American Idol 2020 winner Just Sam says she was “super embarrassed” after returning to busking for money
Early this year, reports emerged that Samantha “Just Sam” Diaz—the singer who won American Idol in 2020—had taken a job as a barista at a New York City Starbucks and was once again singing in the subway to earn cash. Video clips showed her in uniform, singing on her breaks, and other short performances captured underground, a far cry from the high-profile stages associated with reality-show victors.
After her Idol victory, Sam signed with Hollywood Records and 19 Recordings, but she never released music through that partnership. She has indicated in public comments that she bought out of her contract and that the separation left her facing financial strain. In recent posts, she’s opened up about what it felt like to return to busking and how difficult that period was for her personally and professionally.
In a candid social-media caption accompanying a video of herself performing underground, Sam admitted she was ashamed at first to be back on the trains. She described how hard it was to tell people she legitimately needed the money and that performing in public again wasn’t a choice but a necessity as she navigated life after Idol.
“I was super embarrassed”
“Back in 2021, I was super embarrassed to be going back to the trains,” she wrote. “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. 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.”
Sam notes she entered Idol with little knowledge of the music industry. The years since have taught her many hard lessons, and she says she now uses her experiences to warn and advise other artists so they won’t repeat the same mistakes she made while trying to build a career in music.
Her season of American Idol was also uniquely challenging. The show’s 2020 cycle coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which interrupted production soon after the Hollywood rounds. When the competition resumed, many performances and interactions were remote. Sam spent much of the contest isolated in an apartment in Los Angeles, separated from most of the usual support network of producers, industry representatives, and the community of contestants.
“I was very much unsure of what was going to come,” she wrote. “For a few months after winning I was unsure of what was next, but I was ready and waiting for whatever it was.”
“I never expected to win”
Sam has said she never expected to take the title. She told followers that she understands some fans feel disappointed and that she has at times felt she let people down. Despite that, she draws strength from her faith and from family, and remains convinced that her journey is not over.
“I’m not like any other contestant that has ever had a chance to be a part of the American Idol production… my grandmother is who I have and who I have always had and she knows absolutely nothing about the music industry. All she knows is how to listen and call out a good singer when she hears one,” Sam wrote, underscoring how different her background is from many performers who have access to industry mentors or established networks.
“We didn’t know what to do with the win”
She admits that, after winning, she and her family didn’t have the guidance they needed to capitalize on the opportunity. “We didn’t know what to do with the win especially being that we had absolutely no help. There are people who have had more success than me and good for them. I’m happy for them, but I am not them. The cards in my hands don’t look like anyone else’s which is fine because I have GOD. I don’t like my situation, but it won’t be this forever. This is only part of the story not the end.”
Over the past few years Sam has also been open about personal struggles, including battles with depression and the complexities of coming out as LGBTQ. She has described medical issues that required hospital visits and at times questioned the care she received. Musically, she has released a handful of independent singles, but without significant promotion those songs failed to gain traction.
Today it appears she is operating largely on her own, attempting to rebuild and find a sustainable path forward. Fans and observers continue to wonder what led to the breakdown in industry support following her win and why she parted ways with those who might have helped advance her career. Sam has suggested she will tell more of the full story in time; until then, she remains determined to keep performing and to share what she has learned with others.
View the Instagram reel shared by Samantha Diaz (@samanthadiaz)