Concrete Rose

1	Concrete Rose Intro 1:17
2	Still Down / T.I. 4:13
3	Message to the Fans (Skit) 0:23
4	Only U 3:06
5	Focus 3:17
6	Don't Let Them 4:23
7	Love Again 4:08
8	Take Me Tonight / Lloyd 4:05
9	U 3:35
10	Every Lil' Thing 3:56
11	Turn It Up 4:16
12	Buck 3000 (Skit) 0:22
13	So Hot 4:57
14	Don't Leave Me Alone / 7 Aurelius 3:33
15	Sister Stories (Skit) 0:45
16	Freedom 3:51
17	Wonderful Bonus Track / Remix 4:41

Barnes & Noble

As she explains on the intimate spoken intro, Ashanti chose to title her third disc Concrete Rose because she feels it reflects the two sides of her musical personality -- "concrete" for her hip-hop edge and "rose" for her softer, R&B-oriented side. And much like seeing such a flower bloom in the urban landscape, listening to the album provides many moments of wonder, particularly when the 24-year-old singer lets down her guard and leads with her more delicate thoughts. That's exactly what she does on the tender, sensual "Take Me Tonight," a Spanish guitar-laced ballad that pairs her with rising R&B star and label mate Lloyd (who can't really hold a candle to Ashanti in terms of sex appeal). Romance is also at the core of "So Hot," a bedroom-eyed bit of slow-smoldering funk that Prince would be proud to call his own. Concrete Rose isn't all sweetness and light, though. On the crisp, cutting "Freedom" -- which definitely illustrates Ashanti's "concrete" side -- she coolly dismisses the haters she's had to deal with in recent years, making it clear that she's confident in her chops and could care less what naysayers think. Ashanti ups the energy level even more on the booming, party-starting "Turn It Up," which reunites her with Ja Rule -- the rap Clyde to her hip-hop soul Bonnie. While she didn't exactly disappoint with her last outing, Chapter II, Ashanti uses Concrete Rose to prove that the third time most certainly is the charm. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Now that Ashanti's career runs three albums deep, not including 2003's floptastic Ashanti's Christmas, it's high time Inc head Irv Gotti put the Mary J. Blige comparisons to rest. Mary -- power tempered with finesse -- and Ashanti -- consistently soothing, never overstated -- are entirely different stylistically, and a compilation of the younger singer's best work wouldn't stand a chance against her elder's What's the 411? or My Life. Disregarding the ill-suited standards, an Ashanti album is always good for a handful of strong singles, as Concrete Rose helps indicate. As expected, Ashanti firmly believes this is her best album to date, but it's no better or worse than her 2002 debut or 2003's Chapter II, with the standout singles, decent album cuts, and filler fluff provided in equal doses. As opposed to Chapter II, which was essentially a production showcase for Chink Santana (with some work and guidance by Gotti), Concrete Rose puts most of the control back into the hands of 7 Aurelius, the one behind "Foolish" and "Baby." Excepting an appearance from T.I., the album is strictly an in-house Inc. affair, with staffers Santana, Jimi Kendrix, and Demi-Doc also on board. Ja Rule makes an appearance on "Turn It Up," the most energetic club track, and doesn't destroy it. He also seems to be having a good time -- a rare occurrence in 2004. Andy Kellman