Title: Loose Format: Album Label: Geffen Records Released: 2006-06-20
Buy Loose!

Tracklisting & Lyrics

1. Afraid lyrics »
2. Maneater lyrics »
3. Promiscuous lyrics »
4. Glow lyrics »
5. Showtime lyrics »
6. No Hay Igual lyrics »
7. Te Busque lyrics »
8. Say It Right lyrics »
9. Do It lyrics »
10. In God's Hands lyrics »
11. Wait For You lyrics »
12. All Good Things (Come To An End) lyrics »
13. Te Busque (Spanish Version) lyrics »

Reviews

The buzz for Nelly Furtado's Loose began before the music was even recorded, with the announcement that legendary hip-hop knob-twirler Timbaland (Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake) would act as co-producer. The question on fans' minds: what would it sound like when a hip-hop kingpin collaborated with an artist who culls inspiration not just from pop music, but also her own Portuguese roots?
As it turns out, Loose incorporates a number of different styles along its journey, but is--surprisingly--primarily divided between '80s-influenced electronica and latin-infused pop. This disc is very different from Furtado's previous CDs, a fact immediately evident from track one, the new wave-affected "Afraid." A strong opener, the song is the beginning of a 1-2-3 punch of uptempo, infectious dance floor beats. The second cut, "Maneater," also proves to be incredibly catchy, but the verses and keyboard sound too much like they were plucked from electroclash artist Peaches' tree, and originality is lost. The perfect summer pop song follows, the massive hit "Promiscuous," which features clever interplay between Furtado and Timbaland on their sassy duet. From that point, Loose oscillates between the Miami-affected sounds of R&B, Latino pop, and reggaeton ("Showtime," "Te Busque," and "No Hay Igual" respectively) and the aforementioned '80s vibe ("Glow," "Do It"). Fans will hear Furtado at her vocal best on "Say It Right" and "In God's Hands"--two of the most lyrically compelling tracks on the disc. ~Denise Sheppard, Amazon.com

While Missy Elliott cooks with the Neptunes, Timbaland is out to prove he can produce an omnipop multiformat blockbuster in the style of Gwen Stefani's Love Angel Music Baby -- but without Gwen. Instead, he passes the mike to Canadian chirper Nelly Furtado, a mighty strange choice for an R&B goddess, but that's Timbaland for you. Furtado had a dodgy 2001 pop hit you might remember, the ornithologically themed "I'm Like a Bird." But she disappeared instantly, and by now you'd expect her to be on a reality show, sharing a Miami Beach condo with Meredith Brooks and Paula Cole. Timbaland brings her back on Loose to scat her quirky high-school-musical vocals over his mostly Eighties beats -- what's he been listening to, Ready for the World? Highlights include their garish sex duet "Promiscuous" and the reggaeton rip "No Hay Igual." "Maneater" is not a Hall and Oates cover, but it bumps hard enough to qualify as a sequel, and that's high praise indeed. ~ROB SHEFFIELD, rollingstone.com