Folklore | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 5 November 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2003 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 50:26 | |||
Language |
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Label | DreamWorks | |||
Producer |
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Nelly Furtado chronology | ||||
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Singles from Folklore | ||||
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Folklore is the second studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, released on 5 November 2003 through DreamWorks Records. While the album did not match the success of her previous album in such markets as the United States and Australia, it did however become a success in several European countries. [1] Folklore spawned five singles: "Powerless (Say What You Want)", "Try", "Força", "Explode" and "The Grass Is Green". As of 2008, the album had sold 2 million copies worldwide. [2]
Primarily a world [3] and pop rock [4] album, Folklore also incorporates ethnic, [5] pop, [5] folk, [5] alternative pop [6] and worldbeat [6] elements.
The album's title was influenced by Furtado's parents' immigration to Canada, "When I look at my old photo albums, I see pictures of their brand-new house, their shiny new car, their first experiences going to very North American-type places like Kmart. When you have that in your blood, you never really part with it – it becomes your own personal folklore." [7] Furtado attributed the mellowness of the album to the fact that she was pregnant during most of its recording. [7] "Saturdays" features vocals by Jarvis Church and "Island of Wonder" features vocals by Caetano Veloso. [8]
Folklore includes the single "Força" (meaning "carry on" or "strength" in Portuguese), which was written as the official anthem of the UEFA Euro 2004. Furtado performed the song at the championship's final in Lisbon, in July 2004. [9] Other singles included the ballad "Try" and "Powerless (Say What You Want)", in which she embraces her Portuguese heritage; the song deals with "the idea that you can still feel like a minority inside, even if you don't look like one on the outside". [7] Additional singles were released in certain territories; "Explode" in Canada and Europe, and "The Grass Is Green" in Germany.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 60/100 [10] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [6] |
Blender | [11] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [12] |
The Guardian | [13] |
Rolling Stone | [14] |
Slant Magazine | [15] |
Spin | 6/10 [16] |
The Times | [17] |
Village Voice | (favorable) [18] |
Yahoo! Music UK | [19] |
Folklore received mixed reviews from critics. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated that "[w]hile there are some interesting musical moments on Folklore – enough to make it worth a listen – the dogged seriousness and didactic worldview become a bit overbearing not long before the album is a quarter of the way finished, particularly since the fusion of worldbeat and adult alternative pop often seems heavy-handed." [6] Entertainment Weekly gave a positive review stating that "exultant music goes on its merry, multicultural way". [12] While Rolling Stone gave a negative review, calling Folklore "slick, multicultural hodgepodge" but "without a single as good as 'I'm Like a Bird'." [14] As she focused more on the songwriting, rather "than on frenetically switching genres five times in one song", [7] BBC felt that it had "twice the originality" of her debut. [20] The A.V. Club wrote that while "few tracks on Folklore stand out, the album hangs together agreeably..." [21]
The album debuted at number eighteen on the Canadian Albums Chart with first-week sales of 10,400, [22] and at number thirty-eight on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 68,000 in its first week. [23] According to Nielsen SoundScan, it had sold 425,000 copies in the US by August 2008. [24] It was not as successful as Furtado's debut album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000), partly because of troubles at DreamWorks Records and the less poppy sound. [20] It lacked promotion because DreamWorks was sold to Universal Music Group at the time of Folklore's release, and it spent only eleven weeks on the US Billboard 200 chart. In 2005, DreamWorks Records was shut down and many of its artists, including Furtado, were absorbed into Geffen Records. [25] Furtado noticed that the album was particularly successful in Germany, where it reached the top 5 on the albums chart, and said, "Why do Germans love this album? I think I figured it out: It's so cerebral. It's great in its own way, but that's a different side." [26]
All tracks produced by Nelly Furtado, Gerald Eaton and Brian West, except for "The Grass Is Green" which is produced by Furtado and Mike Elizondo and "Island of Wonder" which is produced by Furtado, Lil' Jaz, Eaton and West.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "One-Trick Pony" (featuring Kronos Quartet) |
| 4:47 |
2. | "Powerless (Say What You Want)" |
| 3:53 |
3. | "Explode" |
| 3:45 |
4. | "Try" |
| 4:38 |
5. | "Fresh Off the Boat" |
| 3:16 |
6. | "Força" |
| 3:40 |
7. | "The Grass Is Green" |
| 3:51 |
8. | "Picture Perfect" |
| 5:16 |
9. | "Saturdays" (featuring Jarvis Church) | Furtado | 2:05 |
10. | "Build You Up" |
| 4:58 |
11. | "Island of Wonder" (featuring Caetano Veloso) |
| 3:48 |
12. | "Childhood Dreams" | Furtado | 6:33 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Try" (acoustic) | 4:41 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (alternative acoustic mix) | 3:49 |
14. | "Try" (acoustic) | 4:41 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (featuring Juanes) | 3:57 |
