Album- Freedom
Artist- Akon
Not that long ago American singer and rapper Akon was on top
within the music industry, producing such hit singles as ‘Lonely’ and ‘Smack
That’. But since the release of his last studio record the singer has been
really quiet with his music. Whilst he hasn’t completely disappeared altogether
through featuring on a number of other artist’s songs, the singer has only
released a handful of failed solo singles for his much delayed fourth studio
album Stadium. But was the singers last album really that good, and should the
public really want him back?
Track 1- Right Now
(Na Na Na)
The records lead single, Right Now opens up the album with a
strong dance pop offering that signals the singers delving into different types
of music genre, diverting away from what people would expect from him. The
songs lyrical composition is quite simple as the singer repeatedly sings of how
he wants to just make love to this girl right now and how he wished they had
not broken up. Whilst the song is perhaps lyrically bland and will appeal more to
a male consumer, the ‘na na na’ hook is somehow ridiculously catchy. The singer
gives us a smooth vocal performance that keeps things simple and allows the
snappy dance beats to work on the listener, and really this song is just a
whole package of something that is really simple and perhaps shouldn’t work,
but which is actually really effective and will make you want to dance a bit.
3.5/5
Track 2- Beautiful
(featuring Colby O’Donis and Kardinal Offishall)
The dance pop vibe continues with Beautiful, but this time
the singer is a bit more charismatic and instead of just saying that he wants
to make love to this girl he simply tells this girl that she is so beautiful.
References to clubs aside, the songs lyrically sharp and catchy, with guest
artist Coby O’Donis providing a sweet and smooth vocal performance that
compliments Akon’s slightly deeper but equally as smooth vocals, whilst
Kardinal Offishall provides a nice rap for the bridge to give the song a bit of
a hip hop edge. The blend of snappy dance beats and bubbly synths creates this
euphoric, light tone to the song that compliments the lyrical message, making
this song that much more believable.
3.5/5
Track 3- Keep You
Much Longer
With Keep You Much Longer Akon goes a bit deeper with his
emotion and expresses how he wishes that he could keep this girl with him for
longer, but he realises that he has to let her go. The message is sweet and the
repetitive nature of the chorus makes the song catchy, with the repetition also
giving the track an essence of sincerity. However some of the lyrics in the
verses are terribly clichéd, making the song a bit of an uncomfortable listen.
The contrast of the slight rap styled verses with the lilting vocal of the
chorus gives the song some added depth, whilst Akon also shows off some of his
range in the chorus to good effect. The bubbly electro pop and dance ready
production is light and infectious and continues to nicely show how keeping
things simple with the sound is good, although at this point the sound is
perhaps a little too familiar.
3.5/5
Track 4- Troublemaker
(featuring Sweet Rush)
Released as a promotional single from the record,
Troublemaker still has a prominent electronic tone, but the flow of the
production and the vocal performance gives this track more of a prominent RnB
flavour compared to the previous songs. Akon definitely shows off his rap
skills to better effect within this song, and although some of the images he
invokes are clichéd rapper statements, overall the song has a catchy quality,
with the contrast of the snappy verses with the soft chorus working well. The
song focuses on Akon simply telling this girl that he is a trouble maker,
whilst Sweet Rush provides a simple vocal moment for the chorus to give the
song a little male female dynamic. The punchy, forceful beats of the production
creates a slick, stomping groove for the track that is fun and which melds well
with how Akon is trying to exude this quality of being a trouble maker.
3.5/5
Track 5- We Don’t
Care
Originally titled ‘Could You Be the Reason’, We Don’t Care
is another RnB and dance pop track in which we find Akon on the dance floor
with a girl, but this time he is so captivated by this girl that they are just
grinding on the dance floor and don’t care that people are watching and judging
them. The repeated hook of ‘we don’t care’ is catchy but overall the song feels
like something that Akon could have produced really easily, and the song just
lacks charisma or originality. The singers vocal style also wears thin at this
point, whilst the frenzied electro beats and hand claps of the production just
gives the song a light dance sound that is expected from this album.
2.5/5
Track 6- I’m So Paid
(featuring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy)
I’m So Paid is another song that lacks originality in terms
of what Akon sings about and raps, but the song is a welcome change in the
album in giving us more of RnB and hip hop based song. Here we find Akon and
guest artists Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy rapping about being hustlers and just
having lots of money and having fun with their money. This kind of rapping
feels very bland in today’s music landscape, but each of the artists do give us
well executed raps that feels like they mean what they are saying, and the song
will definitely appeal to guys who want a rapper’s lifestyle. The whole groove
of the song gives us much more of a snappy hip hop groove, although this style
is ruined a little by the Auto Tune used on Akon’s and Wayne’s vocals, which is
quite annoying to hear.
