Nelly Furtado
Loose

THE REVIEW

Many remember Nelly Furtado as the carefree and playful girl from "Turn Off The Light" or "Powerless," and many expected her to continue with the interesting folk-pop that made her famous. But ladies and gentlemen, here is the new Nelly!

If there were an award for the best transformation of the year, 2006 would crown her, surpassing even her majesty Madonna...

The new Nelly is sinuous moves and winks, it's trendy dancefloor music, she's a real pop star! In this album, there's very little for old fans to hold onto to find their favorite artist again, and everything becomes clear from the very first track: "Afraid". This is what happens when you put yourself in the hands of one of the most important producers on the global hip-hop scene. Timbaland has the beautiful singer rapping on electronic beats worthy of Peaches, leaving a touch of past folklore only in the amused final choruses. And so, we are literally hit by the launch single "Maneater", a true masterpiece of post-production that immediately aims to remain in the collective memory of pop.

Perhaps one downside of the album is the little emphasis the meticulous production places on Furtado's unique voice, especially when you hear her interpret the sensual hip-hop of "Promiscuous", in a duet with her new mentor. One almost feels like witnessing one of the best performances by the Black Eyed Peas. This shocking start ends with the fourth track "Glow", which, however, does not add anything new to what's been said. You catch your breath with the following "Showtime", an intense, although somewhat unoriginal, R'n'B ballad. But the pulsating rhythm returns in one of the most successful episodes of the album, the ultra-sexy "No Hay Igual", which leaves one imagining the singer as a daring club-goer. Unfortunately, at this point, the work experiences a slowdown in tempo and quality: the Spanish-ballad "Te Busque", in a duet with Juanes, is truly a moment I wish had never happened. Good, although a bit impersonal, are "Say It Right", "Do It", "In God's Hands", and "What I Wanted". Excellent "Wait For You" (where echoes of her old ethnic-popular style can be felt), as well as the intense and inspired "All Good Things". A happy episode is also the first of the two bonus tracks, "Let My Hair Down" is imbued with genuine black spirit.

It's a pity for the last track "Somebody To Love", which is not up to par in closing out an album with many merits and capable of making one hopeful for Nelly Furtado as one of the future gems of world pop.