Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Ruben Studdard released his fifth album, “Letters to Birmingham,” today.

It’s being billed as his most personal album to date, though he co-wrote only one of the 12 base tracks.

That’s partly because it tells the tale of lost found and lost, mirroring the experience of Idol’s Season 2 champ.

In November, after a little more than three years of marriage, he filed for divorce.

As for the new album, it takes an interesting approach, introducing each set of three songs with a letter from Ruben.

That means we get three songs about a couple meeting, three songs about courtship, three songs about marriage and three songs about the breakup.

By the end of the album, Ruben is singing the lead single “June 28,” the one song he co-wrote, proclaiming “ladies, I’m single/so when you see me on the street/don’t be afraid to speak/I’m gonna need another lady/I’m single.”

So far, I’ve been able to find just one review of the album, a not exactly glowing endorsement from The Washington Post.

I picked up my copy of “Letters from Birmingham” today from BestBuy for the bargain price of $9.99, considering that’s for a deluxe version with four bonus tracks.

After one listen, I’d say Ruben does best on the album what he’s always done best, crooning love ballads.

I’m pretty sure his cover of “Rock Wit’cha,” a top-10 hit for Bobby Brown back in 1989, will wind up being my favorite track.

Unfortunately, the album also includes a track called “Wear Me” that ranks as a early front-runner for the worst song released by an Idol in 2012.

Ruben’s so taken with his gal he wants to be her clothes?  Isn’t that a little creepy?  A little smothering?

“Wear me like Gucci,” Ruben sings.

That’s Ruben crooning I could do without.