(Universal)

The third album from this Grammy-winning singer/producer

Although Akon has made his name in the gritty American hiphop and R&B scene, and he still reinforces that here with guests like T-Pain and Lil Wayne, this album’s title might be a signal of his intentions to break away from the stereotype. He’s done that not only by upping the level of romancing in his lyrics but also by changing the musical settings he constructs for them. So while We Don’t Care and I’m So Paid have all the hallmarks of the typical sexed-up but still self-centred hiphop mid-tempo track, the layered keyboards suggest other influences, and that’s made much clearer in the strong ‘90s Euro-club dance-pop feel of Beautiful, which may come as a surprise, while on other tracks like Holla Holla he makes extensive use of studio-assisted robo-vocals. Akon isn’t alone in moving away from rap’s restrictions (Kanye West being a prime example). But at its weakest, in tracks like Against The Grain, there are echoes of those tepid nu-soul boy bands that faded from view over a decade ago. Yet even then, Akon has rarely sounded as sincere as he does here. It’s the kind of re-invention that may indeed offer him more freedom.

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BILL HOLDSWORTH

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