fantasia barrino free yourself itunes aac

This is enough to make Fantasia better as an album and statement of purpose than Free Yourself, but no matter how good tracks like 'Uneligible' sound - and with its fuzz-toned instrumental breaks and skeletal beats, the track does sound pretty great - it's hard not to wish that there were hooks as memorable as the production. There are exceptions - the previously mentioned 'Hood Boy' and 'Baby Makin' Hips,' of course, but also a handful of others, such as the slow-burning 'Two Weeks Notice,' co-written by Missy Elliott - but this is a record that rides on its sound, whether it's coming from Fantasia or from the producers, who always present her at her best.

That leaves the only problem of the record: the songs aren't all that great. So, the sound is right on Fantasia, as is Barrino's performance: she delivers on the promise she displayed on the show, sounding like a full-throttle powerhouse on the faster songs and smoldering on the slower ones.

Even when things slow down for the ballads Fantasia never sounds schlocky the songs sound made for DJs and clubs, which is why the album is at its best when it sticks close to that updated '70s soul feel, as on 'Baby Makin' Hips' which doesn't hit as hard as 'Hood Boy' but it's equally alluring in its cool reserve. It's inspired in concept and delivery, as Barrino puts her all into it and it works: with this one track, she sheds her AmIdol past and remakes herself into a vibrant, vital diva. Like Destiny's Child in Soldier, Fantasia is celebrating thugs, and with the day-glo Supremes sample skipping and stuttering in circles, 'Hood Boy' sounds not unlike an updated version of Ike & Tina, as Fantasia desperately pledges her devotion to strong men.

Fantasia is a hard R&B album through and through, a distinction made clear by the album-opening 'Hood Boy,' a dynamite single built on a blaring Supremes sample and featuring a rap from Big Boi that sets the tone for the rest of the record. Since it adheres to just one style of music, Fantasia is a more consistent album than her debut it has a sense of purpose and it takes greater risks in the production, two things which make it a bolder, better album than Free Yourself.

Fantasia barrino free yourself itunes aac