Donnie Klang

The fabulously coiffed Donnie Klang is a suave pop dynamo gunning to give the reigning king of white pop—that'd be Justin TimberlakePMS—a run for his scratch. Will Klang succeed in dethroning the Teflon Timberlake, who is beloved by several factions of pop culture and the mainstream media? Only time can write the ending to Klang's story, but he possesses an arsenal stocked with the necessary tools to aid his quest to become a household name and ultimately usurp the 'Lake. Make no mistake, though. These two aren't beefing; we're simply juxtaposing the present and future of male pop titans!

Now, about the music. On Just a Rolling Stone, Klang's cocksure vocal posturing and verbal swagger are formulaic pop conventions that could have walked right off the set of American Idol. One thing is for sure, however. This album is geared expressly towards women, and Klang will have the ladies in the front row of his concerts swooning and hiking up their skirts—thanks to this delicious collection of audio fluff. Every morsel on Just a Rolling Stone looks, tastes and feels good. It's as though the album was manufactured from a pop music assembly line that was designed by people wearing suits in corporate boardrooms.

Klang may offer expected fare but that doesn't stop him from being absolutely volcanic. That's a result of hot beats and the singer's deft use of his falsetto vocals on jams like the sexalicious "Dr. Love" and "Take You There," which boasts an impressive cameo by Diddy, who just happens to be the founder of and head honcho at Bad Boy, the label releasing this record. How's that for an instant cred injection for Klang? There's also a decent, if requisite, ballad, the likeable "Pick it Up."

All the ducks line up in a row for Klang on Just a Rolling Stone. The album pulsates with percussion so thunderous that it'll make the floor beneath your feet shake, while Klang's creamy smooth voice often melts into the flood of beats. The record certainly isn't organic, but Klang is more of a performer than a musician, and it's doubtful he set out to do anything but exactly that. Klang is no joke when it comes to performance pop, and with Diddy in his corner, he's primed to go even further. JT should make note that Klang will soon be knocking at his door, even if it's not at the point where he needs to watch his back!

— Amy Sciarretto
09.05.08

A protégé of hip-hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, R&B vocalist Donnie Klang was also a member of the fourth season of Diddy's MTV show Making the Band. A fan favorite, Diddy ultimately didn't pick Klang to join his boy band, but instead offered the burgeoning idol a solo contract on Bad Boy records. 2008's Just a Rolling Stone is the product of that signing. Replete with spoken word interludes in which Klang answers the question, "Have you ever had your heart broken?" and "Do you want to find love?," -- the answer is yes, but ever the romantic, Klang says he doesn't want to force it but wants to, "meet a girl out of nowhere and be like, wow like, this was unexpected." -- the album generally plays to Klang's intended audience of dewy-eyed teen girls enamored with Klang's nasally vocals and gelled-up hairdo. Just a Rolling Stone features a few catchy tracks like the campy, club-ready "Dr. Love" and silly if admittedly fun "Hollwood Girl," an obvious ode to club girls. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide