Whoa, Nelly!
2000 studio album by Nelly Furtado
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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 (Remember the Days)", and "Hey, Man!". The album spent seventy-eight weeks on the Billboard 200, and hit double-platinum status in the US in January 2002.[1]
- The Gymnasium
- Iguana Studios
- McClear Digital Studios
(Toronto, Canada) - Can-Am Studio
(Tarzana, California) - Metalworks Studios
(Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)
| Whoa, Nelly! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
![On a white background, Furtado lies on the grass on her side, looking at the camera. "Nelly Furtado" is written in 60s-inspired forest green capital letters, and "Whoa, Nelly!" in smaller, light-blue capital letters.](#/media/File:Nelly_Furtado_"Whao,_Nelly!"2.jpg) Standard edition cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 24, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | 1999–2000 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:06 | |||
| Language |
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| Label | DreamWorks | |||
| Producer |
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| Nelly Furtado chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Whoa, Nelly! | ||||
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After the release of the album, Furtado headlined the Burn in the Spotlight Tour and appeared on Moby's Area:One tour. According to Maclean's magazine, Whoa, Nelly! has sold 5-6 million copies Worldwide as of 2006. The album also caught the eye of record producer Timbaland, who later signed Furtado to his record label.[2][3]
Background
After graduating from Mount Douglas Secondary School in 1996, Furtado moved from Victoria, British Columbia to Toronto to pursue music, working full-time at an alarm company. There, she met Tallis Newkirk of the hip hop group Plains of Fascination and contributed vocals to their 1996 album Join the Ranks before forming the trip-hop duo Nelstar with him.[4] However, she left the group, feeling its style did not represent her voice or personality.[5] In 1997, her performance at the Honey Jam talent show caught the attention of Gerald Eaton of The Philosopher Kings, who, along with Brian West, helped her produce a demo.[6] This material led to her signing with DreamWorks Records in 1999, and her first single, "Party's Just Begun (Again)", appeared that year on the Brokedown Palace soundtrack.[7]
Composition
Whoa, Nelly combines elements of a large number of genres. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic states that "much of the record sounds like folk-pop tinged with bossa nova" and describes the songs as "blends of pop, folk, dance, and Latin".[8] According to Heidi Sherman from Spin "Furtado takes on mainstream urban pop, alternative folk, R&B-soul, and Brazilian samba on Whoa, Nelly!".[9] Billboard notes that "Nelly Furtado sees no reason for separating rock guitars from pop melodies from R&B/hip hop beats from effervescent bossa nova".[10] Other articles on Billboard describe Whoa, Nelly as a trip-pop and worldbeat/rock album.[11][12]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[13] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| The A.V. Club | (favorable)[14] |
| Billboard | (favorable)[10] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A[15] |
| The Guardian | [16] |
| NME | 6/10[17] |
| Q | [13] |
| Rolling Stone |  [18] |
| Slant | [19] |
| Yahoo! Music UK | [20] |
Whoa, Nelly! was well received by critics for its eccentric, yet intriguing instrumentations as well as Furtado's vocals. It currently holds a score of 79 from Metacritic.[13] Slant magazine called it "a delightful and refreshing antidote to the army of 'pop princesses' and rap-metal bands that had taken over popular music at the turn of the millennium."[19] The sound of the album was strongly influenced by musicians who had traversed cultures and "the challenge of making heartfelt, emotional music that's upbeat and hopeful."[21] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave a positive review while commenting that "Furtado is a restless vocalist, skitting and scatting with abandon, spitting out rapid repetitions, bending notes, and frequently indulging in melismas."[8] and also stating that "Whoa, Nelly! unfolds as a rewarding, promising debut."[8] Rolling Stone gave Whoa, Nelly! a positive review calling it a "wild-ass pop go-go, filled with songs that pursue adventure yet could still make the hit parades."[18] Q listed Whoa, Nelly! as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.[22]
As a result of critical acclaim, the album received four nominations at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in on 27 February 2002. The album itself received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, while Furtado herself was nominated for Best New Artist as well as Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I'm Like a Bird", in which she won the latter.[23]
Commercial performance
In Furtado's home country of Canada, the album peaked at number two and is currently certified 4× platinum.[24][25]
Whoa, Nelly! debuted with first week sales of 4,087 in the United States.[26] It officially made its debut on the Billboard 200 at number 190 on the week of January 13, 2001.[27] Due to the help of radio airplay, by the end of 2000 the album was now selling up to 12,000 copies per week; by the end of 2001 it was selling up to 55,000 copies per week. It eventually reached its peak at number 24 on the chart and is currently certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[26]
