I fell in love with the possibility of FANTASIA, the artist during her American Idol days and have not been disappointed thus far. Her debut album was a very good introduction but her live performances have been electrifying - Fantasia is an old school performer who puts her whole soul into every performance, grabs the audience by the heart and makes every person FEEL something (a la the great Patti LaBelle)!

It sucks that people aren't willing to accept her music for what it is - unfortunately Fantasia (who lets not forget is only 22 years old) has to walk a fine line between putting out music that American Idol fans will like but also trying to establish herself as a force in the r&b/pop field and make music that'll appeal to a broad audience.

In today's music environment, there are very few true singers with the courage to put music out there that is not the standard cookie-cutter formula for a hit (ie singers who are basically "hook girls" on their own singles while rappers run the show).

The tracks that stand out to me are:

HOOD BOY - I loved the jumpy scatted beats and her powerful vocals on this one

BORE ME (YAWN) - has an old school '70s soul sound; this is a very original sound that is unlike anything else I've heard thus far from other r&b divas (I hope they take a chance and release it as a single)

NOT THE WAY I DO - features heavy beats and Fantasia's sassy lyrics perfomed in the now familiar staccato rap/sung vocals similar to Beyonce (when she was with DC)

WHEN I SEE YOU, BUMP WHAT YA FRIENDS SAY, 2 WEEKS NOTICE & I FEEL BEAUTIFUL - are all ballads that feature really pretty musical arrangements & production that accompany Fantasia's restrained vocals - she does not oversing or hit too many glory notes on these tracks

UNELIGIBLE, BABY MAKING HIPS & SUNSHINE - tracks where the music production kind of overshadows her vocal performance BUT each track has such interesting and varied sounds that they have grown on me (out of the 3, UNELIGIBLE is the most interesting since it sounds like nothing being played on today's r&b scene)

The tracks that seemed more on the "filler" side to me are: SURROUND U; I NOMINATE U AND I'M NOT THAT TYPE - although the production side of SURROUND U & I'M NOT THAT TYPE are excellent, they both have catchy musical arrangements but the lyrics are "meh".

I was also really surprised by the tracks that Missy Elliott produced because I am not a fan of hers but she was able to get beautifully subtle performances out of Fantasia on the ballads and not drown out her vocals on the uptempo tracks by overproducing.

From the beautiful cover shots to her growth as a vocalist, FANTASIA is a step up from her debut album and shows that if given time and the ability to work with more gifted songwriters in the future, Fantasia is an artist who I will continue to support and enjoy.

PS: I wish her all the success in the world with her upcoming Broadway debut in 'The Color Purple'!!

I am very pleased with Fantasia's sophmore effort. In my opinion there seems to be more depth and personality on it then her debut CD. Her voice sounds great and there is the perfect blend of club ready tracks along with some smooth R&B slow jams as well. I liked it from the first listen and just cannot stop listening to it.
Here is a track by track breakdown:

1. "Hood Boy" - This is the first single and it features Outkast's Big Boi. A VERY catchy and infectious song. Makes you want to tap your feet and bob your head. Her voice is great in this song. 5/5

2. "When I See U" - A great midtempo song with an excellent melody to it. Love it! 5/5

3. "I Nominate U" - A very nice "love" slow jam. Fantasia sounds great on this track. A good song for that special someone. A good song with a lot of feeling and soul in it. 5/5

4. "Baby Makin' Hips" - A good beat that makes you want to dance but, as you can see by the title the lyrics are not that great. "She's got them baby makin' hips" Hmmmmmmmm...ok. lol 3/5

5. "Not The Way That I Do" - LOVE IT!!! An excellent song! THis is a club banger through and through. Makes you want to hit the nearest dance floor...QUICK!! The chours is so catchy and infectious you will be singing along in no time. 5/5

6. "Only One U" - A good slow jam. Really like the lyrics. Great melody. 5/5

7. "I Feel Beautiful" - Another great slow jam. A really good message. The lyrics standout the most here. A more lyrically tame song. 4/5

8. "I'm Not That Type" - A good bumper!!!! Another great club banger! Such great beats! VERY catchy!! 5/5

9. "Uneligible" - Not a huge fan of this song. I cannot pin point exactly what it is. Maybe it's the horns in it, I am not sure. Just not a strong song on this CD. 2/5

