(October 31, 2023) Twenty years ago, Ruben Studdard beamed into our living rooms on season two of American Idol and wowed audiences with his soulful crooning and smooth vocal textures highly reminiscent of Luther Vandross. That year, he was dubbed the “Velvet Teddy Bear” by R&B goddess Gladys Knight, soared up the pop charts with a gold certified Flying Without Wings and captured the win on his season, beating a very strong and formidable runner-up, Clay Aiken. Currently the R&B singer is co-headlining an enthusiastic national tour with Aiken while also dropping The Way I Remember It, his first album of original music in almost ten years.
(October 31, 2023) Twenty years ago, Ruben Studdard beamed into our living rooms on season two of American Idol and wowed audiences with his soulful crooning and smooth vocal textures highly reminiscent of Luther Vandross. That year, he was dubbed the “Velvet Teddy Bear” by R&B goddess Gladys Knight, soared up the pop charts with a gold certified Flying Without Wings and captured the win on his season, beating a very strong and formidable runner-up, Clay Aiken. Currently the R&B singer is co-headlining an enthusiastic national tour with Aiken while also dropping The Way I Remember It, his first album of original music in almost ten years.
And all ears are now on “Masterpiece,” the official lead single from the anticipated album via Legend Tribe, RCS and the SoNo Recording Group (SRG-ILS). The melody, vibes and cozy arrangement trace the footsteps of Silk Sonic’s love ballad “Leave the Door Open,” continuing the heartfelt homage to the late Thom Bell. There’s even some of that slick Bruno Mars-y bedroom humor dropped into the verses (“she’s so damn fine/it’s a shame…going bananas/orangutan”) before sunsetting each time into a charming chorus: “‘Cause baby, you’re a masterpiece, you don’t really need a filter/You’re a centerpiece, a perfect figure”).
At first listen, Ruben felt the song was right for him to record. “‘Masterpiece’ is a song that I instantly fell in love with in the studio,” the “Sorry 2004” singer proclaims. “The lyrics fully describe how special one’s significant other is. It’s one of those, ‘yes, that’s it’ songs.”
Check out the new track in our First Listen and let us know your thoughts.
By J Matthew Cobb
Ruben Studdard - "Masterpiece"