Download of the Day (1/21): Jason Derulo's "In My Head"

I'll be frank about Jason Derulo, and the others of the male pop explosion of 2009: I thought they were one-hit wonders.

To be fair to myself, though, they didn't give me any other reason to think otherwise. I mean, they all put out songs the other could've done with the same effect. Whether it was creative (like Derulo's sample of Imogen Heap in "Whatcha Say") or plain annoying (Iyaz's "Replay"), the songs were pretty anonymous, and the guys were in danger of facing flops come album release time.

Hoping to avoid such a disastrous fate, Derulo has released "In My Head" the follow-up to his #1 smash. It's a decidedly different song than "Whatcha Say", which is a very good thing. It still features production from JR Rotem, but the songs has a solid rock feel to it, with edgy guitar riffs sitting with the now-standard electro arrangement. In another effort to distinguish himself, the song's lyrics take on a slightly more risque feel. Derulo sings about the fantasies a girl he sees in the club inspires, as you guessed, in his head. While others like Chris Brown have been far more explicit, Derulo's take is not one to consider child's play. Neither is his voice, which has taken a lot more personality this second go-round. I am surprised to say that his vocal range is pretty nice, and it makes me wonder he'll handle some more interesting material.

While he may not be as accessible as Ne-Yo and the aforementioned Brown were when they first started, "In My Head" does suggest that Derulo is on his way to true pop stardom. He might even be able to stand tallest when the dust clears from the male pop battle.

Rating: 7 out of 10