albums and tracks

Akon fans might have half-expected him to follow up his previous rebellious outings (Konvicted, Trouble) with another burst of hip-hop-infused rants about being let down by the system. But judging by the electro gloss of third album Freedom, it seems the ex-con turned music mogul has had a change of heart. His legal woes of the past year may have had something to do with this shift in gear, considering allegations of assault looked likely to taint a career which has seen him develop into one of the biggest-selling US stars of recent years.

The tail end of Freedom is Akon's chance to show his remorse, and the melancholic 'Sunny Day' is a soppy ode to how he's turned his life around. "Who ever thought that I would see this day/Where I would see my ghetto life fade away?" muses the nasal-toned singer, before he's joined on vocals by former Fugee Wyclef Jean. Elsewhere, he's got the ladies on his mind as ever. In the midst of the sharp synths and repetitive chorus lines, he's reminiscing on lost loves ('Birthmark') and taking a subtler approach to flirting on 'Holla Holla' featuring T-Pain.

The rest of the album drifts between sheer pop and casual hip-hop nods (Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Kardinal Offishall guest star), but Akon seems to have set his sights on capitalising on the Eurocentric dance market that's captured many an urbanite (Rihanna, Chris Brown, Kanye West) of late. Admittedly, some of Freedom's a bit iffy, but for the most part, he's reworked the formula to stay right on top of his game.

Matilda Egere-Cooper

Picture: Wenn