Album: Ashanti - The Declaration

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The princess of R&B is back after a four year hiatus with her fourth studio release The Declaration. She has spread her wings and ventured out from her Murder Inc crew for the first time. Irv Gotti and Ja Rule are nowhere to be found and instead Ashanti has worked with a range of notable producers including Jermaine Dupri, Rodney Jerkins and Babyface. The singer/songwriter is still writing the lyrics to all her songs as well as often arranging and performing the background vocals.

Ashanti first burst onto the scene in 2002 with her debut album Foolish. The album earned her countless awards, including a Grammy and even the converted Soul Train Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the Year, albeit controversially. Ashanti elevated Murder Inc to new levels and was the golden voice for hooks on chart-topping singles including Ja Rule’s Always on Time and Fat Joe’s What’s Love.

Ashanti earned instant props for her Foolish video, directed by Martin Scorsese. Needless to say, she was a breath of fresh air to the urban music scene. However since then, although maintaining a steady track record, Ashanti hasn’t delivered anything as ground breaking. She’s still a competitor for fun poppy R&B, but each album has less soul elements than the last and the subjects are getting repetitive.

The Declaration sounds like an album title set to make a mark and or define an artist. However, in that respect, this one is a little weak. Sure there are some good tracks, but nothing too unique and outstanding. There are the token inspirational songs near the end of the CD, Shine and Mother, as well as a heap of heart breakers, and female empowerment numbers. Noteworthy is the collaboration with Robin Thicke on Things You Make Me Do and the Mariah-esque You’re Gonna Miss. Ashanti’s boyfriend Nelly also features in Body on Me, which also includes Akon who seems to appear on every album these days. The first single is The Way that I Love You, a ballad that shows Ashanti off vocally but is a little tired lyrically.

It’s possible that Ashanti and her people are thinking that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, as no other female artist who debuted in the 21^st century has had as many top 40 hits as her. However, it might be time to branch out, not only from her Murder Inc box, but lyrically and stylistically as well. She needs to bring an album that equals if not surpasses the expectations of Foolish and to once and for all find a decent stylist. The Aladdin-like spandex outfits in Happy for her debut album was possibly the worst fashion disaster since MC Hammer pants and the tacky lion-like cover for The Declaration isn’t doing her any favours.

Available through Universal Motown Records