Credits adapted from the Folklore liner notes. [27]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Belgium (BEA) [49] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [50] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
Germany (BVMI) [51] | 2× Platinum | 400,000‡ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [52] | Gold | 40,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [53] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Portugal (AFP) [54] | Gold | 20,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [55] | Platinum | 40,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [56] | Gold | 245,000 [2] |
United States (RIAA) [57] | Gold | 425,000 [24] |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 2,000,000 [2] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Label | Edition(s) | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 5 November 2003 | Digital download | SKG | [58] |
Australia | 23 November 2003 | CD | Universal Music | [59] |
Germany | 24 November 2003 | [60] | ||
United Kingdom | Polydor | [61] | ||
Canada | 25 November 2003 | Universal Music | [62] | |
Ukraine | [63] | |||
United States | DreamWorks | [64] | ||
Japan | 21 January 2004 | Universal Music | [65] |
Love. Angel. Music. Baby. is the debut solo studio album by American singer Gwen Stefani, released on November 12, 2004, by Interscope Records. Stefani, who had previously released five studio albums as lead singer of the rock band No Doubt, began recording solo material in early 2003. She began working on Love. Angel. Music. Baby. as a side project that would become a full album after No Doubt went on hiatus. Stefani co-wrote every song on the album, collaborating with various songwriters and producers including André 3000, Dallas Austin, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the Neptunes and Linda Perry. The album also features guest appearances by Eve and André 3000.
Whoa, Nelly! is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, released in North America on October 24, 2000 by DreamWorks Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1999 to 2000. It peaked at number twenty-four on the US Billboard 200 chart, and received critical acclaim. It produced four singles: "I'm Like a Bird", "Turn Off the Light", "Shit on the Radio ", and "Hey, Man!". The album spent seventy-eight weeks on the Billboard 200, and hit double-platinum status in the US in January 2002.
Loose is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, released on 7 June 2006, by Geffen Records and Mosley Music Group. Recording sessions for Loose took place from 2005 to 2006. Timbaland and his protégé Danja produced the bulk of the album, primarily a pop album which incorporates influences of dance, R&B, hip hop, latin pop, synth-pop, reggaeton, new wave, funk, and Middle Eastern music. Lyrically, it explores the theme of female sexuality and has been described as introspective.
"Maneater" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her third studio album, Loose (2006). The song was written by Furtado, Jim Beanz, and its producers Timbaland, and Danja. It was released to mainstream radio in the United States in July 2006. The song's musical style and production were inspired by the Hall & Oates song of the same name and other music from the 1980s.
"Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)", censored as "...on the Radio (Remember the Days)", is the third official single from Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado's debut album, Whoa, Nelly!.
"Turn Off the Light" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado from her debut studio album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000). Written by Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton, Brian West, and Furtado, the song was released as the album's second single on 2 July 2001, reaching number one in New Zealand, Portugal, and Romania, as well peaking within the top 10 in several other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
"Try" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, taken from her second studio album, Folklore (2003). The song, written by Furtado herself, and Brian West, was released as the second single from the album in February 2004. The song was moderately successful in several European countries, including Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, where it reached the top 20. It did not chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, but it did peak at number 29 on the Adult Top 40 chart.
"I'm Like a Bird" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was written by Furtado and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West for her debut studio album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000). Released as the album's first single on September 25, 2000, it became a worldwide hit the following year, peaking at number one in Portugal, number two in Australia and New Zealand, number five in the United Kingdom, and number nine in the United States. It was the eighth-most-played song on Canadian radio in 2001.
"Powerless (Say What You Want)" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado from her second studio album, Folklore (2003). The song was written and produced by Furtado, Gerald Eaton, and Brian West. It contains a sample of Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals", which was written by Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley, and McLaren. The song was released as the album's lead single in October 2003.
"Força" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her second studio album, Folklore (2003). Written by Furtado, Gerald Eaton, and Brian West, the track is sung mainly in English, with the chorus completely in Portuguese. The song was produced by Furtado and Track & Field and received a positive reception from music critics. Released in June 2004 as the album's third single, served as the official song of the 2004 European Football Championship held in Portugal.
