After the unexpected success of her last studio album, Back to Me – the American Idol alum has been shown in many media outlets for mostly negative reasons. In the midst of all the negative press and views on her, there is one particular thing in her famous life that remains positive – and that is her impressive musical growth. With every album she releases, it seems like she only gets better. The musical direction she embarks on this time around make it a special album, and what makes Side Effects of You even more special, is the fact that she plays an active part in the song writing and production process, and she explores new musical territories like she never has before.
On the funk-inspired ‘Change Your Mind,’ she sings about doing things to her love interest that would make him reconsider the direction of their relationship – the arrangement of the song makes for a bouncy retro anthem. The reggae-tinged ‘Ain’t All Bad’ makes for an empowering and uplifting listen, the mid-tempo ballad is a brilliant song but certainly worth more than being an album-filler. She recruits Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott for the sassy female anthem ‘Without Me’ armed with vengeful lyrics, Fantasia opens the song with “you’re really gon’ make me expose you for exactly who you are,” before declaring on the chorus “where would you be without me.” The soulful songstress offers us heartfelt ballads that we have become accustomed to hearing from her as she evidences on the album’s title track, ‘End of Me’ and ‘In Deep.’
With the success of her last album, one would have thought that it would be hard for Fantasia to top herself – but delivers a rare gem at a time when one could have assumed that the r&b genre had sadly passed on, but with this, she provides hope of a resurrection and gives us glimpse of just how much the genre can evolve to become mainstream once again. Great body of work from a genuine artist and singer.
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