Akon is one of the biggest names in hip hop & R&B, he’s collaborated with countless artists such as: Gwen Stefani, Shontelle, Eminem, T Pain, Snoop Dogg & Lil Wayne among many others. Akon’s real name is Aliaune Thiam although he once announced that his name was Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam! Akon hails from Senegal. Akon became the first artist ever to hold the number one & number two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart twice.

Akon’s third album ‘Freedom’ was released 2nd December 2008 & is the first album of his not to carry a ‘Parental Advisory’ sign on it which is another sign that he wants to become more mainstream. The album debuted at number 7 in the US. Currently the album has sold 512,276 copies.

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Track List

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1) Right Now (Na Na Na) (4.01)

This was the first single released from the album & probably the most annoyingly catchy. The song peaked at number 5 on the UK charts. I hated this song when it first came out but after a couple of listens I really came round to it. This is a song that was constantly being played in the clubs & is a great upbeat song. It starts off slow with the first verse but then the beat comes in on the chorus & it becomes faster & more upbeat. I must admit that I actually prefer the remix of this with features Kat Deluna, it’s a female reply to the song & blends well this Akon’s version.
4/5

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2) Beautiful (5.13)

Beautiful is the second single to be released from the album in the UK but in the US it’s the third, after I’m So Paid. This is my favourite song on the album, my friend sent me this before I had the album & even knew it was being released & I fell in love with it, this is a song that I constantly have on in the car. Beautiful is another upbeat song that will is already doing it’s rounds in the clubs. This song features Colby O’Donis & Kardinal Offishal. Both are relatively new to the scene but you may have heard of them. Colby O’Donis featured on Lady GaGa’s monster hit Just Dance & Kardinal Offishal had a big hit with Dangerous, with the help of Akon. I predict that this song will do really well in the charts.
5/5

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3) Keep You Much Longer (4.18)

This is one of the more chilled out songs on the album & one of my personal favourites, it reminds me of a cheesy foreign pop record from the 90’s with the beat but this song isn’t cheesy. In America this song made it into the charts without even being released, it made it from iTunes downloads only. This isn’t a song that I can imagine will be much of a club banger, it’s more of a song that you can sit home & chill out to. This is a nice change from Akon’s normal upbeat, club songs.
4/5

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4) Troublemaker (3.57)

This is the song that’s grown on me the most, I didn’t especially like this at first but after a couple of listens I like it now. It includes Akon’s usual catchy chorus, this is probably the most similar song to all his other releases but if somethings not broken don’t fix it! This is a really good upbeat song, not one that you can really sing along to but it’s something that sticks in my head for ages & I find myself humming along to when I’m at work after having it on in the car.
4/5

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5) We Don’t Care (3.34)

This is a song that I took to straight away, it’s got a really catchy intro & when Akon starts singing & doing is usual ‘oh oh oh’s’ I knew I liked it. This song does get a bit tiresome after you’ve listened to it a couple of times & I do believe that there are better songs on the album but this song deserves some recognition.
3/5

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6) I’m So Paid (3.26)

This song features Lil Wayne on it & when I noticed that I skipped straight to this song as I’m a big fan of his, it also features Young Weezy. This song is really catchy & I believe it’s the third song to be released from the album. This song, despite being catchy is completely egotistical, in it he’s basically just bragging about how much money he has. This is probably the most unnecessary song on the album. This is really catchy but after listening to it a couple of times it quite bugged me because it’s one of those songs that just builds up his masculinity, it’s basically just a more inventive way of sticking a pair of socks down your boxers!
3/5

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7) Holla Holla (3.00)

This is a song that I had considerably high hopes for as it features one of my favourite artists in the form of T Pain. Akon & T Pain have collaborated on numerous occasions & with few exceptions I’ve liked all their songs. This is one of those few exceptions, I was really disappointed with this song, this is probably my least favourite track on the album, when if first heard this I thought it would be something that I would grow to like as it seemed like a really laid back track but after a couple of minutes in I just got incredibly bored. Holla Holla is extremely repetitive.
2/5

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8) Against The Grain (3.46)

This song, is a relatively better song than the previous one ‘Holla Holla’ but like the previous song it’s really slow & gets boring quickly. This is another of the weaker songs on the album & another one that I tend to avoid when listening to this album. This is another song that I wouldn’t recommend. It just sounds like a chance for Akon to whine which is extremely annoying.
2/5

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9) Be With You (3.49)

This is a song that, unlike the previous two isn’t boring but it’s a slow song. I personally think that Akon should stick to what he does best which is the upbeat songs, he’s brilliant at producing them. This is by no means one of my favourites on the album but it’s one that I don’t mind listening to from time to time, it’s not something I could listen to on a regular basis like some of the others on this album. This is another quite disappointing track.
3/5

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10) Sunny Day (3.15)

This song features the talents of Wyclef Jean, the man who helped launch the career of Destiny’s Child with his remix of their ‘No No No’ song. He’s also the guy responsible for Shakira’s massive hit ‘Hips Don’t Lie’. This is yet another slow paced & dull song, not something that I listen to much & not something that I would recommend to anyone else.
2/5

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11) Birthmark (3.59)

Of all the slow songs on the album this is one that actually works… well it’s nothing special but it’s better than the other slow songs on the album. Out of all the rubbish songs on the album this is my favourite, I can’t work out if that’s a compliment or not!
2/5

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12) Over The Edge (4.20)

Finally a more upbeat song, I was starting to get seriously depressed after listening to all of the slow songs on this album. This is one of the better songs on the album, not the best but better than a lot of the others. This has got quite a catchy chorus & after hearing this song a couple of times I really liked it. It’s quite a dark song if you listen to the lyrics but it’s one of the catchier ones.
3/5

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13) Freedom (4.12)

At last a really good song. This is the most meaningful song on the album, he’s talking about where he’s come from & who helped him to get where he is today. He’s pretty much paying homage to everyone in his life. The chorus is really catchy & one that you can easily sing along to. This is definitely the most powerful song on the album & one that I’ve found myself listening to on many occasion. This is without doubt one of the more quality songs on the album.

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14) Clap Again (5.11)

As soon as I heard this I knew it was one that I would like. The intro goes on for quite a while but it’s there for a good reason, it manages to set the atmosphere in a way. This is one my favourite track on the album. I think this song is a bit too long & could have easily been shortened but it’s a really meaningful song that you can easily listen to over & over again without getting tired of it. The music’s really powerful & it has lyrics to match.
4/5

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Best song: Clap Again, Beautiful

Worst song: Holla Holla, really disappointing considering that this features T Pain.

Overall I was really disappointed with this album, I’ve got Akon’s other two albums & was really impressed, this one doesn’t compare at all. With the exception of a few good songs this is mainly slow, boring songs that don’t match his voice or style of music at all. I think he’s really good at creating upbeat songs that you can sing & dance to & this song has a couple but the majority are almost ballad like songs that don’t do him any favours.

Freedom is currently available from iTunes for £6.99 & on CD from play.com for £8.95. After hearing the album I wish I hadn’t paid to download this from iTunes, I should have downloaded a couple that I liked as to be honest out of 14 songs there are actually only a couple that I like! This really is nothing compared to his previous releases.