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Back to Me
by
Back to Me Image
Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 17 Ratings

  • Summary: The American Idol songstress returns with her highly anticipated third album featuring--for the first time as a bonus track--Fantasia's signature song from her acting role in The Color Purple.
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Top Track

Bittersweet
Every now and then I still get a flashback Of the time I spent Thinking you could be that one Should I have just kept your love? As I understand, We... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. Boston Globe
    80
    Throughout "Back to Me,'' Fantasia appears to be an artist reborn - or maybe just in love.
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    Fantasia's rough-hewn vocals shine best on "The Thrill Is Gone," which features a similarly raspy 
Cee-Lo Green.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    75
    At 26, she sounds like she's learning what to let go of and what to keep, a long journey to be sure; on "Back to Me," she sounds up for the task.
  4. AllMusic
    70
    Fantasia doesn't invest the songs with subtle emotion so much as she indulges in balls-out emotional overdrive, overloading these simple songs with histrionics that are compelling in the short term and even if they're exhausting over the long haul these full-throttle pyrotechnics make Back to Me her most interesting album.
  5. Billboard.com
    64
    While Fantasia delivers a soulful, laid-back album with tinges of gospel, her distinct voice is most enjoyable when singing heartfelt ballads.
  6. Rolling Stone
    60
    Revelations are few on Back to Me; instead, Fantasia and her collaborators – including guest Cee Lo Green and Ne-Yo - bask in mostly stripped-down live arrangements.
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  7. Slant Magazine
    30
    She makes a genuine effort here, but not even the legendary R&B singers to whom she has been compared could elevate this material.

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. AnalyDewa
    May 3, 2013
    10
    Better than Jennifer Hudson's album "I Remember Me". A mix of pop and r&b music by one of the best singers on American Idol. She killed in allBetter than Jennifer Hudson's album "I Remember Me". A mix of pop and r&b music by one of the best singers on American Idol. She killed in all the tracks … Expand
  2. KBJr
    Aug 24, 2010
    10
    Itâ
  4. emptytuileries
    Aug 28, 2010
    8
    Let us look past the recent suicide attempt, the mediocre past album sales, that voice that can sharply divide a room of people into admirersLet us look past the recent suicide attempt, the mediocre past album sales, that voice that can sharply divide a room of people into admirers and enemies.

    Back to Me, the R&B singer's third album, finds Fantasia reflecting on her inner demons and the demons of those she chooses to surround herself with. It really is back to Fantasia, even if the quasi-sentiment conflicts with recent happenings. Often times suffering from dated, over-productions in the studio (and Back to Me sure has its share of moments), Fantasia's gems in her back catalog are primarily the frivolous, booty-shaking numbers ("Not the Way I Do," "Hood Boy," "Selfish," "Baby Makin' Hips"). What is a shame is that she's never been able to translate what kind of artist she intrinsically is; her ballads (where her voice, that amazingly untrained and unhinged Patti LaBelle meets Cookie Monster voice) seems insincere and tamed on tape. Back to Me seems to have slightly improved on this. "The Worst Part is Over" is full of emotion, "The Thrill is Gone," featuring her male counterpart Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley fame, is one of her best and believable ballads to date. "Collard Greens & Cornbread," despite its vapid title and slightly messy production, is delightfully swaying and nice. "Even Angels," the first promotional song released, is the singer's most successful and accessible single to date, even if it only dented the charts. The stand-out track here, though, is "I'm Here," taken from the musical in which she (sometimes) starred in The Color Purple. With only a few meandering strings, plucking guitars, and tinkling piano, Fantasia's voice is the driving force. Back to Me is a small step in the right direction for the singer, whose place on the urban charts, honestly, will probably not ever reach the highest of places. Fantasia is a soul singer to the core, whose voice can convey much more than is offered in a cookie-cutter, generic R&B feel-good number.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Most Shared Album of 2010

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