Try

by

Nelly Furtado

Edit

When Nelly Furtado released her debut album "Whoa, Nelly!" in the fall of 2000, she quickly became one of the most talked-about and hyped female artists for years. The album sold 7 million copies worldwide and spawned the massive hit singles "I'm Like A Bird," "Turn Off The Light" and "...On The Radio." Even after all this success and the Grammy, Nelly still felt it was time to focus on her second album. Her world tour of 2001/2002 was a complete success and she was blessed in early 2003 when she announced she would be expecting her first child. She gave birth to the baby in late 2003 and named him Nevis. She was a 24 year old mother and international superstar with a highly-anticipated sophomore album in the pipeline. It was finally released in November 2003. It was called "Folklore," and to me, it's definitely one of the best albums I have ever bought in my life! There isn't a bad track on offer - they're all fantastic. Yeah, this album commands credibility, but there's nothing wrong with that. With music as brilliant as is on proud display here, you can't blame her for trying!

This high standard of music is representative of the album's second single "Try." I originally thought that after the amazing first single from the album, which was "Powerless (Say What You Want)", that she certainly wouldn't be able to follow it up with an even more superior song - she proved me wrong. Try is simply the best ballad of the 2004 to date, and one of the best songs in recent years. It was a moderate hit around the world and became a smash with teenagers who identified with Nelly's words: the common room in my college is constantly spinning this song! The song opens with a gentle guitar that slowly introduces Nelly to the song as she sings the first verse, "All I know is everything is not as it's sold. But the more I grow, the less I know. And I have lived so many lives though I'm not old. And the more I see, the less I grow. The fewer the seeds I sow." Nelly then sweeps into the chorus which not quite up to its full potential yet, "Then I see you standing there, wanting more from me. And all I can do is try. Then I see you standing there, wanting more from me. And all I can do is try. Try."

The guitar has now picked up pace, and the drums introduce themselves along with a lot more atmospheric sound effects. Nelly then sings the second verse, "I wish I hadn't seen all of the realness. And all the real people are really not real at all. The more I learn, the more I learn. The more I cry, the more I cry. As I say goodbye to a way of life I thought I had designed for me." The song has definitely picked up pace here, as Nelly sweeps into the chorus once more. Her vocals rise considerably at this point and she belts out in her amazing voice. The song then dies down like it started, but the violins are introduced and scratching effects are put into place. A breathtaking piano also joins the arrangement and it really is the best part of the song. It builds up and up into a cresendo of musical bliss as the drums cascade and Nelly belts out, "All of the moments that already passed. We'll try to go back and make then last. All of the things we want each other to be, we never will be, we never will be! And that's wonderful. And that's life!" Then comes the best bit, "That's you, baby. This is me, baby. We are, we are. We are! We are! We are! We are! Free...in our love! We are! Free in love!" Her voice raw, she sings from deep within her soul and you feel her passion and anguish. The song then dies down and so ends a breathtakingly beautiful masterpiece, only the heartbeat keeping it alive unitl it fades out.

welll, I'd like to say I cannot stand this girl...her voice just irritates me...every time I hear her on the radio, I just feel like throwing it out the window and smashing the radio into pieces. Like a bird...yeah..please do not insult the birds..they chirp better than you do. Why don't you be the kind of bird that fly to the north pole and never come back. She sounds like she needs lots of Vicks or Barclays cough drops....I don't know how people can listen to the whole album..must be some kind of art thing I don't understand...what a shame to the music industry!.