Ruben Studdard – Soulful
Ruben Studdard captured enough votes to win American Idol, but after listening to his debut album “Soulful,” viewers might regret their decision.
Studdard recorded an album that is exactly what was expected from an Idol winner: full of catchy, radio-friendly, and mainstream songs. The problem lies in his deliverance. Each song does not sound the same, but his voice does. Whether he is singing more hip-hop geared songs like “What is Sexy” and “Can I Get Your Attention,” or ballads like “For All We Know,” Studdard lacks the ability to make listeners interested and he even lacks that soul at times.
He sings a run of the mill cover of the Bee Gee’s “How Do You Means a Broken Heart.” While he does provide that “soulful” spin that his album title suggests, there’s no reason that any R&B singer could not have performed the song the exact same way. Beyond the genre difference, there’s little he can brag about.
Is it at all enjoyable? At times. But overall, no.
2*