3/5
Track 7- Holla Holla
(featuring T-Pain)
Another promotional single and another more hip hop based
song, Holla Holla focuses on Akon rapping about how he wants this girl to show
him what she can do, and how he is trying to holla holla at this girl. The
message of the song feels very much like the two rappers are just viewing this
girl as an object, and the whole lyrical composition just feels bland and a bit
offensive. The vocal style of the track is also heavily Auto Tuned and it just
makes the song feel very robotic and bland, whilst the sound of the track
features snappy electro beats that are so safe and typical of the record’s
style that it feels like Akon isn’t even trying anymore.
1.5/5
Track 8- Against the
Grain (featuring Ray Lavender)
Finally with Against the Grain Akon goes for a change in his
lyrical sentiment. Although the clichéd elements do creep in with regards to
money and sex, the overall message of wishing that you had never fallen in love
with this girl is good and catchy in terms of the simplicity of the statement.
Ray Lavender provides a rich RnB vocal that compliments Akon’s vocal in terms
of Lavender’s vocals being a bit lighter and more falsetto led, giving Akon’s
vocals an added depth. The steady rhythm of the songs production works well and
even if it is simple it just works well, and we finally have a bit of change
within the record.
3.5/5
Track 9- Be With You
Be With You is a fun midtempo RnB pop moment within the
record, with the song having a slight summery tone. The song focuses on Akon
telling this girl of how they have been through things and how people don’t
really understand them, with the main crux of his lyrics focusing on him just
telling this girl he will be with her. The light flow of the chorus is
complimented by the smooth and charismatic style of Akon’s raps, and this whole
song works well because Akon exudes this charismatic quality and makes the song
feel like he is being totally truthful. Production wise the bubbly synth notes
and scattered electro flow creates a light summer vibe for the song that works
really well and makes you feel good as a listener.
3.5/5
Track 10- Sunny Day
(featuring Wyclef Jean)
What is great about Sunny Day is the way that the singer
seems to go more personal with his lyrics and moves away from focusing on love
and women. Instead we find Akon singing about how he is thankful that he
somehow managed to get out of his ghetto life, and now every day in his life is
like a sunny day because it is so good. Whilst the vocals of both Akon and Jean
are slightly annoying with the use of Auto Tune, overall the vocals are nice
and smooth and both artists exude this quality of being truly grateful. The
production work on the track is great as the melding of piano and dance beats
creates a bubbly feel to the track that is light and fresh and which makes the
song feel like a whole package of sunshine and fun.
3.5/5
Track 11- Birthmark
Birthmark has more of an old school RnB style with the use
of an acoustic guitar loop, with the overall sound of the track keeping the
vein of light and summery tones firmly going. But whilst this is a familiar
style within the record, the song still feels sharp and funny. Akon sings
within the song of how he wants to get on a plane with this girl and make a
stamp on her heart, as their relationship was great and he realises he messed
up. It is nice to see the singer play
this role of a man who realises he has done wrong, and although the lyrics
don’t necessarily leave a big impression on the listener, the singers vocal
performance is nicely layered and feels honest in its way. The more traditional
style of the production is great and gives the song a nice flow that adds to
the honesty of the song as a whole.
3/5
Track 12- Over the
Edge
Akon tales the melodrama up a notch with Over the Edge in
which he expresses feelings of being at a crossroads in his life and his wish
that someone will come and save him and just be there to support him. The
dramatic tone of the record definitely commands your attention and although the
vocal performance is a bit more yelling than smooth, the vocal does work well
in terms of making the lyrics feel more honest, whilst Akon also seems to exude
this quality of being vulnerable. The quirky electro notes blend well with the more
traditional RnB style of the track with the use of drums, creating this
forceful groove that makes the lyrical statement of being over the edge that
much more powerful.
3.5/5
Track 13- Freedom
Final track Freedom acts as the records title track and
seems to nicely sum up the record in terms of Akon having really expressed this
feeling of just being free and now being able to enjoy life. The lyrics are
sharp and personal as Akon raps of his thanks to specific individuals and
allowing his audience to have some of the details of his life. The chanting
style of the refrain is catchy and makes the song feel primed for inclusion as
an encore track for the artists live shows. Although the Auto Tuned vocal style
is annoying, the military style drums, finger snapping beats and subtle piano
creates this great sound that feels powerful but light and which perfectly
encapsulates that feeling of being totally free.
3.5/5
Final Review
Freedom is a smart album from Akon that blends hip hop and
RnB with dance and pop sounds to good effect, with the record definitely
feeling like a stylistic and artistic progression. Elements of the album are problematic
as some of the raps are so clichéd and egotistical, whilst on many occasions
the vocals are ruined quite a bit by the use of Auto Tune. However the singer
definitely manages to save the album by changing things up towards the latter
half and showing some personal depth within his lyrics, whilst overall the
production is simple but effective, creating a body of work that feels
cohesive. If a few tracks had been cut this probably would have been a great
album, but it is still a good record, and it is a record that does make me a
bit more eager for the next album.
6.5/10
Best Track- Beautiful
(featuring Colby O’Donis and Kardinal Offishall)
Worst Track- Holla
Holla (featuring T-Pain)
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