"Say It Right" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her third studio album, Loose (2006). It was written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley, and Nate "Danja" Hills, with Furtado crediting the Eurythmics' song "Here Comes the Rain Again" as her inspiration. The song was released as the third single from Loose on 31 October 2006 by Geffen Records and Mosley Music Group; in Europe, it was released as the fourth.
"All Good Things (Come to an End)" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her third studio album, Loose (2006). It was written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley, Chris Martin, and Nate "Danja" Hills. The song was released as the album's third European single in November 2006. It was released as the fourth single in the United States and Australia. The single features Chris Martin, frontman of the band Coldplay, harmonizing throughout the song. The original version of the song included Martin saying a few words at the beginning and singing the chorus behind Furtado.
"Give It to Me" is a song performed by American producer, songwriter and rapper Timbaland, released as the first single from his second studio album Shock Value (2007). The song features vocals by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado and American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. All three artists co-wrote the song together with American rapper Attitude and American producer Danja, who co-produced the song with Timbaland. Mosley Music Group, in association with Blackground Records and Interscope Records, serviced the song to contemporary hit and rhythmic radios in the United States on February 6, 2007, and later to urban radios on March 10, 2007. "Give It to Me" is an electro song that embodies the sensibilities of club music. The song features the protagonists addressing their critics about their successes in the music industry.
Canadian singer Nelly Furtado has released seven studio albums, 35 singles, one video album, one live album, two compilation albums, four extended plays, and 23 music videos. She released her debut album Whoa, Nelly! in 2000 and it became a commercial success selling 6 million copies worldwide. It has been certified multi Platinum in countries such as Canada, United States, Australia and New Zealand. The album spawned four singles including the successful top 10 hits "I'm Like a Bird" and "Turn Off the Light". In 2003 she released her second album Folklore, while the album did not match the success of her previous album in such markets as the US and Australia, it did however become a success in several European countries. Folklore has sold 2 million copies worldwide. The album produced two European top 10 hits: "Powerless " and "Força", while "Try" peaked inside the top 10 in Canada.
Songs for You, Truths for Me is the second album by English singer, songwriter and guitarist James Morrison, released on 26 September 2008. The album was a commercial success in the UK where it entered the album charts at number three and in Ireland where it topped the charts. It has been certified double Platinum by the BPI with over 700,000 sales and has sold more than 1 million of copies worldwide.
Mi Plan is the fourth studio album and the first Spanish-language album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was released independently on September 11, 2009 by Furtado's own record label Nelstar Entertainment with distribution by Universal Music Latino. This marks Furtado's first independently released album. Recording sessions for the album took place from 2008 to 2009. The album was produced primarily by Furtado with other contributions made by James Bryan, Lester Mendez, Salaam Remi, The Demolition Crew, Julieta Venegas and Brian West. Furtado described the songs on the album to be "simple love songs".
The Best of Nelly Furtado is a greatest hits album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. The album was first released on 12 November 2010. The album includes all of Furtado's biggest hits, as well as songs she is featured in and three new songs: "Night Is Young", "Stars" and "Girlfriend in the City". It was released in standard, deluxe and super deluxe editions. The album's track listing and artwork were revealed on 14 October 2010.
"Promiscuous" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado, featuring American record producer Timbaland, and written by Furtado, Timbaland, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, and Nate "Danja" Hills. The song was included on the Furtado's third studio album, Loose (2006), and was released as the second single from the album on April 25, 2006. Its lyrics feature a conversation between a man and woman who call each other promiscuous.
The Spirit Indestructible is the fifth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. The album was released on 14 September 2012. Furtado served as the executive producer for the album as well as a principal writer. Further production on The Spirit Indestructible comes from the likes of Darkchild, Salaam Remi, Mike Angelakos, Bob Rock, Fraser T Smith, Di Genius, The Demolition Crew, John Shanks and Tiësto.
The Ride is the sixth studio album released by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was released on 31 March 2017 by her own record label, Nelstar Music. It is her second independently released album after Mi Plan (2009).
the mocha-java world music stylings of 2003's Folklore
responding to her initial urban-crossover success with the rustic pop-rock set Folklore in 2003
Questi accostamenti tra pop e musica etnica in alcuni momenti funzionano [...] "Folklore", da un lato, cerca di mantenere un'identità pop (e quindi di essere "smerciabile" su canali di massa), dall'altra cerca una via più originale di rielaborare fonti, per l'appunto, "folk"