Music Review

10 January 2009 00:59 BST

Akon: Freedom

Island Records Group, out December 1st.

In a nutshell…

Simple but catchy lyrics, smooth Senegalese vocals

What's it all about?

Featuring 13 tracks plus a bonus song, Akon's album is packed with big-name R 'n' B stars such as Wyclef, Lil Wayne and Kardinal Offishall. There is no doubt this will be a big follow-up to Konvicted, but all the songs do blend into similar sounds. However, with no big risks it is hard to find fault - the songs stay in your head, he has a chilled-out voice and overall a nice move away from the not very subtle Smack That!

Who's it by?

Akon, the guy who some may link I Wanna Love You and Smack That to, but actually burst into the charts in 2004 with Locked Up and the annoyingly catchy and slightly odd Lonely. However, those with more in-depth music knowledge may know that he has produced songs for stars including Michael Jackson, Gwen Stefani and Leona Lewis - listen out for the Konvict he throws into every offering.

Impressively, he has apparently sold over eight million albums worldwide, one million of which in the UK. And with two UK number one singles and a number one album, Akon is one of those artists who sings more hits than you first realised.

As an example...

"And no one knows why I'm into you /Coz you'll never knows what it's like to walk in our shoes/And no one knows the things we've been through/Can never measure up to half of what I've put you through." - Be With You

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys

There is not one bad track on the album but at the same time there is not one outstanding one. However, Akon is consistent and gets it right every time, meaning I did not have to skip through with boredom. One of those albums where all 14 songs will be returned to, rather than having one standout track with a load of fillers. Probably more likely to win an accolade for his producing than singing, but really, that is not a bad thing.

What the others say

"Beneath the digital production and R2D2 vocals, Akon is secretly an old-fashioned romantic and his third album is his most heart-on-sleeve .... most of Freedom is pure melodrama about love and love lost... " - Rolling Stone

So is it any good?

The record kicks off with Right Now (Na Na Na) probably the most catchy and upbeat of the album. In fact, the rest of the songs are fairly mellow and a bit more grown-up than previous offerings. Be With You has some slightly embarrassing lyrics such as "you're considered wifey" and "I ain't going nowhere from my muffin", but it is actually quite a nice song. Meanwhile, Against The Grain featuring Ray Lavender is one of the more noticeable tracks and fits the King of Pain label that Rolling Stone gave Akon - all about unforbidden love.

I'm So Paid with Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy is another single that has been released from this album, but I can't say that I've ever heard it. Freedom, which of course also features the signature Konvict and jail bars sound effect, details his family struggles. But rather than focus on the negative aspects - skipping school, jail - Akon turns it into a story about wanting to make life better. And with what appears to be another chart success and stars clamouring to work with him, you may say that Akon has done just that.

The bonus track, Clap Again, repeats the word ghetto a lot, but since this is an extra song the theme does not impede into the rest of the album, which is a good thing, because every artist these days seems to have a sob story. Accept Akon has learnt to leave it where it belongs - in the past.

7/10

Rachel Jones