Farewell Boho Princess: Nelly Furtado does hip-hop.
Written: Jan 19 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nelly pulls off awesome dance numbers, moving ballads, and equally impressive midtempos.
Cons: There are a few duds, but they go almost unnoticed.
The Bottom Line: Nelly Furtado emerges with a new style that encompasses dance, disco, pop, folk, and hip-hop, and mixes them all together pretty near flawlessly.
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| LindsayBW's Full Review: Loose by Nelly Furtado |
You know, I've got to hand it to Nelly Furtado. Before, I felt bad for her. And I mean bad. This poor girl releases a 1999 single made for radio play (I'm Like a Bird), and subsequently releases an album void of anything radio friendly and is automatically deemed a "one hit wonder." But Nelly didn't fret about it, and released a sophomore album that... well, totally flopped. And I mean, totally. Unfortunately for Nelly, that album was actually good, full of homespun, Portugeuse-influenced folk-pop music. After that, I thought we'd seen the end of Nelly Furtado, especially with her plans to release a hip-hop album. But wouldn't you know it, the good ol' Canuck shocked everybody by releasing not only one of the hottest singles of 2006, but one of the year's most surprising albums.
If you've listened to all of Nelly's albums, you know that Loose is nothing that you'd expect. Gone are the boho ballads, trip-hop dance numbers, and folksy uptempos. Instead, Nelly's implemented one of R&B's best producers, Timothy Mosely. You might know him better as Timbaland. You know, the guy that produced huge singles for Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, and basically everyone else who's had a top 40 hit in the last 10 years? To some people it might come as a shock to hear this one-hit-wonder bohemian princess joined together with the guy that wrote "Try Again", but in fact, Nelly's always had hip-hop in her blood. She appeared on a remix of Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" and also leant her vocals to The Roots' album Phrenology. And trust me, she does things even better when she's on her own.
First of all, let's talk about one of the best things Loose has to offer: dance music. This album is absolutely full of catchy hooks and insanely infectious melodies. The lead single Promiscuous was made for radio play. The beat sounds like the 80s visited India, and the wordplay between Nelly and Tim is flirtatious, fun, and sassy. The chorus builds itself above an irresistible synth line, and both Nelly and Timbaland have a pretty respectable flow (not that I would even know an unrespectable flow if I heard one.) Although it took a little while for me to let go of my beautiful boho princess, the song grew on me (just like everybody else), and it was definitely one of the best singles of 2006. But if you thought it couldn't get any better, you're wrong, buddy! Just take a listen to the 80s-licious Maneater. The beat sounds like a drumline, and the hardcore, synthesized brass doesn't hurt much either. Nelly raps in her trademark, nasal in a super catchy build-up to an even catchier chorus. The first time I heard it, I honestly couldn't stop dancing. There's nothing better than the chorus, full of harmonies, twinkly synthesizer sounds, and a fair warning about some crazy lady. Maneater - one of my favorite songs of the year. Another great dance track here is the latin-tinged No Hay Igual, complete with busy hand percussion and Spanish lyrics. Now, I can't really tell you what's going on lyrically here, but the beat is hot, and the deep synth and minimalistic instrumentation make for one dancy track. Another highlight is the album's opener, Afraid, which is pretty close to Nelly's old musical style, with addition a sultry, low flow and a chorus full of deeply layered harmonies. Lyrically, it's very smart too, dealing with public perception. The song builds up to an awesome addition of a children's choir, which is a genius move.
Besides straight up pop and lock (okay, yeah, I won't ever use that term again), Nelly also has a lot of midtempo numbers on Loose. One of these was written by Coldplay's Chris Martin, titled All Good Things (Come to an End), which is only good because it's Nelly Furtado and not Coldplay. It's basically the same thing as a Coldplay song, but with a poppier beat. A real highlight is Showtime, a laid back, mellow R&B groove that is nothing less that orgasmic. Nelly's voice is subtle and sweet, totally fitting into the mood of the song. Like the rest of the album, the 80s influence is obvious, with light synths and layer upon layer of harmony. It is a truly sweet experience to listen to. Another great one of these is the eastern-influenced Wait For You, which combines a swaying beat with a multi-layered chorus. The way the beat breaks down in the chorus is ingenius, making it incredibly memorable. But even the verses have a definite hook. But the real highlight is Say It Right. Honestly, there is nothing like this song. It's dark, deep, full of echos and sounds of hollowness. The chorus is one of the catchiest on the album, building up from the verses to an anthemic refrain. Throughout the song, the vocals are light and smooth, laced throughout every beat. The song is quite amazing.
But just because Loose is a hip-hop and dance album, don't think that Nelly can't pull off the ballads. There are two of them on this album that are simply amazing. In God's Hands does come off as a little bit cheesy, but for the most part, its simplistic, heartfelt, and incredibly sincere. Nelly's voice feels just heartbroken. And the lyrics are incredibly honest and identifiable. The real star of the song is the big chorus, complete with light melody and heavy lyrics. At first, it may seem corny, but after a couple of listens, its beauty is apparent. What I Wanted is the star though. Complete with soft, simple acoustic guitars, and a laid back vocal performances the verses are damn impressive themselves. But, yet again, the chorus here is just beautiful. The melody is big, but Nelly's voice remains sweet and subdued. The bridge is another highlight, when she switches into her underused high register. Finally, at the end, it builds into a vocally layered, powerful, big, inspirational, and beautiful repetition of the chorus. It's one of my favorites on the album.
Like I said, I've got to hand it to Nelly Furtado. For many years I've been watching pop artists come and go, and my expert opinion told me that Nelly was out for the count, despite releasing two respectable pop albums. But somehow after three years out of the spotlight, Nelly came back looking, but more importantly sounding better than ever. Loose is an album that can please everyone; it's got incredible dance numbers, impressive and heartfelt lyrics, and moving ballads, all while crossing genres including R&B, hip-hop, dance, pop, and notably the 80s. But don't get me wrong: I still miss my boho princess.
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Tracklisting
1. Afraid
2. Maneater
3. Promiscuous
4. Glow
5. Showtime
6. No Hay Igual
7. Te Busque
8. Say It Right
9. Do It
10. In God's Hands
11. What I Wanted
12. Wait For You
13. All Good Things (Come to an End)
Skip It: Te Busque, All Good Things (Come to an End)
Repeat It: Afraid, Maneater, Say It Right, In God's Hands, What I Wanted, Wait For You
Woah, Nelly!: Woah, Nelly!, Folklore
Great Music To Play While: Dancing your ass off.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
LindsayBW
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Member: Jessi Coplin
Location: Colby, KS USA
Reviews written: 116
Trusted by: 52 members
About Me:
I'm really poor. Please read / rate me!
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