Nelly Furtado impacted the scene with a brand of Pop-Folk that made her a critic’s darling. However, 2006 saw the Canadian star drive in an altogether edgier direction. And this week’s From The Vault we celebrates the one of the ripest fruits of that venture. Today’s pick is ‘Maneater.’
Issued as the second single from Furtado’s third album ‘Loose,’ the track was written by the songbird and produced by Timbaland alongside Danja and Jim Beanz. A combination that defined the majority of the album.
Though not the Stateside chart smash its predecessor ‘Promiscuous’ was, ‘Maneater’ was a Top 20 US single, peaking at #16.
Internationally it fared better; in Canada is charted at #5 and was a chart topper in the UK.
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Anthony Mandler directed the song’s moody visual which showcased an underground dance party of which Nelly is the center of attention.
The singer was nominated for Female Artist Of The Year at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards on the merit of this visual as well as that of ‘Say It Right,’ its successor.
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12 years! Time sure flies. All at once, it feels like no time has passed and, yet reflecting on all that’s happened since then, it’s clear so much time has passed.
For a brief moment the Pop landscape was dominated by Miss Furtado. And yet, for as intense the ‘Loose’ era was, Nelly never returned to even half that level of success and acclaim.
She’s made a few soft attempts at a comeback, but if she were ever make a real swing of the bat a la one time rivals Fergie and Gwen Stefani, let’s hope she learns from their mistakes and hits the world with a fresh new sound that blends the best of what the current climate has to offer and her own very unique style.
