts with message of support like: “You are enough and you are doing enough. Sending love.”

Others even revealed: “I visit NY for work a few times a year. I pray every time I walk into the subway I will see you. You are exactly where you are meant to be.. it's all in Gods timing.”

And one wrote: “I know your time is coming. I have been supporting you since your audition. I’m still rocking with you.”

Previous posts by Just Sam of their busking performances promise there is ‘more coming from me’.