For those hoping that T-Pain would bring a new sound on his next album, Thr33 Ringz will be a huge disappointment.  The only unique concept about the album is the spelling.

However, the catchy beats of “Can’t Believe It,” “Chopped’N’Screwed” and “Freeze” have proven successful on iTunes, as they were in the top 100 downloads the day the album came out.

T-Pain also proved talented at assembling a dream team of supporting artists, including Akon, Ludacris, Chris Brown, Ciara, Lil Wayne, T.I., DJ Khaled, Kanye West, Diddy and Mary J. Blige.

Fans of T-Pain’s past albums will most likely be fans of Thr33 Ringz as well.  T-Pain’s sound essentially stayed the same, and the most popular singles off Thr33 Ringz are similar to his past hits, such as “Buy You a Drank” and “Bartender.”

The album’s success was limited because a new album should bring a new sound, but Thr33 Ringz lacks, among other things, originality.

 Hidden in the album is one example of what the album could have been. 

“Karaoke,” featuring DJ Khaled, is a fresh twist for T-Pain.  It is a break from the goofy, repetitive rap that T-Pain is associated with.  DJ Khaled’s beats and voice help the sound get a little more serious, a little more intimidating – not unlike DJ Khaled’s older song, “I’m So Hood.”

To earn the respect of a broader fan base, T-Pain needs to write more songs like “Karaoke,” showcasing his new, fresh sound. If he combined that with his incredibly popular array of artists featured in his album, he just may have been able to hit the nail on the head with Thr33 Ringz.

Thr33 Ringz is apparently circus-themed, the inside flap containing pictures of T-Pain in outfits that make Flava-Flav look normal, yet only the first song “Ringleader Man” has anything to do with the circus. 

The following few songs of the album are pretty catchy and dance-worthy, even if they lack originality.  T-Pain placed his best songs at the beginning of the play list, however. 

Once listeners finish the seventh and most popular track, “Can’t Believe It,” they should expect an array of similar-sounding songs that seem to blend into a half-hour of music listeners will soon forget and never want to hear again. 

If listeners liked T-Pain’s past music, they will probably enjoy Thr33 Ringz as well.  It contains some catchy, bubbly rap that can be fun.  However, the album failed to  bring out anything new for those who have grown tired of T-Pain’s music and wish that he would bring something new to the table.