‘Whoa, Nelly!’ Turns 20

Grammy® winning singer/songwriter Nelly Furtado first spread her artistic wings and soared into America by taking a bold approach to pop music with her debut release of Whoa, Nelly! on October 24, 2000. At the time, she signalled a new era by coupling her multicultural musical heritage with an unabashed willingness to write songs about her strengths and vulnerabilities. On October 23, Dreamworks/UMe celebrates the 20th anniversary of the RIAA-certified double-platinum album with a new digital-only Expanded Edition.

As an emerging pop artist willing to take chances, Furtado asserts her eclecticism and lyrical directness from the very first track. On “Hey, Man!” — ‘I look at myself in the mirror’ and ask, ‘Am I vital today?’ — she opens the album with an orchestral blend of subtle hip-hop beats speckled with Latin percussion and acoustic guitar. With themes such as self-confidence (the R&B influenced “Baby Girl”) and chasing dreams (“Trynna Finda Way”), she displays her ability to convey honest emotions with lyrical and instrumental complexity. Furtado infuses the feeling of affection (“Legend”) and looking to nature to capture the essence of love (“My Love Grows Deeper, Part 1) with captivating beats and rambling rhythms that result in yet another unique intersection of genres and emotions. The frenzy that success breeds (“Party”) is punctuated with a thoughtfully slower tempo, Latin sounds and sweet melody. Throughout the album, she takes unexpected turns while maintaining a strong sense of connectedness as one song moves gracefully into the next.

Nelly Furtado earned a Grammy® Award for her performance of “I’m Like A Bird,” the first of three hit singles from Whoa, Nelly! On the track, a cinematic opening gives way to sparse beat-centric verses and a beautifully sweeping chorus in which she expresses a yearning for the kind of freedom that labels her capricious. The album’s second single, “Turn Off The Light,” shimmers with what became known as her trip pop style and her ability to rap to progressive beats only to effortlessly and beautifully hit the high notes. Her third single, “Shit On The Radio (Remember The Days)” adeptly unites her hip-hop sensibilities with soaring melodies and heavy beats to deliver an unpredictable mix that perfectly sets up a poignant message to anyone who questions her motives.

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