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
Hello again
Ruben Studdard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just called to say hello
I couldn’t sleep at all tonight
And I know it’s late
Girl, I couldn’t wait
To say
I just called to let you know
I think about you every night
When I’m here alone
And you’re there at home
Hello
Maybe I’m just crazy and I’m the one to blame
But I put my heart above my head
Girl, we’ve been through it all but you love me just the same
And you’re not there I just need to hear
Hello, my love, hello
It’s so good to need you so
It’s good to love you like I do
And to feel this way
When I hear you say
Hello
I just wanna hear you say
Hello, hello hello hello
I just called to let you know
That I think about you every night
And I know it’s late
But baby I couldn’t wait to say
Hello
The song "Hello Again" by Ruben Studdard is a love ballad that expresses the singer's longing for his lover. The first verse of the song sets the tone for the story. The singer confesses that he couldn't sleep at night because he misses his lover so much. He couldn't wait to say hello and let her know that he's thinking about her every night, even though they are not together. The chorus of the song emphasizes the phrase "Hello, my love, hello" to convey his love for her. He wants to hear her say the words back to him to feel more connected to her. The second verse talks about the singer's vulnerability and how he sometimes puts his heart above his head, implying that he's emotional and vulnerable for his lover. The last line of the chorus says, "It's so good to need you so" which means that he feels fulfilled when he needs his lover.
The song portrays a very relatable emotion of missing someone and the need to hear from them. The song's lyrical style is simple, but it conveys the message effectively. The use of repetition in the chorus highlights how much the singer wants to hear his lover's voice. The slow tempo of the song and the use of a piano create a soothing ambiance. "Hello Again" is a soulful love song that speaks to the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, my love, hello
Ruben Studdard greets his dear love and wishes to talk to her
I just called to say hello
He states that he called his love to speak with her
I couldn’t sleep at all tonight
He admits that he has been unable to sleep
And I know it’s late
Ruben Studdard acknowledges that it is late at night
Girl, I couldn’t wait
He confesses that he was unable to wait to talk to her
To say
He feels the need to speak with his love and express his feelings
I just called to let you know
He specifies that the purpose of his call is to inform his love about his thoughts and emotions towards her
I think about you every night
He reveals that he thinks about her every night
When I’m here alone
Ruben Studdard indicates that he is alone when thinking about her
And you’re there at home
In contrast, his love is at home without him
Maybe I’m just crazy and I’m the one to blame
He admits that he may be acting irrational and is willing to accept responsibility
But I put my heart above my head
He justifies his actions by stating that his emotional connection is more important than his rationale
Girl, we’ve been through it all but you love me just the same
He acknowledges the difficulties they have faced but is grateful for his love's steadfast devotion
And you’re not there I just need to hear
Ruben Studdard confesses that he misses his love and wants to hear her voice
Hello, my love, hello
He reiterates his desire to talk and connect with his love
It’s so good to need you so
He expresses his love for her and how much he values their relationship
It’s good to love you like I do
Ruben Studdard is grateful for the love he has for his partner
And to feel this way
He affirms that his love for her brings him joy
When I hear you say
He anticipates hearing her voice
Hello
Hello is a simple greeting that encapsulates his deep feelings of love and connection for his partner
I just wanna hear you say
He reiterates his longing to hear her voice
Hello, hello hello hello
He repeats his desire to be with his love through a chorus of hellos
That I think about you every night
He affirms that he thinks of his love every night
And I know it’s late
He acknowledges that it is late but wants to communicate with her despite the hour
But baby I couldn’t wait to say
He expresses his urgency to talk to his love and disclose his emotions towards her
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN LINDGREN, NEIL DIAMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind