Jason DeRulo
Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper Jason Derulo’s self-tited debut album recently spirited its way to a No. 11 debut on the Billboard 200 Albums chart; proving that while we do live in a singles-driven music society, an album has to pack more than a one-off punch to get the public behind it.
Now that’s not to say that Derulo doesn’t have a few gems up his sleeve. The nine track (plus bonus track, “Strobelight”) disc, produced entirely by super-pop producer J. R. Rotem, has the singer reveling in love, heartbreak and everything in between. With pop, rock, and R&B influenced tracks, Derulo offers up something for everybody on his debut.
The album begins with Derulo’s first three singles, the triple platinum “Whatcha Say,” “Ridin Solo,” and the recently platinum-certified “In My Head.” Singing his name (as he does on most songs) at the top of “The Sky’s The Limit,” Derulo takes the synth-pop, dance track to another level as he sings about a woman taking him higher as “the sky is the limit.” Derulo takes listeners to another level in his sound, as he invokes a fantastic falsetto, proving just how unnecessary auto-tune is on his voice. On “What If,” Derulo ponders what if he and the girl he refers to were meant to be together? In a future that isn’t promised, he certainly hopes she is the one. It’s a sweet anthem supporting the chances we take on love.
As the album continues on with “Love Hangover” and “Encore,” it takes somewhat of a redundant turn. It’s quickly salvaged with the radio-friendly track, “Fallen” and the sad, closing love song, “Blind.” In “Fallen,” Derulo gives a nod to the successful romantic unions of Michelle and Barack Obama, as well as Jay-Z and Beyonce in hopes of who he and the song’s heroine can aspire to be. The melody of the track gives a nod to an up-tempo version of Beyonce’s famous hit, “Irreplaceable.”
Overall, the album doesn’t provide too much that is new to the pop/dance audiences Derulo has gravitated toward. While the myriad of genres Derulo glosses over suggests he’s still figuring out exactly who he is as an artist, he’s off to a good start.
man dis man can sing