Our favorite velvet teddy bear, Ruben Studdard, hopes that his fourth album, “Love IS,” will connect him to all of his “American Idol” fans. The May 19 release features production by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Studdard said his switch from J Records to Hickory Records, both distributed by SonyBMG is more in line with his fan demand for ballads sung by the reality competition winner.
“I think J Records didn’t do a good job with connecting me to my ‘American Idol’ fan base,” said Studdard to Billboard, whose 2006’s “The Return,” sold less then 240,000 copies. “I wanted to make sure we had an opportunity to make the music they want to hear, and we got that.”