Freedom (Akon album)
Encyclopedia
Freedom is the third studio album by hip hop
and R&B
Senegal
ese-American singer and rapper Akon
. The album was originally named Acquitted, however Akon changed it before it was released. It was released as a download on December 1, 2008, and in stores December 2, 2008. Although there are some vulgarities on Freedom, it does not carry the Parental Advisory
warning, making it Akon's first album not to do so.
titled "Hold My Hand" was released to the Internet
and at first showings of the song was supposedly taken out by Akon's music label. The song was originally posted as an Akon demo with only Akon performing the song. The leaked song was rumored to be featured on both his and Jackson's own upcoming album. In an interview with MTV
, Akon was hopeful to include the song on the album. However, on October 17, Akon's label released information on the track listing and the album does not feature the duet with Jackson. The UK bonus track, "Clap Again" samples "Click Click Click" by New Kids on the Block
. The leaked version of the lead single "Right Now (Na Na Na)
" included verse from rhythm and blues
artist Danny Fernandes
but never made the final cut; Akon decided to go solo. The tracks "Against the Grain" and "We Don't Care" were originally named "Falling in Love" and "Could You Be the Reason" respectively. "Troublemaker" seems to be a continuation of Akon's first solo #1 Billboard Hot 100 single "Don't Matter
", with the lyrics suggesting that it is, as he says "Similar to the words it don't matter, but this time they wanna see us together, look at us now."
described Akon's third studio album as "melodrama about love and love lost delivered in a hooting style over synth-swamped beats." Dan Leroy of courant.com gave a positive review to the album, "Akon's undeniable gift for hooks makes this an easy listen, and the ex-con posturing isn't missed." Entertainment Weekly
gave the album 40/100, stating "Akon's philosophy of liberty also includes the freedom to reuse nearly identical hooks for 13 songs straight." MusicOHM.com stated "Unfortunately, all this really means is an extra emphasis on weirdly pitched keyboard riffs and slightly dated sounding beats." and also states "The album opens with its two best songs, which is never a good idea when there are twelve still to get through." The New York Times
critic Jon Caraminca described the track Holla Holla, featuring T-Pain
, "is the first of theirs (song) in which the student clearly bests the mentor." Meanwhile, following the album's UK release, noted R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul
stated: "With his new album's typically-expansive moods ranging from banging ghetto jams like 'I'm So Paid' and sexual, T-Pain-featuring 'Holla Holla', to uplifting universal anthems like the autobiographical title-track and reggae-infused 'Sunny Day', hopes are high this time round for 'Freedom' to even eclipse Akon's already-amazing past international success."
", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
was Akon's 12th top 10 hit on the chart. The second single is "I'm So Paid
", featuring Lil Wayne
and Young Jeezy
. The single made a "Hot Shot Debut" at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and fell off the charts after a few weeks, but then re-entered and peaked at #31. "Beautiful
", the third single, debuted and peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Beautiful" has been getting much radio airplay since it debuted on the Billboard 100. The fourth single from the album was "We Don't Care
", The music video surfaced online on June 16. The songs "Troublemaker
" featuring Sweet Rush and "Keep You Much Longer" peaked at #97 and #123 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on iTunes downloads following the album's release without single releases.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
ese-American singer and rapper Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
. The album was originally named Acquitted, however Akon changed it before it was released. It was released as a download on December 1, 2008, and in stores December 2, 2008. Although there are some vulgarities on Freedom, it does not carry the Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
warning, making it Akon's first album not to do so.
Recording
Production on the album began in late 2007 and ended in late summer 2008. Originally the album was to be called Acquitted, but was later confirmed to be Freedom by Akon's label, Universal Music. In July, a leaked recording of Akon's duet with Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
titled "Hold My Hand" was released to the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and at first showings of the song was supposedly taken out by Akon's music label. The song was originally posted as an Akon demo with only Akon performing the song. The leaked song was rumored to be featured on both his and Jackson's own upcoming album. In an interview with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Akon was hopeful to include the song on the album. However, on October 17, Akon's label released information on the track listing and the album does not feature the duet with Jackson. The UK bonus track, "Clap Again" samples "Click Click Click" by New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...
. The leaked version of the lead single "Right Now (Na Na Na)
Right Now (Na Na Na)
"Right Now " is the lead single from Akon's third studio album, Freedom. The song contains elements from "Remember" by The Underdog Project and "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw. The song was added to the U.S. Mainstream Top 40 radio on September 23, 2008, and also became available for digital...
