In the years following Idol, Studdard has released four studio albums, including his most recent disc, 2009's Love Is.
Partway through the second American Idol competition in early 2003, guest judge Gladys Knight christened corpulent crooner Ruben Studdard a "velvet teddy bear," a nod to his smooth, Luther Vandross-styled voice and his Barry White-sized girth. The nickname stuck, since it captured the persona of the 25-year-old native of Birmingham, Alabama, who had unexpectedly become the front-runner in the televised talent show. Surrounded by skinny kids emulating Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, the two singers who had dominated the previous American Idol season in 2002, Studdard stood out with his massive frame, winning smile, mellow voice, and trademark jerseys bearing the number 205, the area code of his hometown.
That hometown looms large in Ruben's background. The son of two teachers, Studdard was born in Birmingham on July 14, 1978. He sang at his parents' Baptist church as a child, but it wasn't until college that he seriously pursued music. Abandoning a promising career in football that would lead to an athletic scholarship at Alabama A&M University, he decided to switch his major and study voice at the school, eventually graduating with a degree in 2000. He then launched his professional career as a singer for Just a Few Cats, a Birmingham-based jazz and soul band. During 2002, Ruben joined one of the group's backup singers at an audition for the second American Idol, making the first round of cuts at his local audition, then winning himself a slot on the national television program.
Studdard made a big impression from the start. Where most of his competitors were pop star wannabes hungry to win the competition, Ruben was quiet and exceedingly laid-back, impressing audiences and judges alike with his large voice and easy confidence. He soon climbed to the top of the pack and stayed there throughout the show, only once being voted into an elimination round. By that point, American Idol 2003 had turned into a horse race between Studdard and Clay Aiken, a skinny, geeky kid from the South whose appearance and taste were perhaps the polar opposite of Ruben's. Like many horse races, this one ended in a photo finish, with Ruben beating Clay by a few thousand votes in May 2003.
Within a month of the show's completion, Ruben's first single, "Flying Without Wings," was released concurrently with Clay's "This Is the Night," a clever release scheme designed to keep the competition alive. Aiken beat Studdard to the top of the charts, and shortly afterward, it was announced that the proposed joint release of their debut albums would be delayed, with each album released separately instead. As Aiken rode a wave of popularity that eclipsed Studdard's, Ruben worked frenetically -- recording his debut, touring with his American Idol cohorts, filming a cameo for Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, and suing 205 Flava Inc., the company that made the jerseys he famously wore on American Idol, claiming that the clothes makers illegally profited from his image. 205 Flava Inc. countered that they paid the singer $1,000 to wear the jerseys on the show during the competition, and presented checks written to Ruben's brother and manager on MTV News to support their claim.
As Ruben worked, his album's release date kept getting pushed back; originally slated for an August release, the album was first rescheduled for October, and then postponed to November. Studdard's recording sessions boasted a variety of producers and collaborators, including Fat Joe, Missy Elliott, and R. Kelly, whose names were leaked to the press during the studio process in an effort to shore up Ruben's hip-hop and R&B credentials. When the finished product, Soulful, was finally released on December 9, 2003, it didn't boast either the highly touted Missy or Kelly tracks (though Fat Joe made the cut), but it did display a distinct hip-hop-flavored R&B bent, which stood in contrast to the pop-oriented efforts by such American Idol contestants as Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, and Justin Guarini. Sporting two Top Ten hits, the album quickly went platinum.
The gospel album I Need an Angel followed one year later, featuring collaborations with contemporary gospel icons such as Bill Gaither and Walter Hawkins. Although the album sales failed to approach those of Studdard's debut, I Need an Angel did fare well on the gospel charts. Even so, Studdard returned to his urban roots in 2006 with an aptly named third album, The Return, which featured such contributors as Scott Storch and Ne-Yo. Lead-off single "Change Me" topped the urban contemporary charts that same year, but The Return proved to be the slowest selling album of the singer's career, prompting J Records to cancel his contract in 2007.
In 2008, Ruben Studdard took a well-received foray into theater by portraying Fats Waller in a revival tour of Ain't Misbehavin'. Following the show's completion in May 2009, he returned to his studio career with another album, Love IS, whose subject matter honored the singer's recent marriage to Surata Zuri McCants. The two divorced in late 2011. In 2012, Studdard released Letters from Birmingham, his first album for the Shanachie label. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
A Whole New World
Ruben Studdard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess now when did
you last let your heart decide?
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming
A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew,
but when I'm up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
Ruben Studdard's rendition of "A Whole New World" from Disney's "Aladdin" is a romantic ballad that captures the essence of adventure and romance. The song starts with a promise to show the world to the princess, to take her on a ride filled with wonder and excitement on a magic carpet. The lyrics inspire the listener to leave behind the restrictions of the mundane world and embrace the extraordinary. The princess is urged to let go of her inhibitions and allow her heart to guide her.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the beauty of the world that the lead singer can reveal. The princess is urged to see the world from a new perspective, and the listener is similarly inspired to take a leap of faith into the unknown. The song is a reminder that love can expose us to new experiences and places that we never imagined. The reference to a "whole new world" conveys the idea of transformation—the love of another person taking us to a new level. In the end, the ballad captures the thrill of a journey that is both magical and romantic.
Line by Line Meaning
I can show you the world
I have the ability to unveil to you the amazing experiences of life.
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Filled with brilliance and elegance, indicating the life that I am showing you is exceptionally beautiful.
Tell me, princess now when did you last let your heart decide?
As royalty, you've always had everyone deciding for you, but for once in your life, you can take the reins of your life and make your own decisions.
I can open your eyes
I am here to awaken you to the endless opportunities available to you.
Take you wonder by wonder, Over, sideways and under, On a magic carpet ride
I will introduce you to the intriguing things around us by taking you on a wild, exhilarating ride on this magic carpet.
A whole new world
Together we will be venturing into an entirely new life, different from the one you left behind.
A new fantastic point of view
From your new standpoint, you will be able to notice the wonderful things around you that you were unaware of earlier.
No one to tell us no
No one shall dictate what we should or should not do, for we have both the power and freedom to make our own choices.
Or where to go
No one will be dictating where we go and the decisions we make therein, because our destiny is only ours to forge.
Or say we're only dreaming
No one shall undermine the beauty of the experiences we have by saying they are unreal or impossible; we can enjoy our new found happiness without being attacked or judged for it.
A dazzling place I never knew, but when I'm up here, It's crystal clear, That now I'm in a whole new world with you
These new experiences are bedazzling, and I never imagined anything like it, but I see clearly now, that I'm here in this paradise with you, everything appears to be falling in place.
Contributed by Peyton W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
christina N
The velvet teddy bear!!! I luv his voice & personality, I can listen to him all day.
Comedian Pottymouth
Didn't know Gladys night blessed him with that name
mdooms76
This was one of the best seasons and contestants ever! I go back and watch old performances by Reuben and Fantasia.
Chhuanteii Khiangte
No, Clay Aiken and adam lambert were the best
NBCini
I remember getting goosebumps when I heard him sing this song.
Janna
God bless him more and more each day!
Crispy Chrispen Chrispers
Best version of this song I’ve heard ❤️
once you become asian you never miss an equation
He could be the genie in broadway
A. R.
What a wonderful voice!!! Greetings from Russia!
Margaret Thai
He is so humble that you can not help but want to see him again and again. Voice is not bad. Not bad at all.