Soulful

1	Sorry 2004 4:22
2	No Ruben 4:02
3	How Can You Mend a Broken Heart 4:23
4	Take the Shot 4:03
5	What Is Sexy 3:40
6	What If 3:59
7	Superstar 4:13
8	Can I Get Your Attention 3:37
9	For All We Know 3:41
10	Play Our Song 4:07
11	Don't Quit on Me 3:18
12	After the Candles Burn 3:31
13	Flying Without Wings Bonus Track 3:44
14	We Have Not Forgotten Bonus Track 4:39

Barnes & Noble

Although he took the 2003 American Idol crown, Ruben Studdard is often overshadowed by his baby-faced runner-up, Clay Aiken, who went on to release a platinum debut. With the release of his own hotly anticipated debut, however, the Velvet Teddy Bear is poised to reclaim his thunder. A soulful crooner in the Luther Vandross mold, the gregarious loverman is the polar opposite to Aiken, a lanky, wholesome throwback to pop idols like Pat Boone. But it's Studdard's charm and husky, church-inspired vocals -- paired with smooth R&B and hip-hop-lite tracks -- that make Soulful the best record by an American Idol alum thus far. Studdard plays up his large-and-in-charge sex appeal on "What Is Sexy?," which borrows its thumping bass beat from Mary J's "Real Love" and finds the Alabama native proclaiming, "This is for the big boys, we're in style again." The charismatic Studdard pays homage to his humble beginnings on the nostalgic "No Ruben," on which he boasts, "If you didn't know, I was a star before the show." But as he did on the show, Studdard really shines on his renditions of the classic cover tunes, such as the Al Green–popularized "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," the Donny Hathaway favorite "For All We Know," and the Vandross-by-way-of-the Carpenters winner "Superstar." Studdard proves himself to be a musical heavyweight with a broad range on the uplifting Fred Hammond collaboration "We Have Not Forgotten," which suggests he could have a promising career singing non-secular music. But that's unlikely to happen anytime soon, because Soulful successfully launches the career of a bona fide R&B superstar. Tracy E. Hopkins

All Music Guide

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