Furtado Ready To Dance On New Album


May 08, 2006, 3:15 PM ET

Gary Graff, Detroit
Nelly Furtado has turned off the light on pop music -- at least for the moment. On her third album, "Loose," due June 20 via Geffen, she makes a concerted effort to get jiggy.

"For a long time I kind of denied my R&B and hip-hop roots," the Canadian singer/songwriter tells Billboard.com. "All that rap and R&B I listened to as a kid made an impression on me; I used to write R&B songs in my bedroom that sounded like Mariah Carey songs. Now I'm tapping into that again, and I'm like, 'Wow, I didn't know I could go back there.' It feels so good."

Though she wrote and recorded material with Track & Field (which co-produced her 2000 debut "Whoa, Nelly!" and 2003's "Folklore"), Nellee Hooper, Pharrell Williams and Rick Nowels, Furtado made the bulk of "Loose" in Miami with producer Timbaland, with whom she worked on the hit 2001 remake of Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On."

Nowels produced "In God's Hands," which Furtado says is "as far as I was willing to go in terms of pop right now," while Lester Mendez helmed the English and Spanish versions of "Te Busque," a duet with Latin pop superstar Juanes. Unfortunately, label politics have prevented Furtado from sampling Coldplay frontman Chris Martin's vocals on the closing track, "All Good Things," which he co-wrote.

And in a change of creative course, Furtado let another writer -- Virginia-based MC Attitude -- compose most of the lyrics for the new album's sexy first single, "Promiscuous."


"I think now I have more separation between what I do as a songwriter and what I do as an artist," says Furtado, who duets with Timbaland on "Promiscuous." "If a song doesn't reflect what I'm going through right now, then why should I sing it?" She adds that some of the more pop-oriented songs she wrote for "Loose" will be recorded by other artists.

Furtado is planning to perform in Europe in June, with a 20-date North American club tour following in July. Japan, Latin America and a more extensive North American swing also on her docket this year.

Translated: "My last album flopped so it's time to sell out."

Which is a shame because her last album was great.

jayaredee said:

Eh, I liked her first album better. There were some good songs like "Try" and "Powerless" on the second, but no. What does she think "Shit on the Radio" was? And that song she did with Missy?

That's not selling out! She always was a b-girl. She used to rap for crying out loud!

CinisterCee said:

I guess i used the wrong terminology.

Teaming up with Timbaland though? It seems like the formula for a hit, something lacking from the previous album (except from Canadian radio of course.)
I'm not holding that against her, she's a pop artist after all but it all seems too evident.

shhe debuted with missy elliot and timbaland way back in 2001 doing a rhyme-Get Your Freak On (Remix) how could she be selling out? hell it sounds more like she's returning to roots to me.

jayaredee said:

OK.. phew!

wavesofbliss said:

Read my other post. Selling out wasn't the right thing to say.

It just seems like an obvious attempt at creating a hit after her last album got a lot less mainstream attention.

gotcha!

I seen her open for Prince in Toronto and she has a great live voice, but her band was really distracting.

Poor girl was trying to get the crowd involved saying "stand up everyone" and no one did. I felt so bad.

jayaredee said:

She opened for U2 in Charlotte a few years ago. I was really impressed and I bought her cd the next day.

Timbaland is in the video with his new physique. Have you guys seen him lately?

CinisterCee said:

Is he built now?

jayaredee said:

Sadly, I think that was probably to some extent behind Jewel's short transition to dance pop, even though "Intituion" wasn't a terrible song. It got played on two commericals, so despite the album not doing very well (and I think the song charting even lower than her prior big hit, "Standing Still"), she made out very well. That being said, Nelly hasn't had one style and this could be a natrual departure. "Turn off the Lights" was kind of dancey. I really like her new single.

I cannot wait for this album. Love Nelly F.

jayaredee said:

Well what she supposed to do? I didnt buy the last album cuz I didnt hear nadda from it...hardly got promotion.
She was also with Timbaland on Ms. Jade's "Ching Ching" and in the video.

She also had Timbaland produce the remix for "Turn Off The Lights" which she then recieves tons of attention.

Then appearing with Missy Elliot as stated above...and all this was happening on and around her debut.

That isnt selling out.

CinisterCee said:

Mr.Timberlake also appears in the video.As far as Timberland,he still looks big.

larryluvlife said:

still fuckable....

That single is a POS, I'm sorry. It's got his sound, but he's quickly turned into the P Diddy of production...I don't care how much protein he's been packing, but he should stay out of the videos (and off the vocal track), IMO.

MendesCity said:

better than hearing JT's whining

just saw the vid:

It sounds like something JLO should be doing. Didn't sound like a Nelly Furtado track at all.