Song #22: Akon - "Cry Out of Joy"

My relationship with Senegalse ringtone king Akon can be described as shaky at best. I've enjoyed one or two of his guest spots (his turn on T-Pain's It Ain't Me is a personal favourite), but the bulk of his songs under his own name make me feel like breaking necks (remember Lonely and Smack That?). Interestingly, it was his duet with the late Michael Jackson, entitled Hold My Hand that lead me to believe that perhaps Mr. Lonely had his finger a little closer to the pulse (and away from fifteen-year-old girls) than I had once thought.

So where does that leave Akon's tribute track to his late friend MJ? Well, let's look at this way - the premise and the sentiment are practically omnipresent. It's nice, and it obviously means a lot to Akon. But there's still a fuckload wrong here - the hideous AutoTuning, the syrupy piano intro and some terrible subtlety-free lyrics ("I want to thank you/For showing me the Man in the Mirror", "What a wonderful dad you were to all your kids"). Yes, Akon, we were all affected by MJ's passing. It was one of the year's biggest tragedies. But if you think this makes up for fucking Sexy Bitch then you've another thing coming.

FINAL RATING (/10): 3.5

R.I.P. Michael. Hope your career joins him soon, Akon.

xx
David