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Recent American Idol winner Fantasia's
singing career looks to soar on the level of Kelly Clarkson-like
success than the Stygian hell inhabited by Justin Guarini. Fantasia's
voice is rooted more in gospel and balladry than hip-hop, but
everything comes together on her debut album as otherwise pleasant
R&B. The self-assertive songs position her as strong-willed
survivor and not a doormat such as on "Ain't Gon' Beg You"
and "This Is Me." Poignantly she even draws from her
own personal experiences with the anthemic "Baby Mama,"
where she gives props to all the young single mothers out there.
Fantasia's vocal delivery shows its dexterity on handling the
brassy tunes ("It's All Good") to the intimate numbers
(a graceful cover of "Always On My Mind") show her
win at the Idol show was warranted. It also helps to have the
employ of Missy Elliott-who pens several of the album tracks
as well as a duet partner on "Selfish ("I Want U 2
Myself")"-Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins, and of course
Clive Davis on the team. Only the torchy yet slick version of
the old standard "Summertime" is the real clunker in
the bunch. For someone who is starting out, having one sub par
song on a debut is more than an impressive feat.
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