Akon Reveals Country Album Is On The Way

Megan Hopkins

The global hitmaker is swapping R&B for storytelling: "When I came from Africa, I only listened to reggae and country. I didn’t know what hip-hop was."

Akon
Akon(Credit: David Choute)
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Akon is officially diving fully into the country music world.

The global superstar best known for early 2000s hits like Lonely and Smack That, has confirmed he’s working on a full length country album, and it’s not just a novelty project. Speaking on Won of One: A PLLRS Podcast, Akon revealed the idea has evolved from a fun experiment into something much bigger.

“Now, I’m making original country songs. We got to the point where we did real research. I didn’t realise how many country music fans wanted to hear an Akon album. They were like, ‘We want to hear you do original records.’ So, we started to pivot to doing original records, and I’m going to do a specialty album with all of my hits redone in country after I release the [album of original country music songs].”

It’s a bold move, but also it’s not totally unexpected. Country music has been having a serious crossover moment in recent years, with artists from outside the genre finding massive success by leaning into its storytelling roots. And according to Akon, that’s exactly where his connection lies.

“All my songs are inspired by country music. When I came from Africa, I only listened to reggae and country. I didn’t know what hip-hop was. I was introduced to hip-hop when I got here. If you listen to a lot of my songwriting, it’s all been storytelling. And that’s all country music ever been. When I wrote songs, I wrote from the mindset of country [music].”

Previously Akon has collaborated with country artists Josh Ross on Drunk Right Now (Na Na Na) and Gary LeVox from the Rascal Flatts on Hold The Umbrella.

There’s no official release date just yet, but the plan is clear: an album of original country songs first, followed by a reimagined project featuring his classic hits, in a country style.