‘BlownBoy Ru’: Ruger can do it all, but he needs to do it well [Album review]

The ability to effortlessly shapeshift across genre lines is Ruger’s most potent weapon and on his sophomore album, he deploys this weapon as he sets out on a new chapter.

Ruger’s sophomore album had to be a big statement of his ability to do it on his own. After walking away from Jonzing World, the onus was on him to show that he could do it alone.

He first tested the waters with a joint project with foe-turned-friend BNXN, which did what it was meant to do for both artists. With a strong digital presence, a plethora of female fans, and his brand consolidated, Ruger simply needed to deliver the music that matched his ambitions.

With ‘BlownBoy Ru,’ Ruger flexes his versatility, which at this point is indisputable. He, however, struggles to convey this range as a compelling sonically achieved unit.

A man whose artistry is defined by his dancehall leanings, which he interprets through sticky melodies, witty writing, and swaggering delivery, Ruger navigated multiple genres but ultimately failed to settle for one.

This might have been the goal. To show versatility. However, it came at the expense of an anchor needed to steady the project and provide experiential listening.

On the Drill-infused track 3 ‘Giveaway’, Ruger’s versatile melodies shine next to hitmaking rapper Zlatan who is equally skilled in making swashbuckling records. On track 4 ‘Jay Jay,’ he switches to the street famous Dancehall Ragga style to reiterate his status as an unrepentant playboy.

While these four opening records are individually accomplished, they lack the sonic balance required to give the album a sonic identity.

Even when Ruger followed up the Ragga style on ‘Jay Jay,’ with a similar Galala bounce on the steamy ‘Dudu’ featuring Kramium, the waist swirling fire the song ignites is quickly doused by the mid-tempo long drum punctuated ‘Rub Minds,’ where he attempts to sing his way into a tryst.

The experience, while late, still came in the last half of the album where his rich R&B melodies and impressive vocals defines the album.

On ‘Wish You Well,’ Jamaican Valient perfectly complements Ruger, who is at his most emotional as he says a painful goodbye to a lover while, in typical narcissistic fashion, insisting she won’t find anyone better.

The album reaches a heartwarming peak with the heart-pouring R&B record ‘Toro’. If Ruger’s self-awareness as a flawed man and lover is impressive, what is even more captivating is the stunning melodies with which he conveyed his thoughts.

This song is another emphatic display from an artist whose ability to mold melodies would give many R&B stars from this side of the world a run for their money.

R&B Ruger is Ruger at his finest. You get genre-bending fusion and the most seductive melodies. He delivers these moments in ’99’ and ‘Run Away’ while fitting in his dancehall and Afrobeats influences.

Finally, we get the boastful and confrontational Ruger on ‘Hell Cat’ where he celebrates his success, flambouyant stagemanship, and his grip on the female folks.

And if at all listeners ever wondered what Ruger is about, he makes that clear on the album’s closer with an anthem that communicates his status as an unrepentant playboy, a hitmaker, and a man who likes winning.

On ‘BlownBoy Ru,’ Ruger suffers from a similar fate as other vastly talented artists who struggle to fit their compelling versatility within the framework of an album.

While the album offers varying sounds, it lacks the identity and arrangement required to offer experiential listening.

So far, it’s clear that Ruger can do it all, but he needs to figure out a way to do it well by finding a core for his free-flowing melodies and swaggering dancefloor flows.

Ratings: /10

• 0-1.9: Flop

• 2.0-3.9: Near fall

• 4.0-5.9: Average

• 6.0-7.9: Victory

• 8.0-10: Champion

Pulse Rating: /10

Album Sequencing: 1.3/2

Songwriting, Themes, and Delivery: 1.6/2

Production: 1.5/2

Enjoyability and Satisfaction: 1.3/2

Execution: 1.3/2

TOTAL – 7 – Victory