Track listing
All tracks produced by Nelly Furtado, Gerald Eaton and Brian West, except for "Well, Well", which is produced by Furtado and Jon Levine.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey, Man!" | Furtado | 4:10 |
| 2. | "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)" | Furtado | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Baby Girl" |
| 3:46 |
| 4. | "Legend" |
| 3:35 |
| 5. | "I'm Like a Bird" | Furtado | 4:03 |
| 6. | "Turn Off the Light" | Furtado | 4:36 |
| 7. | "Trynna Finda Way" |
| 3:32 |
| 8. | "Party" |
| 4:02 |
| 9. | "Well, Well" | Furtado | 2:59 |
| 10. | "My Love Grows Deeper" (Part 1) |
| 4:21 |
| 11. | "I Will Make U Cry" | Furtado | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Scared of You" | Furtado | 6:09 |
| Total length: | 47:06 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Onde Estás" | Furtado | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 51:02 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "I Feel You" (featuring Esthero) |
| 4:11 |
| 15. | "My Love Grows Deeper" (single version) |
| 4:54 |
| 16. | "I'm Like a Bird" (music video) | Furtado | 4:03 |
| Total length: | 64:28 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "I'm Like a Bird" | 4:03 |
| 15. | "Turn Off the Light" | 4:36 |
| Total length: | 73:07 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Party" (Choroni Mix) | 4:30 |
| 15. | "I'm Like a Bird" (Gavo's Martini Bar Mix) | 6:56 |
| Total length: | 77:17 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm Like a Bird" (acoustic version) | 4:03 |
| 2. | "My Love Grows Deeper" (single version) | 4:54 |
| 3. | "I Feel You" (featuring Esthero) | 4:11 |
| 4. | "I'm Like a Bird" (Nelly vs. Asha Remix) | 5:38 |
| 5. | "...On the Radio (Remember the Days)" (Dan the Automator Remix) | 4:35 |
| Total length: | 22:41 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey, Man!" (music video) | 4:26 |
| 2. | "...On the Radio (Remember the Days)" (music video) | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Turn Off the Light" (music video) | 4:36 |
| 4. | "I'm Like a Bird" (music video) | 4:03 |
| 5. | "I'm Like a Bird" (acoustic) | 4:03 |
| 6. | "I'm Like a Bird" (Nelly vs. Asha Remix) | 5:38 |
| 7. | "Turn Off the Light" (Yogi's Sunshine Reggae Mix) | 5:18 |
| 8. | "...On the Radio (Remember the Days)" (Dan the Automator Remix) | 4:35 |
| Total length: | 35:17 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey, Man!" | Furtado | 4:10 |
| 2. | "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)" | Furtado | 3:54 |
| 3. | "Baby Girl" |
| 3:46 |
| 4. | "Legend" |
| 3:34 |
| 5. | "I'm Like a Bird" | Furtado | 4:03 |
| 6. | "Turn Off the Light" | Furtado | 4:36 |
| 7. | "Trynna Finda Way" |
| 3:32 |
| 8. | "Party" |
| 4:02 |
| 9. | "Well, Well" | Furtado | 2:59 |
| 10. | "My Love Grows Deeper" (Part 1) |
| 4:23 |
| 11. | "I Will Make U Cry" | Furtado | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Scared of You" | Furtado | 6:09 |
| 13. | "I'm Like a Bird" (Acoustic Version) | Furtado | 3:56 |
| 14. | "My Love Grows Deeper" (Non-LP Version) |
| 4:54 |
| 15. | "I Feel You" (featuring Esthero) |
| 4:09 |
| 16. | "I'm Like a Bird" (Nelly vs. Asha Remix) | 5:36 | |
| 17. | "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)" (Dan the Automator Mix Version) | 4:35 | |
| 18. | "Baby Girl" (live at The Forum) |
| 4:37 |
| 19. | "Party" (Reprise) | 4:54 | |
| 20. | "Turn Off the Light" (Timbaland Full Mix Version) | 4:35 | |
| 21. | "I'm Like a Bird" (Junior Vasquez Club Anthem) | 10:19 | |
| 22. | "Onde Estás" | Furtado | 4:13 |
Samples
- Hey, Man!" contains a sample from "White Man Sleeps (Second Movement)" by Kronos Quartet.
- "My Love Grows Deeper" (Part 1) contains a sample from "Stride With Ease" by Jeff Tyzik and a sample from "Eli Eli" by Johnny Mathis.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[31]
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[67] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
| Belgium (BRMA)[68] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Canada (Music Canada)[25] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[69] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| Germany (BVMI)[70] | Gold | 150,000^ |
| Mexico (AMPROFON)[71] | Gold | 110,000[72] |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[73] | Gold | 40,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[74] | 3× Platinum | 45,000^ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[75] | Gold | 25,000* |
| South Africa (RISA)[76] | 2× Platinum | 100,000* |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[77] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[78] | 2× Platinum | 667,000[3] |
| United States (RIAA)[79] | 2× Platinum | 2,470,000[80] |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI)[81] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
| Worldwide | — | 5–6,000,000[2][3] |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Edition(s) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | October 24, 2000 | Universal Music | Standard | [82] |
| United States | DreamWorks | [83] | ||
| Japan | November 22, 2000 | Universal Music | ||
| Asia | February 19, 2001 | |||
| Australia | ||||
| Europe | ||||
| United Kingdom | March 9, 2001 | [84] | ||
| United States | May 20, 2008 | Geffen | Special | [85] |
| Canada | May 27, 2008 | Universal Music | [86] | |
| Europe | May 30, 2008 | [87] | ||
| Various | October 23, 2020 | Expanded | [29][30] |