Personnel: Ruben Studdard, Fred Hammond (vocals); Fat Joe, Pretty Tony (rap vocals); Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, The Underdogs, Lil' Ronnie (various instruments); Carl Sturken (guitar, keyboards); Siete, Mark Jaimes, Joel Woolfalk, Michael Thompson (guitar); Peter Murray, Rob Mounsey (piano, keyboards); Greg Phillinganes, Noel Hall (keyboards); Nathan East, John Nevin (bass); Steve Ferrera, Ricky Lawson (drums); Tommie Walker (programming); Eric Dawkins, Harold Lilly, Cindy Mizelle, The Tribe Called Judah (background vocals).

Producers include: Clive Davis, The Underdogs, Harold Lilly, Swizz Beatz, Irv Gotti.

"Superstar" was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Although Clay Aiken was the first of the AMERICAN IDOL second-year finalists out of the gate with his MEASURE OF A MAN album, winner Ruben Studdard subsequently presented his full-length debut with the appropriately named SOULFUL. Displaying a genuine love of R&B and soul, Studdard follows in the footsteps of his hero, Luther Vandross, on this charming set of songs.

Studdard starts off, oddly enough, by apologizing on the pleading slow jam "Sorry 2004." With the following "No Ruben," Studdard offers up his take on the "keeping-it-real" tune (a la Jennifer Lopez's "Jenny from the Block"), where he thanks everyone from the people at his local barbershop to the "brothers at the laundromat for the covers." No stranger to classic cover songs, Studdard also croons the Bee-Gees' "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and the time-honored standard "For All We Know." Elsewhere, he reminds everyone that "material things come and go" on the synth- and beat-driven "Take the Shot," once again proving that this AMERICAN IDOL winner has his heart in the right place.

What the critics say...

Mojo (Publisher) (p.103) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Studdard's Luther-like take on Leon Russell's 'Superstar' is arresting..."