Soulful
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.
Studio album by
Ruben Studdard
ReleasedDecember 9, 2003
Recorded2003
Genre
Length55:28
Label
Producer
Ruben Studdard chronology
Soulful
(2003) 		I Need an Angel
(2004)
Singles from Soulful
  1. "Sorry 2004"
    Released: December 12, 2003
  2. "What If"
    Released: 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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Entertainment WeeklyC[1]
Mojo[3]
People[4]
Rolling Stone[5]
Slant Magazine[6]
USA Today[7]
Variety(negative)[8]

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."[4] 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."[1] The A.V. Club's 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."[9] 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."[6] 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."[5]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 417,000 copies in its first week,[10] and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in January 2004. In the U.S. the album sold an estimated 1,779,000 copies.[11]

Track listing

Soulful track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Sorry 2004"
The Underdogs4:22
2."No Ruben"
  • Lilly
  • Coleman
4:02
3."How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"
4:23
4."Take the Shot"
4:23
5."What is Sexy" (featuring Fat Joe)
Irv Gotti3:40
6."What If"
The Underdogs3:50
7."Superstar"
James McMillan4:13
8."Can I Get Your Attention" (featuring Pretty Tony)
  • Lilly
  • Gerald Thomas
  • Lilly
  • Thomas
3:37
9."For All We Know"
  • Sturken
  • Rogers
3:41
10."Play Our Song"
Jazze Pha4:07
11."Don't Quit on Me"
  • Dean
  • Lilly
Swizz Beatz3:18
12."After the Candles Burn"
Dre & Vidal3:31
Bonus track(s)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Flying Without Wings"
The Underdogs3:44
14."We Have Not Forgotten" (featuring Fred Hammond)
  • Hammond
  • Noel Hall
Hammond4:39

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.[12]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Soulful
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Browne, David (December 19, 2003). "Soulful". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Soulful - Ruben Studdard". AllMusic. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  3. ^ Album reviews at CD Universe
  4. ^ a b "Picks and Pans Review: Soulful". People. Time Inc. January 12, 2004. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Walters, Barry (January 7, 2004). "Ruben Studdard: Soulful". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Cinquemani, Sal (December 12, 2003). "Ruben Studdard - Soulful". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  7. ^ Jones, Steve (December 8, 2003). "Musiq's 'Soulstar' shines; Setzer's 'Daddy' is all grown up". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  8. ^ "Ruben Studdard". Variety. 2004-03-28. Archived from the original on 2017-02-16.
  9. ^ Phipps, Keith (December 16, 2003). "Ruben Studdard: Soulful". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  10. ^ Nelson, Chris (December 18, 2003). "Who Becomes An Idol Most?". The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  11. ^ Moss, Corey (March 7, 2006). "'American Idol': No Love For 'Idol' Losers". MTV. Archived from the original on April 11, 2006. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  12. ^ "Soulful – Ruben Studdard | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  13. ^ "Ruben Studdard Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
  14. ^ "Ruben Studdard Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
  15. ^ "Year-End Charts: Billboard 200 Albums - 2004". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  16. ^ "Year-End Charts: R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - 2004". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  17. ^ "American album certifications – Ruben Studdard – Soulful". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
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