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The Bottom Line

It might seem that Jason DeRulo came out of nowhere, but the young sensation has gathered experience in recent years winning talent competitions and appearing onstage in musical productions. Following a period of fielding offers from a wide range of record labels he hooked up with producer J.R. Rotem's Beluga Heights. Rotem brought us Sean Kingston, and it looks like he's brought us another star.

The debut single is solid, appealing and looks like a great springboard for a new talent.

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Pros

• Jason DeRulo's confident vocal delivery
• Smooth anthemic song

Cons

• Busy, heavy production
• Vocal special effects that get in the way of the voice

Description

• Written by Jason DeRulo, Kisean Anderson, and Jonathan Rotem
• Produced by J.R. Rotem
• Released August 2009 by Beluga Heights

Guide Review - Jason DeRulo - "Whatcha Say"

Jason DeRulo croons here like a confident, established R&B pop singer. In the more emotional sections of this musical plea for reconciliation, DeRulo spits out the words with a spirit appropriate for the moment. He pledges paradise when he becomes a star, and it looks like that time may be coming sooner instead of later.

The down side of "Whatcha Say" is the record does sound rather derivative of much that is already going on in contemporary R&B. The heavy vocal effect drench can make Jason DeRulo sound rather faceless at times. Adding in the sample of Imogen Heap's ambient synths and the record risks burying the lead talent.

"Whatcha Say" is a good summer song that is likely to carry its popularity into the fall. Jason DeRulo is a confident new talent, and we will eagerly look forward to his first full-length album. Let's hear a bit more of the spirit evident when Jason DeRulo comes close to cutting loose near the end of the song. The best guess is he has significantly more vocal talent than is put to you use on "Whatcha Say."