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| Written By Rick
Ellis, Tuesday, October 17th, 2006 I know quite a few people who have suddenly become stars when they least expected it. And generally, their reaction falls into one of two camps. One group takes the fame as a chance to accomplish everything they've ever dreamed of doing. They focus on their fame with a needlepoint intensity. They carefully craft their fame, they wisely weigh every option and opportunity. They are going to make the best of their unexpected windfall. And then there is the group which enjoys the opportunity, but either can't handle the many opportunities, or just want to keep doing the things they would have if they were only a household name to four households. I've always felt that "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard falls into the second category. I was living in Birmingham when he won, and by all accounts he's a great guy, very real and personable. He's obviously blessed with an amazing talent, and I would love nothing than to have the opportunity to buy his music for the next 40 years. And yet, his career just seems to be wandering here and there, and it's difficult for an outsider to know if it's just mediocre management, or a lackluster drive for fame from Studdard. He seems to be going through the motions of building a long-term career, doing some frankly inexplicable things, such as a recent tour of Texas as the headliner of an "Superstar Idols" tour that also featured fellow "Idol" contestants such as Justin Guarini, Kevin Covais, Brenna Gethers, Anthony Federov and William Hung. All of which leads me to his new CD, which I was almost afraid to listen to before I opened the shrink-wrapped package. I wanted it to be good, I wanted to be reflective not only of his talent, but of his strengths. While "The Return" might not be a home-run, it's definitely his strongest effort yet, and builds a case for him to have a long and successful career. Anyone who heard Studdard sings on "Idol" knows he has a magnificent set of pipes. But he also has a personality that sets him apart from the typical R&B crooner. His persona can be sexy, but it's also vulnerable and playful. At his best, his singing isn't R. Kelly bump-n-grind, but the sounds of a guy who makes a pretty good boyfriend. While "The Return" has a couple of missteps, they're mostly the result of trying to wedge his sound into something it's not. "Change Me" is the first single and the song casts Studdard as a lover wounded by his partner's hurtful remarks, though it also showcases a wry and playful sense of humor. "What if I talked about your face in the morning?'' Studdard asks. "'Cause we know you ain't cute in the morning.'' These moments play on Studdard's unique personality and are the strongest on "The Return." Hitmakers The Underdogs, Happy Perez, Ne-Yo and Scott Storch all work together to craft a sound that is contemporary but not outside of Studdard's strongest vocal range. His falsetto is sharp and not forced and he moves effortlessly from falsetto to his lower range. I suspect most of the headlines connected with this release will mention Studdard's weight loss. While I'm happy for him, I don't want it to overshadow the strength of "The Return." It's a CD for more than just fans of "American Idol" fans. It's a smooth and playful CD for anyone who loves the classic R&B sound. |
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