Jason Derulo plays it safe

There’s nothing wrong, exactly, with Jason Derulo’s new self-titled album. All nine songs on the album are catchy as hell in their own right, and Derulo’s Auto-Tune-aided falsetto has a pleasing, radio-ready sound. 

The problem is, not one track successfully differentiates him from other current radio-friendly peers, like Iyaz and Jay Sean, who are working with the same bag of tricks.

Most of the songs sample other cuts. Leadoff single “Whatcha Say” steals the hook from Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” and “Love Hangover” rides on the back of Men at Work’s “Who Can It Be Now?” This is a cool effect, but it’s not as cool or unexpected as the R&B-rock-electro fusion — and sample-free — sound of the second single, “In My Head.”

Derulo’s debut effort is fun but ultimately too safe to be memorable.