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R/£ R'nB singer Akon dominates the charts
November 27, 2006 Edition 1
Waiting at New York's JFK Airport to hop a plane to the UK, Akon would much rather be flying to Atlanta to spend a weekend in his own bed.
"I've never worked so hard or lost so much sleep,'' the Senegalese-born singer says, as his engaging laugh gets lost in the static of a flight announcement. "It sometimes seems like I have less freedom than I did when I was locked up.''
But chilling at home won't happen anytime soon. The release date for his sophomore set, Konvicted was advanced from December to this month. That's because the buzz factor has ratcheted up significantly thanks to the tight chart race between his dual singles, Smack That featuring Eminem and I Wanna Love You featuring Snoop Dogg.
Two up-trending singles from the same album is a rare feat, especially since pop and R'nB/hip-hop records share a lot of the same audience. I Wanna Love You and Smack That occupy Nos 4 and 5 on the Nielsen BDS radio airplay chart.
Konvicted picks up where Trouble left off. The latter was the first chapter in Akon's redemption following a jail sentence for car theft. The new album finds him on the rebirth trail, but this time, more of his knack for fusing R'nB/soul, hip-hop, pop, jazz and reggae is exposed.
"I want people to say, 'Here's a true artist, not someone pigeonholed into one genre,' '' says Akon.
Hence, club banger Smack That gives way to the live piano and violins lacing the ballad Never Took the Time. Then there's funky jazz via the love song I Can't Wait before Akon's past rears up on the anti-gangsta Tired of Runnin'. Tying it all together are Akon's soothing vocals.
Akon is also a major priority internationally; Trouble hit No 1 twice last year in the UK. - Reuters/Billboard
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