Customer Reviews

Loose

5 star:		(156)
4 star:		(84)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

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.

The single Say It Right immediately got my attention when I heard it on the radio. I checked out the samples here and thought they sounded good enough to take a chanceand buy the album. I don't normally buy much Pop music, but after receiving my copy of Loose and giving it a listen, I was extremely pleased with the album. Every track was good. I didn't have to use my "skip" button on the remote once. I think one of the reasons that downloading individual songs has become so popular is because albums as solid as Loose is very rare anymore. Most albums you are doing good to get 2 or 3 strong tracks. I look for more singles to be released off this album in the future, the album as a whole is strong. The tracks on the album are versatile enough that you won't get bored while listening. Whether an upbeat track suitable for dancing or a ballad, all the tracks have an infectious rythym. So as to balance my review, let's not forget this, is, a Pop album and includes songs like Maneater and Promiscuous which are so Bubblegum they make you turn the volume lower to prevent anyone from knowing you are listening to them. But, Promiscuous was a single, although it didn't blow up like Say It Right, and the other tracks later in the album soon remind me why I like this album so. I don't write many reviews, I'm not into critiqueing each and every song but occasionally an album such as Loose comes along that strikes me as being so above average that I feel compelled to submit some positive feedback. So there you have it.

Nelly Furtado's collaboration with Timbaland and Danja has really paid off - her third studio album has something for anybody who's into Pop, Latin, Dance, R&B and Hip Hop, with three hot singles right off the bat in "Promiscuous", "Maneater" and "No Hay Igual".

Spiced up by guest appearances by Attitude and Latin super-hottie Juanes, this album is packed with guaranteed hits and potential singles including the three above, plus "Afraid", "Glow", "Te Busque", "Say It Right", "Do It", "Wait For You" (great intro), and the beautiful ballads "In God's Hands" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)", which is one of the best songs on the album.

At almost an hour long, Nelly really delivers the goods with this album, both as a singer and songwriter. For three more songs, check out the Japanese version, also sold on Amazon.


Amanda Richards, June 20, 2006

This album was an automatic hit the second I ripped it out of the case and put it in my car's cd player. The album has hit after hit, it is a rare treat to have an album where I only skip over one or two songs. I by no means was a fan of Nelly Furtado, then I heard her hit song Promiscuous on the radio. When I found out it was her, my views of her completely changed. I took a leap of faith hoping the rest of songs would be good also and they were. She has tons of original tunes and shows that she can sing more then just a hip-pop song with a great beat. She can get you with a song that is truly heart felt.

Songs to get your groove to:

Promiscuous: You all know this song, it is good everytime you hear it.

Maneater: Definetly right up there with Promiscuous, it is soo much fun.

No Hay Igual: Spicy and sexy latino song that gives you all the right moves.

Do It: Fun song that is a bit more on the popish side then any of the other songs on the album.

Wait For You: A song with a great beat with flow that makes you feel like you are somewhere exotic.

Songs to get sad to:

Afraid: This song took me by surprise, it has a hard rock beat with strange vocals and sad lyrics.

Showtime: This song has a jazzy feel to it and it mixes with a sweet tune
Say It Right: This song has a very sexy beat but then has touchy lyrics and vocals along with it.

In God's Hands: If you don't want to feel depressed then skip over this song, but if you are in the mood for it, by all means put this song on.A true post-breakup song.

All Good Things (Come To An End): Almost impossible to explain, but if you sit outside at night and put this song on play you will understand what I mean and you will love it.

Having now dwindled down my music taste to the likes of 70s rock and recent independent releases, I would have never dreamt of liking Nelly Furtado's third album. It sure as hell is nothing from the 70s and could not venture any further from indie-rock, but here I am, writing a good review for a genre I generally turn my nose up to. Before heading into some in-depth track analysis, I have to make a note of producer Timbaland's involvement on the disc. Quite honestly, it is as much his album as it is our little Canadian singer's. Without the back tracks or the almost robo-rythmic beats, there would be little to any of Nelly's songs...So, without further adieu, here are my song critiques on a scale from 1 to 10:

_ _ _

Afraid - A very strong opening song with it smooth beats and whispering vocals. The chorus is catchy but loses a bit of it oomph when the choir of middle schoolers butchers the ending of the song. (8)

Maneater - With its defined drumbeat and catchy lyrics, Maneater is by far the best dance song on the album. After playing it through once, it forces its listeners to get up, stomp, and dance around like no other. I also really love the ending of the song as it slows down and peters out into the words of the next song `Promiscuous' (10)

