"You Were Always on My Mind" is another stunning effort, and Fantasia delivers another signature performance. The album version is better than anything she did on the show. Idol fans will remember Fantasia's "Summertime," a sultry rendition dripping with style.
The covers are where the album realty shines. Although it may seem odd to see a thirtysomething white guy singing it in the elevator of your office building, that's exactly what's going to happen when this one hits the airwaves. The track is not only heartfelt (in the vein of Lauryn Hill's "Zion"), it's also extremely catchy. The track could easily be a staple on any radio channel end in the word "Jam." "Baby Mama" is another tasty cut, with a slow, mellow groove that proclaims "It's about time we had our own song/ Don't know what took so long/ Cuz nowadays it's like a badge of honor/ To be a baby mama." It is a tribute to baby mamas everywhere, and as Fantasia says, it's about time. The Jazze Pha track also kicks up some dust, with the producer backing up the sassy diva over an evasive, pared-down Dirty South beat. When the vocals come in, it's all silky-smooth, before busting into an Usher-tinged breakdown featuring Missy on the mic. "Selfish (I Want U 2 Myself)" features a bumpin' (albeit overused) India-inspired beat. In fact, these songs are some of the best offered on Free Yourself.
The production across the board is pretty slick, and Fantasia is buoyed by a big names-Missy Elliott and Jazze Pha-on a couple of the tracks. One of the main reasons it succeeds is that she does not rely on her own talent to get the job done. Ruben Studdard's debut was also spotty, and Clay Aiken didn't even win the competition, so doesn't deserve mention (besides, one more Barry Manilow comparison, and America's going to collectively vomit).įantasia, however, breaks the mold and delivers a very respectable R&B record in her first attempt. Kelly Clarkson's first record sold on the strength of the show's popularity, but it isn't an essential album by anyone's standards. Fantasia Barrino, last year's American Idol winner, won the competition on the merits of her smoking-hot vocals and winsome personality, but as we've seen from past Idol efforts, those two elements don't always translate to good studio albums.
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