10. "Two Weeks Notice" - A good slow-mid tempo jam. Nothng major really stands out about this song. A bit on the bland side. 3/5

11. "Surround U" - Not too thrilled about this song. The beat and the piano sound a bit out of place with the vocals. I don't care for it. 2/5

12. "Bore Me (Yawn)" - LOVE IT!! SO good and SO original. Fantasia sounds so good. Sounds a bit like a throwback tune mixed with a current R&B/Hip Hop sound and it's great!! 5/5

13. "Sunshine" - GREAT track! Good beat and great vocals. A solid beat with great lyrics and vocals. I like to crank this jam up!! 5/5

14. "Bump What Ya Friends Say" - Very old school sounding (Aretha, Gladys Knight etc...). A soulful, slower jam. Top notch!! 5/5

I am so glad that I purchased this CD. HOMERUN!
In my opinion so much more creative and original then her debut effort.
A must have!!!!

I could play this album for days! Fantasia outdoes herself on her second album. I love the ultracatchy Hood Boy and Like the Way that I Do. She made most of this album surprisingly upbeat. I like the cool groove of When I See You and she chews up her man on Two Weeks Notice. Most songs she boasts that this is her man and nobody else can have him and she delivers on every track. Producers like Missy Elliott, Bryan Michael Cox, Harris/Davis, Tone Capone, Swizz Beatz and others give Fantasia some solid urban tracks that match with her vocal style. And Fantasia's raspy voice is far better on this album than her debut. I love this effort!

I absolutely love this cd. Im tired of hearing people say that she has forgotten how to sing or she cant balance between being the pop star and the hood girl...who said she has to balance. The point of being an artist in the music industry is to be able to reach a broad variety of listeners. Each song on the cd is great. They have an individual feeling to them and yet still coincide with each other. People seem to forget when you are listening to a cd you are listening to a story...this cd tells the story of her life now. Someone said why is she sining about a hood boy when thats what got her pregnant and left alone...why is it that because one person did that every other man to follow has to pay the price for that. There is more to being a hood boy than "people" perceive. Just because you are a hood boy doesnt mean you are uneducated, a drug dealer, or a 'baby daddy.'I want you people to begin listening to the words of these songs before you start writing reviews that make no sense. This cd is wonderful, she is showing so much vocal growth and control. She is getting more and more control of her instrument and the music you are calling annoying and obnoxious just happens to be the element that is popular right now, in regards to the rhythmic patterns and melodic structures. Those type of songs are the ones that get people up and out of their seats to dance. If I stepped on anyones toes, sorry, but you placed your foot right out there to be stepped on. Take a second listen, hear the story, then make comments. 'TASIA - DO YA THING GIRL..UR ROCKIN IT!

Fantasia goes for broke with her edgy self-titled sophomore album, leaving fans with an even broader perspective of her as a musical artist. Her decision to lead off with the hip-hop infused "Hood Boy" featuring Big Boi goes totally against the grain since the world knows her most for her ballads. "When I See U" is a mellow track that describes her shyness when she sees a certain someone come around. "I Nominate U" is a standout ballad that should easily be her next commercial single if the label heads have any clue what they're doing. "Baby Makin Hips" and "Not The Way That I Do" are both rather annoying, with both the singing and production. Thankfully things pick up again with the gratifying song "Only One U" where she recognizes her significant other as the good man that he is. "I Feel Beautiful" is a great possibility for a future single considering the powerful message Fantasia puts forth on this record. Things revert back to the land of questionable decisions with the over-produced "I'm Not That Type" as well as the rock-infused "Ineligible." Fantasia plays the other side of the fence with the emotionally-charged "Two Weeks Notice." Swizz Beatz gives the soul singer a nice mid-tempo track to jam to titled "Surround U," but then right after that she gives us the aptly-titled "Bore Me (Yawn)." She closes the album with the self-proclaimed 'ghetto club' track that leaves a lot to be desired titled "Sunshine" but then saves face with the raw street ballad "Bump What Ya Friends Say." Fantasia has a hard time balancing between being both a Pop superstar and the sistah who still reps for the hood. Fantasia might want to consider sticking to one thing the next time out or she could be looking at a rather unsatisfying singing career.