Promiscuous - Everyone knows this song and by now can make their own assumptions about it. Note: if you were one of the many who found yourself lip-syncing to the lyrics with a group of friends, then it is probably a good idea to buy this album. I feel that for once, the first single is good exposure to the album's general flavor. (9)

Glow - Not quite as good as `Maneater' or `Promiscuous,' but still quite a reasonable dance number. Acting as the vocal temptress, Nelly sings like in `Afraid' with her smooth, sultry voice. Unfortunately, it is the second verse that prevents the song from being one of the best on the album. (8)

Showtime - Oddly placed in between two upbeat dance songs, `Showtime' is a bit too sugarcoated for my taste. Unlike the previous tunes, there is nothing special about it. Instead, I found myself asking what the song would be like if Timbaland had produced the track instead of someone else. Not the say the song is bad, but it is a bit of a disappointment after such a strong set of four songs. (6)

No Hay Igual - For me, this is one of the best songs on the entire album while not having the slightest clue what Nelly is ranting on about. Like `Maneater,' `No Hay Igual' is what it is because of Nelly's confident forceful speech. Yet despite all she brings to the track, it is Timbaland's rhythmic beats that provoke his listeners to get up and dance all around. (10)

Te Busque - Gag me with a spoon. Literally. The only redeemable quality of this song is its chorus which makes you slightly forget how incredibly pitiful the lyrics are leading up to it. But when the voice over starts two minutes into the song, there is no turning back (and for the record, this was when I threw up). However, the Spanish version (the album's Bonus Track) is quite considerably better. Maybe it's just me but by not acknowledging what the lyrics mean seems to help the song out considerably. (English: 3; Spanish: 6)

Say It Right - Finally, a slow song with some merit. Nelly and Timbaland take what works from the upbeat numbers and is able to produce a lovely, well made yet still catchy low-tempo song. (10)

Do It - Can anyone say the 80s? Sugarcoated to the point of tooth decay 80s? If you are into that, then this is the song for you, but all I can say is that 80s dance hits are no longer in style for a reason. I'm not sure what Timbaland did to this because what previously had worked for him in other songs obviously wasn't taken into account when producing this one. (4)

In God's Hands - Lets pretend this one doesn't exist - that miraculous it had never been recorded and that it was never placed on the CD. (1)

Wait For You - I feel that since having bought this album that I havn't been able to get into this song as much as others. I love how it sounds, but there is something about it that doesn't click. Nothing too memorable, but nothing to disregard. (6)

All Good Things (Come To An End) - Some might say that this one is cheesy, but for some reason I really love it. I'm not too sure if it really fits with the sound intended for the album, but it a good song that provides closure to the album's end. (8)

There is nothing more exciting than seeing an artist make a 360 or having a complete makeover where their style is concerned. For LOOSE, that is what Ms. Furtado did. Who would've ever thought that Timbaland would be producing the bulk of Nelly Furtado's album or that Nelly Furtado would embrace more dance, hip-hop, oriented music as opposed to the folksy nature of FOLKLORE? That in itself makes LOOSE an interesting listening.

As state prior, LOOSE is almost entirely produced by Timbaland and Timbaland as always never lets down bettering his already exceptional status as one of today's most creative producers. His beats and his backgrounds are as fresh as ever. Nelly Furtado's thin vocals sugarcoat Timbaland's productions very well. Her vocals aren't particularly exceptional in the sense of being robust, big, and full, but they are perfect for the type of album that LOOSE is, a dance-pop affair. Nelly Furtado fits in just fine with her limited-vocal contemporaries, Gwen Stefani, Janet Jackson, Madonna, and most modern Ciara. However, to say that Nelly Furtado doesn't have a nice voice would be a terrible lie because Nelly "works it out" on LOOSE.

The album opens with loop-thrower "Afraid" featuring Attitude. The track is well produced, but it doesn't grab you as a true hit. What it does successfully do is introduce you to the sound Nelly will maintain for the most part throughout LOOSE. Where you may feel a lack of substance on Afraid, the hook is definitely catchy ("So afraid of what people might say..."). Where "Afraid" was a warm-up, "Maneater" instantly strikes you as a hit that you cross your fingers Furtado might release as a single! The production harps on the sound of 1980s with the catchiest, sickest synthesizer line you've heard for a while. It is nearly as good as the showstopping, show-stealing "Promiscuous" which features an exceptional guest spot by the main man himself, Timbaland and a pop-rapping Nelly Furtado. It has undeniably been the club-banger for the summer from the sexy vocals to the sexy play between Timbaland and Furtado. The best that LOOSE and Nelly has to offer.

