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Detailing his fidelity on one track, elongating a lap dance on another, he's a decent guy in conceptual command of an aesthetic he invented.
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He has a point, though, and on Thr33 Ringz, his third album, he makes the case for his misunderstood genius.
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Since his 2005 debut, T-Pain has seen his Auto-Tuned swagger jacked by everyone from Kanye to Lil Wayne, but he has kept his sound fresh with a bottomless bag of hooks and a grainy rasp that the computers can’t buff away.
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On Thr33 Ringz, more than ever, that robotic voice is just part of an effort to reconcile cold technology and warm soul.
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The third album from T-Pain, Thr33 Ringz, finds him once again attempting to master the triple threats--rapping, singing and producing. That it turns out to be incredibly formulaic and slavishly apes his sophomore effort ("Epiphany") proves only to be a minor deterrent, since almost everything here is upscaled.
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Ringz won't convert any non-believers, but for fans (auto) tuned into Pain's gleefully synthetic, excessive wavelength, he continues to deliver the guiltiest of pleasures.
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So if Thr33 Ringz fails to shock, consider also that it fails to disappoint.
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Thr33 Ringz shows what sets T-Pain apart. He's an inventive producer, enveloping radio-friendly hooks in Auto-Tune wackiness.
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Like a garish version of his label boss Akon, he's a singer/songwriter/producer who doesn't evolve much over this avalanche of releases and guest shots, but Thr33 Ringz proves he's much more aware of his limitations.
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Even when veering wildly away from good sense--and 'Change' is hardly a sensical move--there’s an unwitting pop hit right around the bend.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 11 out of 19
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Mixed: 2 out of 19
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Negative: 6 out of 19
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Dec 24, 2020T-Pain has autotune down to a tee i swear he can make hit after hit. favorite song is "Cant Believe It" pop with quick and smooth flow.