Ruben Studdard Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Ruben Studdard's career has been a study in course corrections, with each album acting as an answer to what preceded it. Love IS is a reaction to the heavy seduction of The Return, scaling back the seductive Luther Vandross vibe -- something Studdard's couldn't really pull off in the first place -- and playing up Ruben's cuddly qualities. These are songs of longtime relationships, not new love, and the music is appropriately settled, grounded in quiet storm but drifting into adult contemporary via covers of Extreme's "More Than Words" and the Beatles' "Long and Winding Road," all of which helps give the album a bit of a retro-vibe; really only the stuttering rhythms of "Don't Make Em" make it seem like it could fit onto the contemporary R&B charts. This could be called resignation, but it's really an acceptance of what Ruben Studdard's peculiar strengths are: he's a smooth soul singer constitutionally incapable of suggesting anything racier than a tight snuggle, so it's best to keep him warm and huggable, as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis do here. Not that Love IS is perfect -- it's so relaxed it can sometimes be sleepy and Ruben's upper register, which he relies upon too much, can sometimes seem whiny -- but as a whole this is the best recorded representation of Ruben's talents to date. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It makes a certain amount of sense that Ruben Studdard's second album is a contemporary gospel album. His first album, 2003's Soulful, was pitched toward an urban soul audience, and an urban contemporary gospel album is a natural extension of that attitude, since the basic sound isn't all that far removed: the slow, smooth grooves are an uncanny ringer for the sound of quiet storm, only with a religious spin. Studdard sings songs from and works with many of the major names in contemporary gospel music -- Bill Gaither, Walter Hawkins, Fred Hammond, Marvin Winans, plus R. Kelly -- and while there are a number of cooks in the kitchen, the resulting album, I Need an Angel, winds up being cohesive since it's all coming from the same perspective. It's all easy-rolling, smooth, and polished slow grooves, sometimes easing by on the sound of the record, other times gelling quite nicely thanks to some sturdily written and arranged songs. Ruben sounds considerably better here than he did on Soulful -- the voice doesn't sound rushed or thin, it sounds like he had the time in the studio to concentrate and give good performances. He still isn't blessed with a tremendous amount of on-record charisma, but he sounds nice and grounds the album, giving it a likeable focus when it starts to sound a little samey. So, while it has no standout cuts, on the whole I Need an Angel winds up being a bit more solid than his proper debut and suggests that Studdard may be developing the skills that will given him an actual career outside of the confines of American Idol. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Ruben Studdard won the second American Idol competition in 2003, but by the time he released his debut album, Soulful, in December of that year, it seemed like he was the runner-up to Clay Aiken, the competition's second-place contestant. Clay captured the heart of the preteen girls at the core of AmIdol's audience, since he was the perfect make-believe boyfriend: kinda cute, skinny and nonthreatening, singing songs of puppy love. Ruben was kinda cute, gigantic and nonthreatening, singing songs styled after his idol Luther Vandross -- soulful late-night grooves that didn't quite fit the old-fashioned pop sensibilities of American Idol. Studdard's consistently satisfying, easygoing performances and taste for material slightly older than the AmIdol demographic made him a favorite of the judges, and a favorite of an audience wanting to prove that the show wasn't just churning out prefabricated pop stars. Throughout the season, Ruben was favored to win -- sometimes even singing as if the outcome was a foregone conclusion -- but Clay had a serious surge of support that threatened to knock Studdard out of the catbird's seat. Aiken's popularity continued to grow even after he lost the competition, causing the label to scrap plans for the pair to release competing albums on the same day, since when the duo simultaneously released singles -- both crawling, undistinguished adult contemporary ballads -- Clay bested Ruben. Since it would be poor form for the winner to lose on a large scale, the dueling discs were pushed aside and Studdard was given extra time to work on his debut, making it less MOR, well, more Soulful. This was a smart move, since it drew a clear distinction between him and Aiken while appealing to the urban audience that always loved Ruben's Luther-isms. Also, by targeting the album at urban audiences, the producers gave Ruben a set of tracks heavy on slow grooves and sensual feel, not songs that would require him to stretch his vocal limits. In other words, most of Soulful consists of cuts that are about the feel of the production, from the shiny surfaces to the languid late-night beats, and not on songs that have strong, memorable verses and choruses. This works to the album's favor, at least as a piece of cohesive product, since it maintains a steady groove and feel from beginning to end. While Ruben won accolades for his voice, Soulful works best as a whole package, with the voice and production blending into one, providing appealing, professional, accomplished romantic mood music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
