Soulful (Ruben Studdard album) explained

Soulful
Type:Album
Artist:Ruben Studdard
Cover:RubenStuddard-Soulful.jpg
Alt:An image of a man wearing a leather jacket, dress shirt and hat with his eyes closed and mouth open. The background consists of a graffiti wall, with a poster that has the artist's name and album title on it.
Released:December 9, 2003
Recorded:2003
Length:55:28
Next Title:I Need an Angel
Next Year:2004

Soulful is the debut studio album from second-season American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, released on December 9, 2003 by J Records. The record received mixed reviews from critics divided over the quality of the track listing and Ruben's vocal performance. Soulful debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and spawned two singles: "Sorry 2004" and "What If".

Critical reception

Soulful garnered mixed reviews from music critics divided over the track listing and Studdard's vocal performance. A writer for People said that Soulful does "a good job of translating to record the cuddly Velvet Teddy Bear charm that won over Idol fans, resulting in a likable if unspectacular set." David Browne, writing for Entertainment Weekly, commended the "penthouse R&B and mild hip-hop" tracks by Swizz Beatz and Irv Gotti for providing versatility in Studdard's performance but found his vocals on the ballads to be "raw and unpolished," filled with mediocrity whenever he "either strains or sings flat." The A.V. Clubs Keith Phipps said that the show favorite ballads were the highlights compared to more uptempo tracks like "No Ruben" and "What Is Sexy", concluding that following in this direction shows that "even the most obviously talented contestant to walk the Idol stage seems fated to be forever a glorified karaoke champ."[1] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine also found the ballads Studdard performed on the show showcase his strengths more than tracks like "Don't Quit On Me" and "Take the Shot" that are "insufferably repetitive and tuneless", calling the overall record "a painfully predictable mix of traditional R&B glop and comparatively forced contemporary hip-hop." Barry Walters from Rolling Stone heavily criticized the songwriters and producers for crafting material that sounds like "Broadway ripoffs of hip-hop-inspired R&B", concluding that "Studdard does the best he can, but the people behind him and the other Idols simply aren't trying."

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 417,000 copies in its first week,[2] and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in January 2004. In the U.S. the album sold an estimated 1,779,000 copies.[3]

Track listing

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.[4]

Charts

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for Soulful
Chart (2004)Position
US Billboard 200[5] 31
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6] 7

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Ruben Studdard: Soulful. Phipps. Keith. Keith Phipps. The A.V. Club. The Onion. December 16, 2003. November 25, 2012.
  2. News: Who Becomes An Idol Most?. Nelson. Chris. December 18, 2003. The New York Times. February 26, 2014.
  3. News: 'American Idol': No Love For 'Idol' Losers. Moss. Corey. MTV. March 7, 2006. February 5, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20060411045118/http://www.mtv.com/bands/a/american_idol/ai5_feature_060307/. April 11, 2006. dead. mdy.
  4. Web site: Soulful – Ruben Studdard | Credits. AllMusic. December 8, 2016.
  5. Year-End Charts: Billboard 200 Albums - 2004. Billboard. December 17, 2018.
  6. Year-End Charts: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - 2004. Billboard. December 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20150719031416/http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2004/top-r-b-hip-hop-albums. July 19, 2015. dead.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Soulful (Ruben Studdard album)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.