The biggest phenomenon in popular music today is the show American Idol. Right out of the gate it captivated the heart and ears of America, culminating in its first season with the victory of Kelly Clarkson. Season two took the show to new heights, thanks to Clay Aiken and Reuben Studdard, and the current season is garnering some of the best ratings yet. American Idol shows no signs of slowing down, and even many of the contestants who did not win are releasing albums to success.

Enter RJ Helton. Helton, one of the original finalists from the first season of the show, became well known for openly expressing his faith in and love for Jesus. Though he did not win, people in the church took notice of the young man and he hasn't been far from their conscience in his time off the stage.  The big question leading up to this release was whether he would pull a Justin Guarini, disappointing critics and the majority of pop music fans, or echo Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken's success.

The answer is a definitive nod to the latter.  Real Life is a masterfully produced pop album. Helton delves into pop, R&B, hip-hop, adult contemporary, Latin, and rock. Produced by Sam Mizell, Reed Vertelney, Tommy Simms, Bernie Herms, Michael Carney, Andy Duncan, Shaun Shankel, and Phil Sillas, there clearly was a team of experts at work on the project in an attempt to present Helton in the best possible light. When you have this many cooks in the kitchen it is too easy to end up with a meal that is just a mis-matched mish-mash of sounds. Just ask Britney Spears. Real Life somehow avoids those pitfalls and, though musically diverse, is bigger than the sum of its parts. The closest comparison is probably the recent Justin Timberlake album, sans Timberlake's nasally vocals. Timberlake probably pushes the creative envelope a bit more, but the diversified pop sounds that Helton collects here do compare favorably.

It's a rare album that captures and holds my attention from the very first listen. Real Life sounds so great and is so well crafted that not even Simon Cowell should be able to frown at what is presented here. I don't know how many units this will sell, because I'm not sure how well mainstream radio will embrace what they're presented with - "Missing Me" might be his best chance at a hit. But it's a no-brainer for pop music fans that are Christians. Helton proves that you don't have to win or even come in second on American Idol to deserve a recording contract. This is easily the best pop album, Christian or mainstream, that I have heard so far this year.