There is much to love about American Idol veteran Fantasia Barrino. From her debut single “I Believe” reaching no. 1 on the Billboard 100 to her latest album The Definition Of…, the North Carolina singer was destined for greatness.
Over the last 13 years, Fantasia has earned her spot among some of the greatest R&B acts. Here are five reasons why we adore her.
She’s a survivor.
Since before her victory on American Idol, Fantasia has had to fight. She was forced to drop out of high school after being raped on school grounds. At just 17-years-old, she became a single mother to her daughter, Zion Quari Barrino. After all of that, she still fought to pursue her dreams of singing and, traveling from Greensboro, North Carolina to the American Idol auditions in Atlanta, was able to win a chance at her dreams. But the fight didn’t stop there. In 2010, she made headlines after attempting suicide.
Luckily she didn’t give up. On her new album, The Definition of, she proves sheds light on her trials and tribulations on songs like “I Made It.”
She has a wide range of sounds.
Although she is deeply rooted in soul and R&B, Fantasia isn’t one to miss out on experiment with her sound. From the bouncy, reggae-influenced “Stay Up” to the playful, hip-hop ode “Lighthouse,” Fantasia is not complacent with her sound.
The songstress even coined a new sound of her own “Rock Soul” following the release of her last album, Side Effects of You.
She can SING.
Fantasia is famous for getting up on stage and singing her soul out! Every performance she exudes her musical prowess with elegant runs and incredible range. Her raspy singing voice adds to the experience, giving audiences a chance to really channel the emotions in her singing.
She can rock theatre stages, too.
Not only can she rock the stage but Fantasia has proven she can tear up Broadway too. Fantasia starred in the 2007 production of The Color Purple, playing the iconic lead role of Celie. Her performance in the production earned her a Theatre World Award.
She then went on to performing After Midnight, the Broadway production of the Cotton Club Parade, in late 2013, joining the star-studded list of special guests including Toni Braxton, Patti LaBelle and Babyface.
She knows her roots.
Growing up, Fantasia was singing in the church by the age of five so her roots lie in gospel. From the content of her lyrics to her soulful voice, she always manages to tap into the skills she’s learned in her upbringing to deliver some of the most breath-taking music.
Even in the wake of tragedy does she show the world where she comes from, singing for Jennifer Hudson’s family at the funeral for the deaths of Hudson’s mother and brother.
Even on her new album, The Definition Of…, she makes sure to drop in a gospel song with “I Made It.”
Grab Fantasia Barrino’s new album, The Definition Of…, on iTunes.