Future History (Deluxe Version)

Album Review

Deep down, R&B singer Jason Derülo is probably as complicated as anyone, but in pre-release press for his sophomore release he made the telling, youthful comment that “so much had happened” since he made that journey from 18 to 21. Granted, he went platinum and topped charts around the world, but for most that means the journey from being able to vote to being able to drink, along with a ton of other things that don’t seem so monumental down the road. Future History — and that title fully displays the level of cleverness found here — is an ambitious stab at growth in the pop-R&B world of 2011, where triumphant declarations of love are delivered over a sample of Toto’s “Africa” (“Fight for You”) and jamming together Robin S.’s "Show Me Love" and Harry Belafonte’s "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" (“Don’t Wanna Go Home”) gives you a shot at topping will.i.am. Derülo’s still saying nothing — which is fine, since these are hooky, club cuts — but it’s the talking louder that’s the issue, as cringe-worthy lines like “No matter, what you say/You always sound sexy to me/That’s when you know” are delivered with such conviction they become unavoidable. Luckily, the base formula remains the same as last time out, and when you parse out Future History in singles and slices for the weekend, titles like “That’s My Shhh” and “Don’t Wanna Go Home” come true.