"Glow" features more whacky synth lines and "bubbly" beats by Timbaland. While this track isn't my very favorite, it is certainly catchy and you can't get it out of your head. It is definitely addictive and fun. For "Showtime", Nelly slows things down for the very first time with this urban ballad. "Showtime" is a very good track, though not as strong as say "Maneater" or "Promiscuous". Furtado jumps back on board "loosely" with the latin club-banger "No Hay Igual" which is yet another of the album's strongest tracks as well as one of the album's funnest, addictive tracks.

"Te Busque" is another highlight of the album featuring Latin standout Juanes. Just as beautiful is the spanish version, which appears as a bonus track at the end of the album. Nelly Furtado sounds as brilliant as ever here. "Say It Right" is more filler than a true hit, but it isn't bad and fits the mood Furtado is trying to evoke throughout the album.

Moving on to other standouts, "Do It" is a very vintage 80s sounding tune while "In God's Hands" is a mix between singer/songwriter Nelly and an urban sounding production. On "In God's Hands" we hear acoustic guitars for one of the first appearances on the entire album (they also appear on "Te Busque"). Timbaland stands out once again production wise on "Wait For You". The chorus catches your attention on "Wait For You", which ultimately places Furtado in an urban/ dance-pop production once again. "All Good Things (Come To End)" is singer-songwriter Nelly returning and is an exceptional ending to a very outstanding album.

LOOSE isn't without it flaws. Some material tends to be "too dance-popish" and some tracks are less inspired than other. Also Nelly vocals sometimes face the same fate as Janet Jackson's vocals in which they fall beneath the production instead of rising above it. However, the beauty is that dance-pop is more a production showcase than a vocal master class and compared to other dance-pop/80s pop albums released, Nelly's is more consistent.

Essentially, LOOSE is one of the biggest surprises of 2006 and is also among the top echolon of QUALITY albums. Very nice release. 4 stars.

After that last album many people wondered what happened to Nelly?

I understand that producing a debut album at times it is difficult to create your own independent style and she struggled with with that on her second album as she tried to gain some control over the music she created. She wanted to create something that was uniquely her.

The result?

She is a multi-talented artist.

Her songs have a great beat and tempo that lead to classic dance tunes such as "Say It Right" or "Promiscuous." Furtado then shows her softer side with slow melodic songs such as "All Good Things (Come to an End)" and "In God's Hands." What I was most pleased to see was another Spanish duet with artist Juanes in "Te Busque." Not a lot of artists would have ventured into the Spanish market and the songs are done well. Neither translation will have you wondering what happened to the translator as they make sense.

It's an album that takes a lot of risk and variety, but she succeeds. Some people may not like this new Nelly, but I do believe that she has proven that she can delve into various music genres and still be herself.

Ok so when i first saw the video for Promiscious i had no idea it was Nelly Furtado. I was surprised and started to wonder where the I'm Like A Bird girl was. But then again we must remember Nelly is no longer that girl from six years ago, she is a woman and has a child. I remembered how much i liked the songs off of Whoa Nelly,but i had never taken the time to buy her cd. I decided to buy all three of Nelly's albums. Ofcourse Loose is quite different from the first two albums, however all three albums are altogether different.

Many individuals are considering Nelly Furtado a sell out. But doesnt every artist have the right to explore new sounds? Many individuals seem to forget that after Whoa Nelly, Nelly collaborated with Missy Elliot(remember get ur freak on the remix). So is it not fair to say that her new album should be no surprise. Also before the release of Whoa Nelly, Nelly was involved in a trip-hop style group.

Overall Loose is a good diverse cd. Whenever i am unsure what to listen to i put Loose in my stereo. I find this cd amazing, i wouldnt say its her best but i find it great because it has such a range. You have dance, pop, some spanish, and ofcourse some songs that remind you of Nellys first couple of singles. If you are a diehard fan of Nelly, get this cd, you may be disappointed if you want another album like Folklore. If you find yourself liking the first couple of singles off this cd but never liked her other songs from Whoa Nelly then you should get the cd. As i said before its very diverse and i think quite enjoyable.

When I heard the song "Promiscuous" on the radio, I couldn't believe it was Nelly Furtado. As someone who owns and loves "Whoa, Nelly", I couln't imagine she will go in the direction she is right now. I am not surprised though, since I heard the excellent remix to "Get your freak on". I have to say I love this album. It's very upbeat; there are only three slow songs. If I didn't give it five stars, its because I really don't like "Glow", "Showtime" and "Do it". If you like dance music, buy this cd. "Maneater", "Afraid", "Te busque", "No hay igual", "Wait for you" and "All good things" are excellent songs. I specially love "All good things"; the chorus is extremely beautiful.