Back To Me review

Fantasia’s utterly complete and mature third record

Despite that the American Idol winners get a serious preparation for living in the world of music industry it is still not enough to make thick-skinned cynics out of them. On the contrary emotions are of paramount importance in pop music and the listeners will always notice make-belief. In this respect the story of Fantasia Barrino, the singer performing under the name of Fantasia, is a good example of how sincerity and honest emotions can trouble an American Idol winner’s career and at the same time help her become a real star known to the whole world. After being imposed to perform pop music which is definitely not her vocation Fantasia refused to cooperate with the contest’s management and her first solid and powerful independence announcement was her eponymous 2006’s album. Since then a lot of things have happened in her life, some have proved especially painful – this and love are the main themes of her new record Back To Me, which is released a bit later than planned to but is utterly complete and mature.

Suffering is compensated by romance and girl power on Back To Me

If anybody doubted Fantasia’s sincerity on the previous record then what happened two weeks before the release of Back To Me is going to shatter all doubts – the singer attempted a suicide taking large dozes of aspirin and some hypnotic substance. The attempt definitely has to dp with her unhappy personal life and one should not be a genius to guess that most songs on which Fantasia is addressing her ex lover tell of her personal experience. Traditionally, suffering is compensated by girl power statements – the opener I'm Doin' Me – and stories of romantic side of relationships – Collard Greens & Cornbread, Teach Me, Trust Him. One should note, that compositions Collard Greens & Cornbread and The Thrill Is Gone featuring Cee-Lo Green are different from the rest of the material on Back To Me: these are splendid soul-tracks perfect for Fantasia’s sensual velvet vocals. The fists single Bittersweet also proves to be one of the highlights and a direct reference to the singer’s real life: love and pain struggle and complicated relationship sounds in every syllable even in backing vocals present on most of the album. Man Of The House, the album’s second single can boast the most powerful beat underlining Fantasia’s strong voice, and another composition reminding of the unpleasant past, Who's Been Lovin' You, is still less vulnerable than the unbelievably touching Even Angels – Fantasia performed it back in winter at Oprah Winfrey’s show and her eyes filled with tears. The album closes with a most beautiful number I'm Here taking us to another point – the singer’s performing in the Broadway musical The Color Purple.

A breakthrough album

Nobody can tell now how Fantasia’s life is going to continue especially herself. Certainly, all her fans wish the possessor of such a pleasant, a bit hoarse voice and a wonderful songwriter to be happy. She has been approved for the film version of the musical The Color Purple, the album Back To Me has proved to be the best of all her material, what else a young performer would wish for her? Yet the collaboration with renowned producers – Midi Mafia, Rock City, Rich King, – guest stars, and participation in the film version of the musical – for some reasons it all failed to prevent Fantasia from trying to end her life and obviously the unhappy love is to blame. Each composition on Back To Me is an example of what it means to put emotions into your singing, the main motif being breaking up. At first most songs were created with the help of contemporary technologies but the release delay gave Fantasia more time to work with a live orchestra, so most of the tracks’ arrangements are really admirable. In general, Back To Me can be called Fantasia’s breakthrough album, and now the most important is for her to find strength to move on.