Loose

by

Nelly Furtado

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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.

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.

I am going to go against the grain, and the masses, by saying that this is not Furtado's best work. If you don't believe me, go and listen to "Whoa, Nelly!" (2000) and "Folklore" (2003). I know that Furtado wanted to do a dance-oriented album, but "Loose" fails in comparison to, say, Madonna's "Confessions On A Dancefloor". Lyrically, "Loose" isn't Furtado's best work either. Choosing an in demand producer like Timbaland actually made this project stale as a week old piece of bread. The beats are mechanical, programmed, calculated. By the time you get to the end of the disc you feel like you've heard this all before.

The timing and marketing have been impeccable. I mean, this is the hottest selling album of the summer. Why? It's mindless dancefloor fun, but it's also summertime. Let's see this album get a release in the dead of winter and what the sales would be then.

All of my critical judgements aside, there are always some merits to every Furtado album, and this one has several songs, the strongest being "Afraid", "Maneater", "Promiscuous", "Glow" and "No Hay Igual". "Say It Right" and "Do It" are the lesser dance tracks. Then there's the mid-tempo "Wait For You" with it's Middle-Eastern sitar cliche that's been done so many times. I didn't like any of the ballads like "Showtime", "Te Busque" or "In God's Hands" (which sounds like Jewel to me). "All Good Things (Come To An End)" is a decent track to end on, but the Spanish version of "Te Busque" was redundant and unnecessary.

"Loose" is partially entertaining, but at Furtado's age, and with her background, I was expecting something more substantial than this. I felt "Loose" panders to the teenage crowd rather than utilizing Furtado's strengths and blending them with something more unique and meaningful. She could do a dance album with Erasure, Depeche Mode or Pet Shop Boys, or even a hip hop urban dance record with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, P. Diddy, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin or Wyclef Jean.

I guess with the poor sales of "Folklore" Furtado had to get back in the scene, and that she did. So, hopefully with this success she'll bounce back with some spectacular next.