‘American Idol’ Winner Samantha ‘Just Sam’ Diaz Reveals Huge Makeover & New Path

Heavy/ABC/YouTube Samantha "Just Sam" Diaz on "American Idol"

After struggling to succeed in the music business following her 2020 “American Idol” win, R&B singer Samantha Diaz — who goes by the stage name Just Sam — has a new look and a new outlook on life after having to return to singing in the New York subway system for money.

Some of Diaz’s Instagram followers have expressed worry and shock over a recently revealed makeover, including long blond hair. But in a new Washington Post profile of Diaz, published on December 19, 2023, the soulful singer expressed hope and excitement about the future with a new management agency and opportunities on the horizon.

Here’s what you need to know:

Samantha Diaz Explains Makeover as ‘Growing Up’ & Dressing ‘How I Want’

In 2020, Diaz became the first openly LGBTQ+ and non-binary “American Idol” winner, according to the Washington Post. Producers never mentioned that fact during the singer’s journey on season 18, which aired during the height of the COVID pandemic, but Diaz addressed it in interviews after their big win.

Before auditioning for “Idol” and receiving a golden ticket to Hollywood from judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, Diaz had been making ends meet in Harlem, New York, by singing in the subway system.

“Idol” was filmed virtually for much of season 18 and music producers were unable to work with the winner after their big win due to the pandemic, Diaz told the Post. Young and inexperienced in the music industry, Diaz eventually backed out of the record deal they won without understanding the financial ramifications, and wound up “broke” again, per Just Jared. 

In May 2023, Diaz revealed that they’d returned to singing in the subway system for money. They’ve since posted multiple videos that have gone viral, in which they wore a plain sweat suit with very short hair and a collection box at their feet.

But that look has gone by the wayside in recent weeks, as Diaz enters a new chapter, beginning to make money for event bookings. Diaz has shared a handful of glamorous Instagram photos in which they have long hair and full makeup thanks to a new team helping behind the scenes.

The most drastic change appeared in an Instagram post on November 24, the singer’s 25th birthday, with a series of photos of Diaz in a mall, wearing a red pantsuit with no shirt underneath and long blond hair.

Fans flooded Diaz’s post with happy birthday wishes and compliments about the new look. But when the “Idol” winner shared a similar vibe on December 17, in two posts with blond hair and full makeup, many expressed worry or shock.

In one post, which Diaz captioned “BOOKED and BLESSED,” their usual dark brown eyes were a blue hue, possibly due to contacts or a filter, prompting one fan to deem the singer “unrecognizable” and another to write, “I hope you don’t lose yourself again.”

“I’m sorry but this transformation is not even the same person,” another person wrote. “What message is this? Confirm to blonde hair and blue eyes to be accepted? This is sad.”

But others stood up for Diaz, including one who wrote, “Leave her it’s her life she can do whatever makes her happy.”

Diaz addressed the comments in several Instagram Stories over the next two days.

“I was 20 when I started my American Idol journey and now I just turned 25,” they wrote on December 18. “I REFUSE for people to make me feel like it’s wrong for literally dressing how I want lol. Some of you are out of your mind thinking that it’s okay to talk to people a certain way and try to control them.”

After writing about trying for years to please everyone while she struggled financially and physically, including being hospitalized multiple times for an undisclosed illness, Diaz added, “I’m not 20 years old anymore – I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m growing up so either accept it, unfollow me or just get blocked because I’m not going to keep allowing people to disrespect me!”

Samantha Diaz Says Recent Transformation is Part of New Path in Their Music Career

After Diaz began sharing videos from their return to the subway system, those posts — and the story of their challenging journey — caught the attention of multiple music industry icons including producer Timbaland and rapper Lil Durk.

Though they haven’t revealed any formal projects with major stars, Diaz did sign with a new management agency, CrowdMGMT, which specializes in representing talent “that identify as Queer, POC, and  LGTBQ+ allies.”

Meanwhile, according to the Post, a marketing executive at the nonprofit buildOn saw news stories about Diaz’s plight and booked the singer to perform at the organization’s gala in mid-November, seeing Diaz as “someone who had that essence of future possibilities and hope.” Diaz has posted several images from that night, calling it “an honor” to work with the charity, which is devoted to helping people living in poverty thrive.

On December 18, Diaz provided a hopeful update in their Instagram Stories, writing, “I now have a new and BETTER team that loves and supports me and wants me to win, I have more gig opportunities and bookings coming in everyday and so much more in the works that everyone will be able to see and know about very soon. God is so good.”

Though Diaz has said on social media in the past that the people behind “American Idol” don’t care about their well-being, Diaz told the Post said they’re thankful and not bitter.

“I’m grateful for them,” Diaz said. “They changed my life forever. Even though it’s not in the way I expected.”

“This is not the end of the story,” Diaz added. That’s what I want people to know. I especially want younger people to know that my life changed and I didn’t know that it was going to. I just kept working … Keep on fighting, keep on working hard, and it will pay off.”