Welcome to Fantasy Island


Welcome to Fantasy Island is the unreleased second album from American R&B singer/songwriter Adina Howard. The album was due for release on July 29, 1997, but the album was then shelved. It later received an unofficial release on May 19, 2013, through the mixtape site DatPiff.com.
Despite the album not being released in 1997, it did however spawn two singles, "(Freak) And [U Know It]" and "T-Shirt & Panties."
In January 2021, it was announced that Rhino Records had acquired the rights to the album and it was finally released onto digital audio platforms on February 19, 2021.

Background

After the success of her debut album Do You Wanna Ride? in addition to her hit soundtrack single "What's Love Got to Do With It?" with Warren G, Howard began work on her sophomore album. During this time, her record label Mecca Don/EastWest Records merged into Elektra Records, headed by label exec Sylvia Rhone. She gained more creative control with the project, being able to hand-pick the songs and working with an array of popular artists such as her then-labelmate Missy Elliott, Bizzy Bone of Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony, DJ Quik, Timbaland, Ginuwine, K-Ci Hailey of Jodeci, and Jamie Foxx. Similar to her debut album, where she recorded a cover of the R&B classic "You Don't Have to Cry," she recorded a cover of the hit Vanity 6 song "Nasty Girl" for the album. However, it eventually did not make the final album tracklist.
Originally set for release on July 29, 1997, the album was preceded by the release of the lead single " And U Know It" which was produced by DJ Quik. The song was serviced to radio on May 20, with the music video directed by Francis Lawrence. The single ended up peaking at #70 on the Hot 100, and #32 on R&B. It also included a B-side track called "Swerve On" featuring Menajahtwa. The album was later pushed back to September 16.
As the album received critical acclaim from such publications as SPIN, All Music and VIBE, Howard soon faced label issues.
As album delays and creative differences with her label happened, Howard soon found her album being shelved, and her departing from the label to get away from the music industry.
To date, Howard remains proud of the album and its cover. "Personal Freak" featuring Bizzy Bone eventually received an official digital release on his 2014 album Revival, and then his 2016 compilation Confessions.
In June 2018, a promo single surfaced for "Crank Me Up" which was revealed to have been in consideration as a single by Elektra Records. It was also included on a promotional compilation titled Elektra's Fallbreakers Sampler 1997.

Track listing

  1. "Welcome to My Queendom" - 1:01
  2. "(Freak) And U Know It" - 5:15
  3. "Personal Freak" - 4:40
  4. "All About U" - 4:27
  5. "Crank Me Up" - 4:20
  6. "Sexual Needs" - 4:49
  7. "Could've Got Away" - 3:43
  8. "Another Level " - 1:41
  9. "T-Shirt & Panties" - 4:51
  10. "I'll Be Damned If I Apologize" - 4:08
  11. "Don't Come Too Fast" - 5:38
  12. "Take Me Home" - 4:19
  13. "Lay Him Down" - 3:44
  14. "Ain't No Need" - 4:13
  15. "Satisfied " - 1:45