Derulo’s album more messed up than mashed up

Jason Derulo

Jason Derulo

Warner Bros. Records

Rocks Like: Jay Sean, Chris… Jason Derulo

Jason Derulo

Warner Bros. Records

Rocks Like: Jay Sean, Chris Brown

Grade: C+

It’s usually not a good sign when an artist’s lead single becomes a hit not because of its originality or admirable display of musicianship, but rather because it samples a song from a much more talented artist.

For Jason Derulo, that song is the chart-topper “Whatcha Say,” and that sample is Imogen Heap’s indie-electronic classic “Hide and Seek.”

Fortunately for Derulo, however, his self-titled debut album enters the music scene offering catchy and well-produced — if not necessarily innovative — pop R&B tracks.

Fans of the lead single will undoubtedly find more to like here. While none of the other songs will ingrain themselves so deeply that you can’t help but unconsciously hum them at random intervals throughout the day, almost all are pleasant, and the good news for Derulo is that they all sound like they could wind up on the radio and become hits.

His second single “In My Head” is one such track, and I would argue that it’s a better mainstream release than “Whatcha Say,” if only because it lets the listener know that Derulo does not necessarily need to rely on samples for success — just a good production team. But hey, what pop star doesn’t? Plus, at least he writes most of his own music.

“Blind” and “Queen of Hearts” borrow more heavily from the R&B side of the musical spectrum than the other tracks and prove that the artist has some degree of versatility, something that I would love to see him explore further on an upcoming album.

So while the album is generally enjoyable, there is ultimately little memorable content, especially in a radio age in which every other song sounds like it could fit in among these tracks.

Perhaps it’s only a trend (and at this point, I hope it is), but in the future, Derulo will need to find something to separate himself from the rest of the pack if he wants another “Whatcha Say”-sized hit.