Akon: Freedom (Reviews)

1. Right Now (Na Na Na)
2. Beautiful (feat. Colby O’Donis & Kardinal Offishall)
3. Keep You Much Longer
4. Troublemaker (feat. Sweet Rush)
5. We Don’t Care
6. I’m So Paid (feat. Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne)
7. Holla Holla (feat. T-Pain)
8. Against The Grain (feat. Ray Lavender)
9. Be With You
10. Sunny Day (feat. Wyclef Jean)
11. Birthmark
12. Over The Edge
13. Freedom

Via 411Mania

Akon’s done it again with his newest album entitled Freedom which was changed from Acquitted by Akon’s label Universal Music. Unfortunately we missed out on a duet with Akon and Michael Jackson, but I’m sure that’s floating around somewhere. Despite Akon’s time in jail and his crazy misfortune with an under-aged girl in a club in Trinidad and Tobago he can’t seem to miss with this new release from Konvict Muzik. That being said, let’s get to it, shall we?

Akon brings his third studio album since he began the chase in 2004. Akon has brought quite a bit to the table as far as the r&b/hip-hop/dance/pop world is concerned with singles that have clung to the charts for what seems like ages. Singles such as “Locked Up”, “Lonely”, “Belly Dancer (Bananza)”, “Pot of Gold”, and “Ghetto” have paved the way for Akon and Konvict Muzik to hit the charts and stick. On this, Akon’s newest CD we get guest appearances from other people on the Konvict Muzik label such as Ray Lavender, Colby O’Donis, Kardinal Offishall, and perhaps most notably T-Pain who has two gold records with the label.

Let’s get most of the meat of this review out of the way in one sentence,. This CD is great for the clubs and perhaps for driving down the road trying to find something to put in your cars, but the lyrics are your basic run-of-the-mill R&B song lyrics and leave you a little empty. The one thing I can say for Akon is that he has a pretty decent voice, he’s got a great look, and he’s got great promoters. The fact that he was integral in the production of this CD is a good thing too as the tracks always seem to come across better when the artist takes an active role in the production process. Of course Akon had help by the likes of Giorgio Tuinfort, RedOne who produced tracks for New Kids On The Block and Enrique Iglesias, and T-Pain among others.

There are only two real faults that I can find in this album. One is the lyrical content. Unfortunately Akon isn’t exactly the sharpest when it comes to lyrics, though I do have to say that the lyrical content isn’t BAD, it’s just nothing spectacular. In songs like “Be With You”, it’s the typical, “I don’t care what they say, I’m gonna be with you” song. Most of the songs like “Keep You Much Longer” and “Right Now (Na Na Na)” are also your basic R&B formula songs. The other fault that I can find is the amount of slow songs on the album. I will say that this doesn’t particularly take away from the rating for the album, because there’s something to be said for having a slower album to showcase your ability, but I could’ve used one or two more fast club-style songs on the CD as that’s what we’ve come to expect from Akon.

Overall Score: 8/10

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Also:

Via Timesonline

As the owner of a diamond mine, Akon will be suffering right now, with the price of the gemstones falling dramatically. Not to worry, though, because money can’t buy you love — and love, judging by the lyrics on Freedom, is what Akon really wants. Those who have seen his raunchy live show may wonder if love isn’t a euphemism, but just one listen to Freedom will convince you that the man is really just a soppy old romantic. Sure, there’s the obligatory nod to more urban values on “I’m So Paid”, but for the most part Akon is applying his gift for hooks to explaining that he’d like to Be With You or Keep You Much Longer. The autotune vocals and 1980s aesthetic — tinny beats and digital synths — start out fresh, but, over 14 similarly produced tracks, soon get boring.

Overall Score: 2/5

Also:

Via Blender

Over two albums and countless guest hooks, Akon has done his best to replicate genuine human feelings—unbridled lust on “Smack That,” gangsta menace on “Soul Survivor,” chick-flick love on “Don’t Matter.” But there’s something robotically blank about him. Even when he sang, “I wanna fuck you,” he sounded about as hot and bothered as an operating system. On album three, he tests out heartbreak, and his emotional wiring doesn’t cooperate. “Poor me” doesn’t suit the guy—he’s invincible! He tosses fans like basketballs! “I was wrong for fallin’ in love,” he laments on “Against the Grain,” a cautionary tale about stripper romance. The song might have succeeded in the hands of his friend, unabashed goof T-Pain, but Akon’s stern anti-ho stance is a bummer. Meanwhile, the malaise is juxtaposed with Europop beats possibly pilfered from an As Seen on TV comp. Will somebody please replace this man’s batteries?

Overall Score: 2.5/5 1. Right Now (Na Na Na) 2. Beautiful (feat. Colby O’Donis & Kardinal Offishall) 3. Keep You Much Longer 4. Troublemaker (feat. Sweet Rush) 5. We Don’t Care 6. I’m So Paid (feat. Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne) 7. Holla Holla (feat. T-Pain) 8. Against The Grain (feat. Ray Lavender) 9. Be With You 10. Sunny Day (feat. Wyclef Jean) 11. Birthmark 12. Over The Edge 13. [...]

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