Fantasia reteamed with Harold Lilly, Swizz Beatz and Missy Elliott and her team – all of which had contributed to her debut album to work on the project.

Fantasia was preceded by its lead single, "Hood Boy," a Tone Mason-produced up tempo song featuring rapper Big Boi.

[5] Critical response to Fantasia was largely positive, as reviewers praised her vocals and charisma as well as the album's production; she drew multiple comparisons to Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Patti LaBelle.

[9][11][6] Many critics also commented that the album's decidedly R&B nature (which translates to a reduced audience) was inevitable due to the lack of crossover success from Barrino's debut.

[11][6] AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it a "more consistent album than her debut; it has a sense of purpose and it takes greater risks in the production, two things which make it a bolder, better album than Free Yourself," adding that it "breaks Barrino free of her American Idol persona, giving her a sound and style that she can build a career upon.

"[9] Stylus magazine's Thomas Inskeep praised Fantasia's "rather astounding, multi-octave...voice, capable of the smoothest singing but also heavy on the grit," while at the same time lamenting that she will never be "America's pop star [...] She's too black."

"[11] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine said that "Fantasia's sophomore effort isn't exactly her Breakaway, but it's certainly a more unified artistic statement than 2004's Free Yourself.