Folklore

After hearing and enjoying her pseudo-eclectic debut "Whoa,Nelly!", I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from any follow up albums. Would she go more mainstream, or branch out more and develop her own style? Fortunately, she opted for the road less traveled and wandered a bit further from the industry norm. With "Folklore", Nelly has released a wonderful album that managed to keep her great melodies and rhythms, but incorporated more folk, soul, rock, and pop, as well as that international flavor that makes the music uniquely her own.

Several tracks deserve standout praise, including the opening, and aptly titled "One Trick Pony", the European Soccer Tournament themesong "Forca", "Powerless", "Explode", the soft finale "Childhood Dreams", and my personal favorite "Try". Like all great albums, "Folklore" gets better with every listen, and can be enjoyed start to finish without having to skip through any filler material. She has a great voice, and the increased maturity since her first album shines through on every song. All I can say is that I really can't wait for album #3. Well done Ms. Furtado.

The Japanese import edition contains two alternate/acoustic takes on "Powerless" and "Try". Probably not worth the import price for the tiny extras, but if you're a die hard fan, then I guess you know what you have to do. Hope this helps.

I'm Like a Bird CD

When she first burst onto the scene in late 2000, Nelly Furtado made a very big impression. With a unique, if nasal, voice that made you stand up and take notice, she commanded respect from the very beginning. The first thing you noticed about her is that she was cool - very cool. A 20 year old Canadian chick singing about being a bird was different and very exciting. Was she the new Alanis Morissette? The new Fiona Apple? The new Tori Amos or Sarah McLachlan? No, she was none of these because Nelly is different to them all in that she is individual and completely unique from anything else out there. Her debut album "Whoa, Nelly!" was hailed by many critics as one of the most diverse and varied-sounding albums in years and she picked up much praise for this. The album went Platinum and sold around 7 million copies worldwide, making Nelly an international superstar. There wasn't many artists who had a bright and shining career ahead of them, but Miss Furtado was definitely one of them!

"I'm Like A Bird" was the first single to be taken from Nelly's debut album and quickly established her as a bona-fida pop bossa nova. Elements of Macy Gray and Gwen Stefani were all present, which made her accessible yet interestingly singular at the same time. The song became a smash hit on the charts, especially in Europe and a massive radio pop hit all over the world. The song opens with a brilliant violin that is now a modern-day classic in terms of song introductions. Everyone has heard this song and the intro is just infamous. The violin is fabulous and starts off very vividly, before Nelly opens with the first verse, "You're beautiful, that's for sure. You'll never ever fade. You're lovely, but it's not for sure. That I won't ever change." Nelly then starts singing the bridge, "And though my love is rare yeah. And though my love is true..."

She then moves swiftly into the majestic chorus which we all know and love, "I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away. I don't know where my soul is. I don't know where my home is (and, baby, all I need for you to know is). I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away. I don't know where my soul is. I don't know where my home is." Nelly then sings the second verse, "All I need for you to know is your faith in me brings me to tears. Even after all these years. And it pains me so much to tell, that you don't know me that well!" Nelly then sings the bridge and chorus again, before moving into the best part of the song where she sings, "It's not that I wanna say goodbye. It's just that everytime you try to tell me, me that you love me, oh boy. Each and every single day, I know I'm gonna have to eventually give you away." Nelly sings the bridge again with more passion and soul than on the last time, and she builds this up perfectly to the final swansong, the addictive chorus that blares out.

The song soon dies down and fades out to the end and so ends a fantastic pop classic! One of the many things that I adore about Nelly Furtado's music is her ability to capture a snapshot of my spirit and mind within her voice, her lyrics and the instruments used in her compositions. I adore Canada, and because she hails from there, I get lovely images of the Canadian outback everytime I listen to her music. The video to I'm Like A Bird kind of represents this, and I love the feelings of freedom and nature I get whenever I listen to this song!

Whoa, Nelly

For those of us who had heard much about Nelly but hadnt actually heard her music or her wonderful voice, her recent appearance on Jay Leno's show singing her beautiful first single 'Im like a bird' was introduction enough.

Nelly's music is arresting. From the opening numbers to the closing song, what strikes the listener most is that each of the songs could be a potential hit single, something last witnessed only on Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged little pill'. Nelly sounds nothing like Alanis, but what she manages is nothing short of extraordinary.

'Whoa, Nelly' seems like a careless album title, but its not. Once you listen to the album, you know that it captures the singer's spirit and her vibrancy perfectly. It also indicates that this is a fun album - no soulful dirges a la Sarah McLachlan and no pointless poetry like Jewel's.

This album is one of those that will set a trend - Nelly has bridged the gap between pop music and folk culture, Spanish dance and tribal chants. While there are traces of Lauryn Hill influenced hip-hop, the album remains fresh and original throughout, and evokes Joni Mitchell in patches.

One thing is certain : 'Whoa, Nelly' brings to the fore a beautiful and remarkably gifted new songstress, and I can't wait for more of her work. In the meantime, you sure will be listening to this one for much of this year. Yes, its that addictive.

Download Whoa Nelly mp3

This Lady stopped me in my tracks. I generally hate contemporary pop music. This is really different. She has a marvellous delivery. The backup musicians are excellent. The production values are top-notch. The beat is infectious beyond belief! I don't care what genre of music you listen to, this CD has got to at least be listened to for you to form an opinion. My bet is that it will capture you instantly, as it did me.

Loose mp3

This is my first Nelly Furtado and I love it! I've followed her career but I've never bought her two previous cds. This cd is perfect for when you're just in the mood to dance and don't care what anyone thinks.

Download Loose mp3

1.Afraid-I love this song. It's a great song to start the cd off and I love the chorus. 5/5

2.Maneater-I saw Nelly perform this on SNL and it was awesome. I really like the end of the song. I got the Target edition of "Loose" that has the Maneater music video on it and I can tell this song is going to do really well. It's an ode to those man-eaters out there. 5/5

3.Promiscuous-it's the hit single that is everywhere. This song is so good and my favorite on the cd. 5/5

4.Glow-I like this track but not as much as the first three tracks on the cd. I have a feeling this song is going to grow on me though. The sound is like the dance tempo on the first 3 song. 4/5

5.Showtime-this is the first slower tempo song on the cd. It's pretty good song and good one to either wind down on a night out or to take a breather. 5/5

6.No hay igual-this song picks up the tempo. It kind of reminds me of a Shakira type of song. But it's very good and it's in Spanish. 5/5

7.Te Busque-the second slower tempo song on the disc. I like it a lot, especially the chorus. 5/5

8.Say it right-Love, love it, love it. The beat is unbelievable. I know it's going to be one of my favorites. 5/5

9.Do it-Another dance song. It's very cool and it kind of reminds me of a 80's song a bit. 5/5

10. In God's hands-a very sweet ballad. The song is just great. 5/5

11. Wait for you-this song has Middle Eastern sound to it. It's not one of my favorites so far on the cd but it's not bad. 4/5

12.All good things(come to an end)- Oh gosh, I love this song! It's down tempo and I really love the lyrics. Nelly sounds really sweet. 5/5

13. Te Busque(Spanish version)-this version is just as good as the English version. 5/5

I am so glad I bought this cd. I know it's going to be in my cd player a lot. So if you're new to Nelly-like me- and like the song Promiscuous or a huge fan who has followed her for years this cd is a must.