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Boston Globe

This tuneful, seemingly effortless set of sun-kissed pop reminds you why he's in so much demand.

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The New York Times

Whatever the reason, Freedom forgoes almost any signifiers that might pigeonhole him.

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Billboard

While 'Troublemaker' and 'Holla Holla' each sound a lot like prior Akon songs (the former like Kardinal Offishall's 'Dangerous,' the latter like '07's Akon/T-Pain pairing 'Bartender'), ultimately they're highlights for that very reason.

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Hartford Courant

Akon's undeniable gift for hooks makes this an easy listen, and the ex-con posturing isn't missed.

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Dot Music

Despite a preponderance of uptempo songs that puts Freedom in similar territory to Ne-Yo, the record is still very recognisably Akon.

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Rolling Stone

Beneath the digital production and R2D2 vocals, Akon is secretly an old-fashioned romantic, and his third album is his most heart-on-sleeve.

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Mojo

The writing on this third album's greatest strength. [Feb 2009, p.109]

All Music Guide

Akon sounds more comfortable than expected, and he reduces the lechery in favor of longing ("I wanna make up right now") and awe ("When I see you, I run out of words to say"). At times, the tensionless backdrops don't inspire Akon to do much with his pen.

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The Guardian

Despite his hip-hop roots and the presence of guest rappers such as Lil Wayne, it's Akon's buoyant pop sensibility that prevails.

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RapReviews.com

Freedom will be a disappointment, and a predictable one at that.

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Blender

On album three, he tests out heartbreak, and his emotional wiring doesn’t cooperate.

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PopMatters

If anything, the album sounds like a CD-R of demos that an aspiring pop star wouldn’t mind losing.

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The Phoenix

Freedom is mostly lame club tunes with mega-auto-tuned vocals about wishing "I could just stop by and lay by your side."

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Entertainment Weekly

Akon's philosophy of liberty also includes the freedom to reuse nearly identical hooks for 13 songs straight. That approach may bring him plenty money, but it yields only a few legitimately fun tracks, buried beneath a pile of boring retreads.

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NOW Magazine

Somehow, fond recollections of the bad old days in the ghetto with fellow superstar Wyclef Jean just don’t have the same resonance and uplifting power as previous songs that came from a place of near-defeat and unfulfilled aspirations.

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Uncut

Every track here is interchangeable, not only with each other, but with anything from his back catalogue. [Feb 2009, p.76]

musicOMH.com

Unfortunately, all this really means is an extra emphasis on weirdly pitched keyboard riffs and slightly dated sounding beats.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 22 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Roderic R gave it a9:
Very solid album, worth many listens, and a couple gems on here. Between Akon, Lil Wayne, T-Pain, and Timbaland we've gotten some great music.

Anth gave it a0:
I'm betting that every vote that put this album in a positive light came from American. I apologize for stereotyping but please, 8.8 out 10 average rating?? every track on this album is horrendous! the lyrics are almost childlike, and I'm sick to death of hearing this auto-tune effect done to disguise talentless artists' poor vocals rather than as a creative tool..! "i never wanna see you cry, cry, cry/ and I'll never ever tell a lie, lie, lie." ...sickening.

discombobulator gave it a2:
who else is sick of auto-tune being used to cover up vocal shortcomings?? Go away Akon and Rihanna and get some singing lessons.

Jey C gave it a10:
This record entails some of the best work akon has ever done. Mixture of melodious tones, catchy words and phrases, explains why the man is in demand.

sean w. gave it a10:
Absolutely amazing album his best yet.

Robbie D gave it an8:
I honestly rate this a 7.5 good album but I dont see any club hits on here. Where's the party music that we know akon for (other then right na na na).

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