Ashanti has a pretty face, sculpted figure and an above-average voice. All these made her a huge splash when she released her self-titled debut album in 2002. She replaced Celine Dion at the top of the album charts and racked up three top 10 hits in Billboard.
Concrete Rose is Ashanti's fourth album and fourth collaboration with savvy New York producer Irv Gotti. This album also sees her pair up with a few famous rappers such as Ja Rule in Turn it Up and Lloyd in Take me Tonight.
In the opener, Concrete Rose Intro, Ashanti proclaims that this is her best album to date because the lyrics are deeper. But her comment fails to convince among uninspiring lyrics including an abundance of 'yeah, yeah, yeah' and 'don't leave me alone', as well as an egotistical repetition of her own name.
Most of the tracks in this album are tuneful yet forgettable mid-tempo R&B tracks. If you're not demanding, Ashanti makes for groovy background music.
