Track Listing

1. I Believe
2. Chain of Fools
3. Summertime

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #104538 in Music
• Released on: 2004-06-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Single

Customer Reviews

Three solid singles from the "American Idol 3" winner
It is too early to tell if Fantasia Barrino will be the most successful American Idol winner to date, but at least this CD-Single gets the 19-year-old singer off to a good start. In addition to the official "American Idol 3" single "I Believe" Fantasia sings both "Chain of Fools" and "Summertime." All three of these songs are ones that she did on the show, so the first plus here is that we get the entire version of the latter two songs and not the mini-versions contestants are forced to sing. Plus, you have the advantage one being an Aretha Franklin standard and the other a classic written by George Gershwin.

My only complain with "I Believe" is the same I had with the first "American Idol" CD-Single for Kelly Clarkson, which is that I actually prefer the emotional touch of the official song sung on the show to the polished studio version. That is the memory I have of watching "American Idol" the last week of season three. The woman feeds off of her audience and dollars to donuts she will always come across better live than in the studio. On "Chain of Fools" big props to the producer, who comes up with a funkier beat for the classic, which makes it easier for Fantasia to provide her own take on the song (note how she powers through on the final note of the bridge). "Summertime" is one of the great American songs of all-time and the contrast between Fantasia's vocals versus the string section and the rest of the jazz bits is nice, although I would probably strip down the instrumentation even more to focus on the voice even more.

So you have one gospel, one R&B, and one jazz song for this debut solo effort, which reinforces the range of what Fantasia is going to be able to do in the future. Plus by having three tracks instead of two this is the best "American Idol" CD-Single to date. Final Note: Just be sure that you pick up this CD-Single and not the one with "I Believe" and "Dreams," because this is clearly the one that you want.

A Great Single! Can't Wait for the Full Album.
Just got the single today after hearing some clips on iTunes. These songs really are perfected and her energy and personality really come out. Today my favorite is "Summertime". By the end of the week it may be "I Believe" or "Chain of Fools"; all of the songs are really good. Looking forward to a video for "I Believe". If you haven't got the single, I recommend you get it. Chances are you'll eventually get it anyway once you hear the songs on the radio; It's that excellent!

A star on the rise
EXCELLENT......A must have