You may not like what Michael Buble does, but you have to respect him. Not because he has an incredible voice. Nor because he's sold millions of records worldwide.

No, the main reason the Canadian smooth jazz crooner is deserving of -- at the very least -- a grudging kudo or two is because he knows what he is, he knows what he does and he's incredibly comfortable with it.

It's something the personable vocalist learned from his mentor, producer David Foster, who's helped make Buble a household name, using the same ingredient Foster's own work is known for.

"I don't think I can make these records without him," the young singer says from his hometown of Vancouver.

"He brings this pop --" Buble stops, searching for the word, "sometimes corniness, OK? But it's weird, sometimes cheese sells. I don't know how else to say it. Pop spelled backwards is 'cheese.' He has that thing.

"I remember reading a review of his, a best-of and someone just killed him, and he smiled at me and said, 'Well, if nobody but the people like me, I'm doing OK.'

"There's a reason they call it easy listening," Buble says, "it's easy to listen to."

So far, more than 3.4 million people have found Buble's self-titled debut easy to listen to, while his latest release, It's Time, debuted this past February at No. 1 in eight countries and has since sold more than 2 million discs.

The 29-year-old, who performs a sold-out show Sunday night at the Round-Up Centre, is enjoying life as a sophomore at the head of the class of adult contemporary music, especially because he's much more confident with this album.

"I thought the first CD was good but this second CD for me is so much easier to sell," he says.

"This is my record -- I walked into the studio and I got to make my record.

"On the first record it was really safe, you know. David had kind of controlled that and made sure I got the chance to make a second record.

"It's so much easier when you truly believe in every song."

It's Time starts up where the debut left off, swinging from Sinatra's tree with predictable covers such as I've Got You Under My Skin and even the Beatles' tune Can't Buy Me Love.

But the album also takes a few extra chances, including a duet with fellow West Coast Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado on Quando, Quando, Quando as well as an original Buble track, Home.

"I'm going to try to do it every time, I'm going to try to step a little bit more outside," he says, before acknowledging how difficult it is to walk the line between pleasing himself, his fans and those who get paid to judge him.

"But it's so tough, man, you want critics to like you so much. I love these artists that say, 'I don't care what the critics say.' You know what, yes you do -- you do care.

"You wake up in the morning and you read a critique that isn't kind and it hurts your feelings, because you want everyone to like you.

"But at the same time, you've got to be prepared to wake up some mornings and read the (stuff) you don't want to read to make the record you think you need to make."

For now he can enjoy the fruits of those decisions, which includes touring the world, selling even more albums and meeting famous fans such as Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, who admitted to Buble to singing along to It's Time every morning while making breakfast.

"It's gonna all fall apart soon," Buble laughs about his incredible streak of well-earned luck.

"When things are this good they always do. That's why I just enjoy it while I'm in it -- nothing lasts forever."