So what does a big pop star like Furtado do with her third album? She explores. And I love the results.
Her exploration gave Loose a mixed vibe unified solely by Furtado herself. The music is Latin-pop infused with dance, trance, reggae, New Wave, rock, R ’n B and most of all hip-hop. This is a very strange combination that might have turned to chaos but Nelly stayed on top and kept the different sounds from various producers in control. Promiscuous featuring producer Timbaland is a very good example of this. It is a delightful tug-o’-war of catchy pop and sexy R ’n B and is the No. 1 tune in the US these days.
The first cut, Afraid, featuring Attitude has one of the most infectious dance beats ever heard. Maneater hints of electronica. The Shakira-influenced No Hay Igual brings up the Latin spitfire. It is also so amazing that Nelly can really sing. She proves this in In God’s Hands, which is a lovely ballad and in the sweet love song Say It Right. The other cuts are Glow, Showtime, Do It, Wait for You, Somebody to Love and All Good Things (Come to an End).
The album also serves as the Pinoy’s introduction to the Latin pop idol of the moment, Juanes. I know he has several CDs out but I have yet to see one in the local stores. Listen to him as he joins Nelly in Te Busque. Watch out for this guy. He might turn out to be the next Ricky Martin if he goes mainstream English pop or the next Luis Miguel, fanatically loyal to his Latin roots.
On the other hand, the Billboard 200 Albums are Now 22 by Various Artists; Eraser by Thom Yorke; Pimpalation by Pimp C.; Loose by Nelly Furtado; St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley; American V: A Hundred Highways by Johnny Cash; High School Musical, the original soundtrack; Me and My Gang by Rascal Flatts; Black Holes and Revelations by Muse and A Girl Like Me by Rihanna.
As the title says, the series is made up of original limited edition albums with no booklets included. The titles are mostly greatest hits compilations by major artists that would have retailed at P450 each. But because of the spare packaging, these much-wanted CDs are now being sold at only P305. Among the artists featured in the campaign are The Rolling Stones, Gabrielle, Bon Jovi, The Cure, The Cranberries, Ronan Keating, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Bryan Adams and Sheryl Crow.
The Very Best of Sheryl Crow is a good example of what buyers will get with this special price. It is a decade’s worth of hits by one of the most successful women in the music business and is one engaging tune after another. I miss Steve McQueen but it includes All I Wanna Do, Soak Up the Sun, My Favorite Mistake, The First Cut is the Deepest, Everyday is a Winding Road, Leaving Las Vegas, Strong Enough, Light in Your Eyes, If It Makes You Happy, Run Baby Run, Picture by Kid Rock featuring Sheryl Crow, C’mon, C’mon featuring The Corrs, A Change Would Do You Good, Home, There Goes the Neighborhood, I Shall Believe and a bonus track Let’s Get Free.