" included verse from rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
artist Danny Fernandes
Danny Fernandes
Daniel Bosco Fernandes is a Canadian singer and songwriter of Portuguese descent. He is signed to CP Records.-Career:...
but never made the final cut; Akon decided to go solo. The tracks "Against the Grain" and "We Don't Care" were originally named "Falling in Love" and "Could You Be the Reason" respectively. "Troublemaker" seems to be a continuation of Akon's first solo #1 Billboard Hot 100 single "Don't Matter
Don't Matter
"Don't Matter" is a Reggae fusion–R&B song recorded by Akon for his second studio album Konvicted . The song was released as the album's third single in early 2007. In April 2007, it became Akon's first solo U.S. number-one single and second number-one overall. A crucial part of the chorus takes...
", with the lyrics suggesting that it is, as he says "Similar to the words it don't matter, but this time they wanna see us together, look at us now."
Critical reception
Freedom garnered mixed reviews by critics. Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
described Akon's third studio album as "melodrama about love and love lost delivered in a hooting style over synth-swamped beats." Dan Leroy of courant.com gave a positive review to the album, "Akon's undeniable gift for hooks makes this an easy listen, and the ex-con posturing isn't missed." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the album 40/100, stating "Akon's philosophy of liberty also includes the freedom to reuse nearly identical hooks for 13 songs straight." MusicOHM.com stated "Unfortunately, all this really means is an extra emphasis on weirdly pitched keyboard riffs and slightly dated sounding beats." and also states "The album opens with its two best songs, which is never a good idea when there are twelve still to get through." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
critic Jon Caraminca described the track Holla Holla, featuring T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, "is the first of theirs (song) in which the student clearly bests the mentor." Meanwhile, following the album's UK release, noted R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....
stated: "With his new album's typically-expansive moods ranging from banging ghetto jams like 'I'm So Paid' and sexual, T-Pain-featuring 'Holla Holla', to uplifting universal anthems like the autobiographical title-track and reggae-infused 'Sunny Day', hopes are high this time round for 'Freedom' to even eclipse Akon's already-amazing past international success."
Singles
The first single released from the album, "Right Now (Na Na Na)Right Now (Na Na Na)
"Right Now " is the lead single from Akon's third studio album, Freedom. The song contains elements from "Remember" by The Underdog Project and "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw. The song was added to the U.S. Mainstream Top 40 radio on September 23, 2008, and also became available for digital...
", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
was Akon's 12th top 10 hit on the chart. The second single is "I'm So Paid
I'm So Paid
"I'm So Paid" is the second single from Akon's third studio album Freedom. The track features additional vocals from Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy. The song was released as a digital download worldwide and a physical single in France only on October 4, 2008. Akon mentions Olympic Athlete Usain Bolt in...
", featuring Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
and Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
. The single made a "Hot Shot Debut" at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and fell off the charts after a few weeks, but then re-entered and peaked at #31. "Beautiful
Beautiful (Akon song)
"Beautiful" is the third single from Akon's third studio album Freedom. The song features American pop singer, Colby O'Donis and a rap verse from Canadian rapper, Kardinal Offishall. The song describes being in a nightclub and seeing a person that the singer is attracted to, but feeling shy to...
", the third single, debuted and peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Beautiful" has been getting much radio airplay since it debuted on the Billboard 100. The fourth single from the album was "We Don't Care
We Don't Care (Akon song)
"We Don't Care" is the third and final promotional single from Akon's third studio album, Freedom. The single was released as a digital download and promotional single in the United Kingdom on July 6, 2009. The single reached the B-list on BBC Radio 1. The video for the song was released to YouTube...
", The music video surfaced online on June 16. The songs "Troublemaker
Troublemaker (Akon song)
"Troublemaker" is the second of three promotional singles from Akon's third studio album, Freedom. The track features additional vocals from Sweet Rush. It was released as a digital download only single via iTunes on December 13, 2008. The track debuted at #97 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on the...
" featuring Sweet Rush and "Keep You Much Longer" peaked at #97 and #123 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on iTunes downloads following the album's release without single releases.
Track listing
- (*) as co-producer.
- (^) as additional producer.
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Urban Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
3 |
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
20 |
| Belgian Albums Charts Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... (Flanders) |
12 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
4 |
| Greek Albums Chart Greek Albums Chart International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of... |
27 |
| Polish Albums Charts Polish Music Charts The Polish Music Charts are two official album charts and seven singles charts in Poland, provided by ZPAV, the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry . The first, the Top 100, is a monthly chart based on data received from the album companies... |
31 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
6 |
| UK R&B Albums Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
1 |
| U.S. 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... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
3 |