Soulful

Review

Common Sense Media says

A truly gifted Idol singer with heart.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a fun CD that everyone in the family will like. There are a couple of edgy lines that keep this from being G-rated, but compared to most tween and teen CDs, this is a guiltless pleasure. You might want to ask your kids why they think other people have to be so "in your face" when Ruben is just as entertaining without any sexual, commercial, or violent messages.

  • Positive messages0
    On this CD, boys just want to have fun.
  • Violence0
    Ruben keeps it friendly.
  • Sex3
    There are a few lightly sexual references, nothing really explicit.
  • Language0
    Ruben keeps it clean, except for a well-placed "Damn" here and there.
  • Consumerism0
    For an American Idol winner, "Soulful" is actually pretty low-key.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    "It's like stayin' out all night, and way too much to drink," he apologizes--once.
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What's the story?

Ruben Studdard stole a lot of hearts during his stint on American Idol. We rooted for him because he didn't look like your typical pop pretty-boy; we liked him because he seemed like a sweetie; but we voted for him because of his wonderful voice -- rich, expressive, and soulful. Appropriately, Ruben's debut CD is called SOULFUL, and that he is. He doesn't disappoint, shining the most on the cover tunes: "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" is a show-stopper. "Superstar," usually sung by women as kind of a backstage groupie's lament, is given an interesting twist with his straight-ahead, masculine delivery.

Is it any good?

 

On Soulful, Ruben shows off his phenomenal singing abilities to near perfection. There's a little bit of imaginary drinking and a couple of playfully sexy interludes ("What Is Sexy," "After the Candles Burn"), but this very mild CD is unlikely to offend anyone, particularly because Ruben's sweetness shines throughout. Although the musical arrangements and production fall far short of doing the singer justice, Ruben's amazing voice will make this a CD the whole family can enjoy.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about Ruben's incredible voice and how body image doesn't always play a part in winning. How important is image for a singer? You can also discuss how being the "nice guy" goes a long way.

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
 
Nice debut album
This is a very good CD and is much better than Clay Aiken's. However, this is also the most adult American Idol album and is only suitable for teens. Although there is nothing too explicit, some songs are very sexual. There are a few bad words and there is one minor drug reference.
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This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Artist:Ruben Studdard
Release date:December 9, 2003
Label:J Records
Genre:Pop
Parental advisory:No
This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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