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Nelly's music is arresting. From the opening numbers to the closing song, what strikes the listener most is that each of the songs could be a potential hit single, something last witnessed only on Alanis Morissette's 'Jagged little pill'. Nelly sounds nothing like Alanis, but what she manages is nothing short of extraordinary.

'Whoa, Nelly' seems like a careless album title, but its not. Once you listen to the album, you know that it captures the singer's spirit and her vibrancy perfectly. It also indicates that this is a fun album - no soulful dirges a la Sarah McLachlan and no pointless poetry like Jewel's.

This album is one of those that will set a trend - Nelly has bridged the gap between pop music and folk culture, Spanish dance and tribal chants. While there are traces of Lauryn Hill influenced hip-hop, the album remains fresh and original throughout, and evokes Joni Mitchell in patches.

One thing is certain : 'Whoa, Nelly' brings to the fore a beautiful and remarkably gifted new songstress, and I can't wait for more of her work. In the meantime, you sure will be listening to this one for much of this year. Yes, its that addictive.

Kabir Ahamed.


Hey Man! This is one of the best Cd's of the year!   December 28, 2000
 33 out of 41 found this review helpful

Nelly Furtado will no doubt be one of the most talked about new artists of the coming year. I believe that this Cd is one of the best debut albums by a female artist, it's comparible to Fiona Apple's Tidal. To descibe Nelly's singing voice I would say that she sounds like Gwynn Stefani.There is no filler on this album only great songs. This is one of the few Cd's that I could put on and listen to straight through. Here is my opinion of each song.

1. Hey Man!- Great song very reminicent of Joni Mitchel. Very pretty uses a great string arangement.

2.......On the radio- Great song, sounds like it could have been written for TLC.

3. Baby Girl- Kind of wierd, has a sort of heavy metal thing at the begining, but still a good song.

4. Legend- Clearly the album's best track, filled with brilliant lyrics and beautifully produced.

5. I'm Like a bird- The first single, I saw the video and knew I had to have her album, a really great song.

6. Turn Of the light- An okay song seems a bit out of place on this album.

7.Trynna Finda Way- Another of the best on the album, has a cool country/rock thing going on, very cool. My second favorite song on the album.

8. Party- Nelly gets down with her bad self! A cool dance song, has a very cool bossanova beat to it.

9. Well, Well- Very cool, great lyrics very insightful. Nelly sings " Looks liks I only love god when the sun shines my way." Great song.

10. My Love Grows Deeper Part 1- A good song, but dosen't really stand out on this great album.

11. I Will Make You Cry- Another really good song.

12. Scared Of You- A Really pretty slow song sung partly in Portugese. Another stand out track.

Nelly is one of those artists you know will only get better with time. I can't wait to hear what she'll sound like in 10 years, because if she keeps making albums like this she'll be around for that long or longer.


Great Stuff   September 26, 2003
 19 out of 21 found this review helpful

This Lady stopped me in my tracks. I generally hate contemporary pop music. This is really different. She has a marvellous delivery. The backup musicians are excellent. The production values are top-notch. The beat is infectious beyond belief! I don't care what genre of music you listen to, this CD has got to at least be listened to for you to form an opinion. My bet is that it will capture you instantly, as it did me.

BK


I may be over-stepping my generosity here...   May 25, 2001
 16 out of 24 found this review helpful

I'd heard so many good things about this album, and ran out of things to buy last week, so I figured that "Whoa, Nelly" was as good a wasteful purchase as any. And I was about right, too.

It's a strange album to rate, really... and it's a love-hate voice she's piping out, too shrill and weak (at least in the mix) to sustain your interest throughout the entire collection of songs, but with a breadth of originality in her compositions that makes you want to explore further...

Frustration sinks in because of the potential lost.

In short, appreciate the album for it's freshness and energy, for the simple fact that she's likely got only one in her. Ultimately it's got a few noteworthy, extremely hummable tunes, but it's no classic, and any 5-star ratings you see on Amazon regarding it are completely unwarranted.


Some of the most original music to ever enter my stereo   May 30, 2001
 14 out of 15 found this review helpful

Show me another artist who has the same sound as Nelly Furtado....give up yet? She's created her own sound by combining latin, hip-hop, folk,and a little bit of rock. Can you say awesome?

1)Hey, Man!-Soaring guitar and string arrangements and a great chorus make this a superior opening song. 5/5

2)Sh-t on the Radio-Another song with a great chorus. The song's about Nelly telling somebody off. Sounds like a latin-y song with Alanis-like lyrics. 4.5/5

3)Baby Girl-I really like the jangly guitar at the beginning. This is another latin-y song that you can't help dancing and singing to. 5/5

4)Legend-At first listen I didn't really like this song but it's grown on me. I especially like in the middle of the song where it does this little breakdown thing. I'm not really sure how to describe it but it's cool. Nelly's voice sounds the best on this song. 4/5

5)I'm Like a Bird-Even though I've heard this song countless time I still love it. There's not one bad thing about this song and it's rally fun to belt it out at the end. 5/5

6)Turn Off the Light-This is my all time favorite song! There's almost a dreamlike quality quality about it and the chorus is amazing. Very uplifting. 5/5

7)Trynna Finda Way-I think this song is supposed to be about Nelly's road to fame but I'm not sure. I like how the verses are spoken and the lyrics are great. 5/5

8)Party-This is like a samba or a rhumba or one of those latin dances. A very different kind of party song and is fun to do funky latin dance moves to 4.5/5

9)Well, Well-The happy-go-lucky song on the album. The beginning is rather annoying and cheesy until the beat comes in but be sure to listen to the whole song because it's pretty good. 4/5

10)My Love Grows Deeper Part 1-This song is pretty funky and has the best chorus I've ever heard in my life, but it's weaker than the others. 3.5/5

11)I Will Make U Cry-I think this shows Nelly's insane egomaniac side. If you read the lyrics you'll see what I mean. Again the chorus is incredibly good. 4.5/5

12)Scared of You-The only slow song on the whole album. It's quite beauiful but is about 3 minutes too long which is why I don't really like it. 3/5

All in all I think this is a very promising debut and I can't wait until her next album! Love~Butterfly