What if I told you in 2008 that Akon would record a country music album within the next two decades? Would you believe me?
I know that my younger self would’ve laughed and/or scoffed in my own face. That’s preposterous!
Well, it’s happening. Akon is going to enter into the world of “country music” less than 20 years after the release of ‘Right Now (Na Na Na)’ and his third studio album, Freedom. “Country music” is in quotes for a reason. It is not country.
This unusual, unexpected and unwanted crossover has apparently been in the works for awhile now. We have not heard from Akon in a few years. He has not been relevant in the current music scene since December 2, 2008 and took a long hiatus from music in the mid-to-late 2010s.
However, Akon revealed last month that he is nearing a return… in the “country’ genre. The 52-year-old quietly re-recorded his legendary discography to fit the meteoric rise of country and western.
He worked closely with actual country music producers in Nashville to rework all of his smash hits— and some. He sounds more excited about the album than I am, that’s for sure.
If that already sounds like something for which you do not have any interest, wait until you hear the first two teasers of the new Akon era. They are even worse than I imagined!
Josh Ross was the first person to drop a snippet of the “new” (old) music on TikTok. He reworked a classic alongside Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam himself. ‘Right Now’ will be renamed ‘Drunk Right Now.’
@joshrossmusic Feeling a lil Kon-try @AKON 🤠 #newmusic #countrymusic #musicoftiktok
Ross was first. Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts was second. He shared a teaser of what sounds to me like an actual new song with Akon. As far as I can tell, it is not a re-record. That doesn’t make it any better.
Don’t get me wrong. I am a big fan of Akon, both as an artist and as a person. I am confident that his new country music album will still make him money— through trending audio on TikTok and through airplay on the radio. That does not mean it will be good. In fact, I fear it is going to be terrible. Who asked for this?!
Content shared from brobible.com.