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Das Album Freedom von Akon ist ein Teil seines ambitionierten Projekts, fünf Alben in unterschiedlichen Musikrichtungen zu veröffentlichen, wobei 1Freedom den Fokus auf Hip-Hop legt und erstmals am 4. November 2019 digital über Akonik Label Group erschienen ist. Das Album enthält sieben Tracks, die Akons Rückkehr zu seinen Wurzeln im Rap markieren, nachdem er zuvor hauptsächlich mit Pop- und Dance-Elementen erfolgreich war. Songs wie Can’t Say No, Ain’t No Peace und Low Key zeichnen sich durch direkte Texte, starke Beats und sozialkritische Aussagen aus, etwa zu Polizeigewalt oder gesellschaftlicher Spaltung. Akons Stimme bleibt dabei markant, mit einer Mischung aus Melodik und Rapflow, unterstützt von minimalistischer, aber effektiver Produktion. Die Tracks reflektieren persönliche wie politische Themen, ohne auf eingängige Refrains zu verzichten. 1Freedom ist das wohl ernsthafteste Album in seinem Multialbum-Zyklus, es zeigt Akon als nachdenklichen Künstler, der seine Plattform nutzt, um aktuelle Missstände zu thematisieren und musikalisch zwischen modernem Hip-Hop und klassischem Sound vermittelt.
User Album Review
If we're talking Marmite popstars, Akon is probably at the top of the pile.
If we're talking Marmite popstars, Akon is probably at the top of the pile. If you can stand his slightly squawky voice then you're in luck. But if not, songs like Smack That probably have you reaching for the fast forward button. One thing's for certain, though: the absolute quality of his songwriting and production, with the 'Konvict' sound stamping hits like Darkchild did back in the 1990s.
Freedom is the 35-year-old Senegalese's third album and his most immediate, stealing dance sounds from across Europe and a vocoder auto tuner that would warm Kanye's humble little heart. Instead of focusing on his time in jail, it's much more centered on his lady loving abilities with typical lyrics like ''we're dancing together like we belong in our bedroom'' on the suggestive We Don't Care or T-Pain duet Holla Holla's slightly uncomfortable ''I know you're a sex machine and I want to do something new to you''. Despite not featuring a much-rumoured duet with Michael Jackson, Akon still manages to stack up the biggest names in hip hop as guests. Protegees Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall appear on summery hit Beautiful, Wyclef pops up on the wistful Sunny Day and his most successful signing, Lil' Wayne, appears on more hip hop I'm So Paid. Creating utterly catchy hooks is Akon's forte though, so if you're not singing the silly ''I wanna make love na na na'', the call and response chorus of the sunkissed Troublemaker will be hard to resist.
If you're anti-Akon, Freedom certainly isn't going to change your mind about him despite it featuring nothing as silly as the likes of Lonely. Yet, packed full of dancefloor shakers, it's yet another suggestion that Akon is a writer and producer who knows exactly how to make a hit.
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