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Music Out Now

Fantasia Barrino - Free Yourself

With the natural excitement that audiences nationwide have come to expect from the 2004 winner of “American Idol” (one of television’s highest rated shows), Fantasia says, “I love my album! I’m so excited that I got no sleep thinking about how the world is going to respond to it…”

Working with music industry legend and RCA Records Group Chairman Clive Davis (who served as a judge during the final stages of “American Idol”) as the album’s executive producer in conjunction with Simon Fuller, owner of 19 Recordings Limited, Fantasia began work on ‘Free Yourself” on her days off from the 52 shows she did in the summer and fall of 2004. Davis assembled an all-star team to work with Fantasia including super hitmakers Missy Elliott, The Underdogs, Jermaine Dupri, Harold Lilly and Soulshock & Karlin.

For good measure, “Free Yourself” includes “I Believe” which went to No. 1 on Billiboard’s Hot 100 Chart in June as Fantasia was celebrating her 20th birthday. Fantasia made Billboard history with the by becoming the fist artist in the history of Billboard’s Hot 100 to debut at Number 1 with her first solo record, “I Believe” is currently the best selling single this year according to Neilsen Sounds can charts.

While Fantasia’s remakes of such classics (including Willie Nelson’s “You Were Always On My Mind”) showcase her remarkable ability to bring her own special talent to an array of diverse material, she is right at home with the tailor-made original cuts that make up most of the album. “It was amazing. When I heard the songs I was getting ready to record, I wanted to ask each of the producers, have you heard something about me? “It was like they knew me, they knew about the situations I’ve been through in my life.. and I’ve been through a lot!”