Free Yourself
Encyclopedia
Free Yourself is the debut album by American Idol
winner Fantasia Barrino
, which was released on November 23, 2004. The album was a great success for Barrino, selling over 240,000 units in its first week, and reaching number eight on the United States
Billboard 200
chart. Free Yourself is certified platinum in the US and has been nominated for more than twenty awards, four of which were Grammy Awards.
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
winner Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino commonly known as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer, Broadway and television actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which...
, which was released on November 23, 2004. The album was a great success for Barrino, selling over 240,000 units in its first week, and reaching number eight on the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. Free Yourself is certified platinum in the US and has been nominated for more than twenty awards, four of which were Grammy Awards.
Singles
The album had a series of hit singles with "Truth Is", "Baby Mama",and the title track, "Free Yourself", being huge R&B hits. With two of those songs reaching number one on the US Adult R&B Airplay chart, one being "Truth Is" which achieved a record stay at number one on the chart for a female artist at fourteen weeks. "It's All Good" was a Club hit reaching the top 10, and "Ain't Gonna Beg You" received radio airplay.Track listing
- "Ain't Gon' Beg You" – 4:14 (Damon Thomas, Harvey Mason Jr., Antonio Dixon)
- "Free YourselfFree Yourself (song)"Free Yourself" was the fourth single and is the title track of Fantasia's debut album Free Yourself. The song peaked at #41 on The Billboard Hot 100 and like "Truth Is" was a major success on the R&B charts. The single reached number three on the US R&B/Hip Hop chart, and peaked at number one on...
" – 4:18 (Craig Brockman, Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
) - "Truth IsTruth Is"Truth Is" was the second single single released by Fantasia from her debut album, Free Yourself. The song peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and had great success on the U.S. R&B 100 chart, peaking at No. 2 and setting a record for the longest stay at No. 1 for a female artist on the...
" – 3:55 (Ronald IsleyRonald IsleyRonald Isley is an American singer and is known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.-Career:...
, O'Kelly Isley, Jr.O'Kelly Isley, Jr.O'Kelly Isley, Jr. , better known as Kelly Isley, was an American singer and one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
, Rudolph IsleyRudolph IsleyRudolph Bernard Isley , better known as Rudy Isley, is an American singer-songwriter and is one of the founding members of the legendary family group, The Isley Brothers.-Biography:...
, Ernie IsleyErnie IsleyErnest "Ernie" Isley is a member of the iconic American musical ensemble, The Isley Brothers.-Life and career:Ernie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, where his older brothers formed The Isley Brothers, first as a gospel group, then as a secular-singing group. In 1960 his family moved to Englewood and...
, Marvin IsleyMarvin IsleyMarvin Isley was the youngest member of the family music group the Isley Brothers and its bass guitarist....
, Carsten Schack, Alex Cantrell) - "Selfish (I Want You to Myself)" (featuring Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
& Jazmine SullivanJazmine SullivanJazmine Marie Sullivan is an American recording artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also the protégé of rapper Missy Elliott. Her debut single "Need U Bad" reached number one on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, while her second single, "Bust Your Windows" peaked at number four...
) – 3:24 (Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
) - "SummertimeSummertime (song)"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP....
" – 2:46 (George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, DuBose HeywardDuBose HeywardEdwin DuBose Heyward was a white American author best known for his 1925 novel Porgy. This novel was the basis for the play by the same name and, in turn, the opera Porgy and Bess with music by George Gershwin.-Life and career:Heyward was born in 1885 in Charleston, South Carolina and was a...
, Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
) - "Baby Mama" – 4:15 (Barbara Acklin, Vito Colapietro, Neely Dinkins, Harold Lilly, Eugene Record)
- "Got Me Waiting" – 3:51 (Ciara Harris, Jermaine DupriJermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, Johnta Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox) - "It's All Good" – 4:05 (Rodney Jenkins, Ricky Lewis, Sean GarrettSean GarrettGarrett Hamler, better known by his stage name Sean Garrett is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. He has produced fifteen number one singles in only seven years of producing music. That number puts him in fifth place on the Billboard list of producers with the most number...
) - "You Were Always on My Mind" – 3:43 (Johnny Christopher, Mark JamesMark James (songwriter)Mark James is a songwriter, famous for writing hits for singers B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley, most notably Elvis' last US number one hit single, "Suspicious Minds."-History:...
, Wayne Carson Thompson) - "Good Lovin'" – 3:53 (Craig Brockman, Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
) - "Don't Act Right" (featuring Jazze PhaJazze PhaPhalon Anton Alexander , also known as Jazze Pha , is an American singer, and songwriter.raised in Memphis, TN; son of James Alexander ....
) – 4:03 (Phalon Alexander, Charles Pettaway, Johnta Austin, Zachary Wallace) - "This Is Me" – 3:33 (Damon Thomas, Harvey Mason Jr., Antonio Dixon)
- "I BelieveI Believe (Fantasia song)"I Believe" is the debut single released by singer and American Idol season 3 winner, Fantasia Barrino. The song significantly helped Fantasia rise to fame. The song was co-written by former American Idol contestant Tamyra Gray.-History:...
" – 5:00 (Louis BiancanielloLouis BiancanielloLouis John Biancaniello is a songwriter, record producer, and musician.-Background:Louis' skills were developed while working alongside producer Narada Michael Walden with whom he produced hits for Shanice "I Love Your Smile", Whitney Houston "I'm Every Woman" from the Grammy winning album The...
, Tamyra GrayTamyra GrayTamyra Monica Gray is an American actress, singer and songwriter, who finished fourth place on the first season of the musical reality competition American Idol in 2002. Record and television executive Simon Cowell — who judged the show for nine seasons — was disappointed when she was voted off...
, Sam WattersSam WattersSam Watters is a Grammy nominated American songwriter, record producer, singer, and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990’s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including “I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor”, and “All 4 Love”...
)
Awards
- 2006: ASCAP R&B/Hip-Hop Awards: "Free Yourself"
- 2006: ASCAP R&B/Hip-Hop Awards: "Truth Is"