Ashanti - Ashanti

[firefly]

Ashanti's self-titled debut album was released on April 2, 2002. It debuted at #1 of Billboard 200 with 503,000 copies sold (biggest debut ever for new female artist). First single was worldwide smash Foolish, followed by less sucessful Happy and Baby. It sold more than 8 million copies worlwide.


It is my favorite album from Ashanti, besides Concrete Rose. It has so many good songs, like Foolish/Unfoolish, Over, Rescue, Movies and Leaving (Always On Time Part II).
What's your opinion on this album?

[Deleted]

This is still her best album to me. Love every track except Dreams.

[Linnethia Monique]

My favorite track off of this would have to be Movies. Lawd I played that song out back in the day.

[Zinc.]

Her best next to BraveHeart and The Declaration.

[Live Your Life]

This is definitely her best work. There was no one song that particularly stood out, but I think that worked to the album's advantage because it was such a smooth, easy listen.

AllMusicgave the album 3/5 stars:

Young, pretty, sexy, stylish, and hip, Ashanti is everything a modern, post-hip-hop soul crooner should be. She looks the part, trucks with hitmakers -- at the time her eponymous debut was released, she was featured on a hit single by Fat Joe -- and even approximates Alicia Keys' visuals on the back cover. She can sing, but she's not showy; she never hyperventilates, she croons. Her first album sounds modern, with fairly fresh beats and lightly insistent hooks, and is just naughty enough to warrant a parental advisory sticker (though if you're just listening to this record, it's nigh on impossible to figure out where the objectionable lines are). So why doesn't Ashanti play as greater than the sum of its parts? Largely because it lacks distinctive material, in either terms of the actual songs or the production -- and when that's combined with a singer who is good, yet not distinctive herself, the entire production sounds as if its treading water or providing nifty aural wallpaper. It's not bad by any means, and it has its moments, but at 17 tracks, including skits, it all becomes a blur. A pleasing blur, one that shows promise, but a blur all the same.

[Zinc.]

An enjoyable debut.

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

May 16, 2015 16:24:47 GMT -5 @soblu said:

This is still her best album to me. Love every track except Dreams.

Agreed. I thought Dreams was a cute song. It was nice hearing kids saying what they aspire to be. 

[Relaxing Cup]

A classic R&B album. Love that every song is just one word titled.

[Deleted]

Her best album, but I don't think any of her albums are very good.

[brady47]

She had a killer debut era - selling 500k+ in her 1st week is amazing.

Foolish was everywhere, and a classic R&B gem - going back to the person that keeps hurting you

[Relaxing Cup]

Jul 7, 2018 23:09:25 GMT -5 brady47 said:

Foolish was everywhere, and a classic R&B gem - going back to the person that keeps hurting you

I prefer Unfoolish.

[back2blk]

She was never able to follow this up. But what a great debut for her.

[elementd5]

Such a strong debut! So many standouts.

[Ty]

It's simple and effortlessly good. Most of the songs have a demo-ish quality and some of the songs unnecessarily drag on and on, but I somehow find myself coming back to this album over the years.

[Ginger Spice]

I revisited this a couple years ago and it was better than I remember it being - I definitely skipped around a lot as a kid. The ending is very bloated (I never play anything after "Unfoolish"), but a lot of the R&B mid-tempos hold up. "Voodoo" and "Movies" are my favorite non-singles, and "Foolish" and "Happy" are my favorite songs she ever did.

The rest of her albums, I could never get into beyond a couple tracks. Chapter II is particularly bloated (20 tracks, and the album doesn't really start until track 3 - way too much).

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cb33XkqgkJu

[🇯🇲 lucy88 🇯🇲]

Jan 31, 2018 17:06:51 GMT -5 Relaxing Cup said:

A classic R&B album. Love that every song is just one word titled.

I echo this same sentiment. This album brings great memories! I was 14 when this came out. I remember seeing Foolish on TRL that time. I love all the tracks. The production on this was so so hot!