Akon has reached a crossroads that bedevils most superstars at this point in their careers. Now three albums deep with over 100 guest appearances since his 2004 smash debut, the Senegalese singer has the options of continuing the formulaic yet massively successful sound that’s made him a star, or taking a huge gamble and redefining his art through trial and error experimentation. Instead of choosing, Akon blends both philosophies on his third studio album Freedom, (Konvict Muzik/Universal Motown) an uneven but ambitious mixture of Hip-Hop, Europop, and R&B.

One of 2008’s biggest trends has been American artists incorporating international music rhythms into their art. Akon’s Wolof Senegalese heritage gives him an air of legitimacy over his peers, but that distinction doesn’t translate to results on the beginning mid-tempo tracks “Right Now (Na Na Na),” “Beautiful” or “Keep You Much Longer.” The melodies are straight out of Europe’s synth-heavy dance scene and Akon’s limited vocal abilities aren’t enough to elevate the simplistic production.

The work behind the boards becomes more inspired on “Trouble Maker.” Here, the use of background vocals and thumping bass fill out the song and negates the hollow, skeletal feel of the previous three. Akon is in his element, weaving his lyrics around his allure to women, partly due to his alleged street background.

The singer starts to build consistent momentum over the LP’s second half as the album shifts to the familiar Hip-Hop tracks (“I’m So Paid”) that have become Akon’s trademark. Akon protégé T-Pain brings his off-color humor to “Holla Holla,” championing groupies to explore the benefits of lesbianism. On “Sunny Day,” Wyclef’s strong backing vocals provide a good contrast as Akon reflects on the rise from his criminal past to a position of personal peace. The production here allows the conversational element of Akon’s delivery to shine without being drowned out by overproduced arrangements.

Akon gives a nod to the mawkish power ballads of the ‘80s with “Over the Edge.” The throwback melodies combined with Akon’s airy timbre proves highly effective in illuminating the desperation of love lost detailed in the lyrics. On the appropriate album closer “Freedom,” the star turns his attention to mother Africa and the triumph of the human spirit against adversity.

After a shaky start, Akon’s redeems Freedom over the second half with his signature Hip-Hop collaborations and a better handle on using Europop rhythms. Akon’s experiments on this album are not home runs, but they’ll serve well in the singer’s continuing maturation process.