David Archuleta Says ‘Only Murders In The Building’ Song “Wish That You Were Me” Was Designed To Get Under Mabel’s Skin – Sound & Screen TV

Singer David Archuleta shared the funny inspiration behind his song “Wish That You Were Me,” which was featured on the Hulu comedy series Only Murders in the Building in Season 5.

“Showrunner John Hoffman reached out and said, ‘Hey, I would like for you to write a song.’ He was looking for something that was a little sassy that would rub Selena [Gomez’s] character Mabel’s nerves a little bit,” Archuleta said during a panel conversation at Deadline’s Sound & Screen Television event.

Archuleta was joined on the stage at UCLA’s Royce Hall by his co-writers Sophie Rose and Michael Blum, after Rose performed the track with the backing of a full live orchestra. On the series, “Wish That You Were Me” is said to be the latest hit song from the character Thé, played by Beanie Feldstein, an old friend of Mabel’s who had blown up into a pop superstar.

Meaning, the song from Archuleta, Rose, and Blum had to be worthy of the No. 1 most downloaded artist for 13 weeks in a row.

“We were asked to write this song that would catapult Thé to the top of the charts, so of course, we went within the pop zeitgeist in 2025. We went very disco, pop and funk, and I think it really worked for the song,” said Blum.

He added, “Writing this kind of song, my pop brain is on, but I think of it like a theater kid because I am a theater kid. So, I think of it kind of like a charm song. This song is meant to add levity to the series and also introduce us to this ridiculous character whose only purpose is to be the bane of Mabel’s existence for the season. It was so fun to write.”

Rose revealed that when they wrote the song, they didn’t know who would be playing the character. Blum added that they had later “heard rumblings” about Feldstein’s potential casting, so they “sort of had her in mind but not really” during the writing process.

“Once she was confirmed, I went out to New York and tracked it with her. It was the easiest session I’ve done,” she said. “It was so lovely working with her. John Hoffman was there as well. It’s really the loveliest show to work on. Everybody is just so amazing.”

Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth.

Across its four seasons, Only Murders has received 56 Emmy Award nominations with seven wins including Outstanding Original Music & Lyrics, Outstanding Music Competition for a Series, and Outstanding Guest Actor for Nathan Lane.

Check back Monday for the panel video.