Monday 13 January 2014

Akon- Freedom Album Review



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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