Hoping you are well. You are (were?), after all, one of my favorite female artists. Ever since you came on to the scene seven years ago with "I'm Like a Bird," I thought you showed uncommon talent, beauty and musical sophistication when other chicks (no bird pun intended) your age were mostly showing cleavage. You had world beat rhythms combined with pop hooks; folk music combined with rock; and on your most recent album, Loose, you took your own funky, ethnic sound and gave it a shot of hip hop.
It's this last effort that I would like to address. I have to admit, I was skeptical when "Promiscuous" came out as your lead single... and the first release I'd heard from you in several years. After your previous album (the superior, artsy Folklore) underwhelmed, I assumed you were merely hitting up go-to producer Timbaland to ensure a commercial hit and heavy radio play. I was peeved. Wasn't this the same Nelly Furtado who spurned conventional wisdom by managing to become a pop star and critical darling (an unusual combination) by exploiting her quirky, eccentric personality and musical individuality? Your hippie-chick jeans were treating you so well... why were you trading them in for a tighter, trashier, more revealing pair?
I was suspicious. I warmed to the song, and grew to appreciate that it was an undeniable club thumper. But I was never quite sure if it was the right song for you. It just seemed like such... well, the phrases "new target demographic," and "crass, obvious marketing" come to mind.
Then I finally got my hands on Loose. I loved it! I was glad that I had (despite my better, internal judgments) defended your new, hip hop leanings and suspect creative decisions when others scoffed. Because the album, when heard as a cohesive whole, suggested that you were merely doing the same thing you did with Woah... Nelly and Folklore: crafting an awesome sonic treat that combined your own unmistakable, trademark sound with your current genre-o'-interest. In this case, it just happened to be hip hop. No, you weren't selling out for a commercial rebound! You weren't contributing to Top 40's pay-for-play, discriminate mentality that determines song rotation almost solely on its potential to appeal to the urban market. No, you were above such things! You were about Art!
(Note: I should have seen a red flag in the fact that the foreign language tracks on Loose were performed in Spanish... despite the fact that you're of Portuguese descent. How telling that you traded in part of your authentic "self" for something slightly similar... but with greater mass appeal.)
Eventually, I saw your Loose Tour. It was another indication that I had jumped to conclusions by doubting the sincerity of your new hippier, hoppier persona. You didn't use the tour as a way to appeal only to your new fans; in fact, the set list paid more attention to your ballads, and there was a great mix of old and new. You strummed the guitar, you brought the spotlight to your vocals (not your moneymaker), and everything from your song selection to your outfits was a great nod to the full musical totality of your recorded work... not just the new stuff. Amazing!
Jump ahead to this past week. I'm in my car, going through the McDonalds drive-thru (yes, I'm a girl and I EAT BURGERS. And I still LOOK GOOD. Deal with it!)... and your new single, "Do It" comes on. I'm ecstatic! It was my favorite track off your album! What's more, it's a total dance song! Electro-ish, disco-esque, and 80s-leaning. Perhaps this bodes well for dance music on the radio... after all, it seems like ever since Madonna's "Hung Up" went Top 10, American radio has begun giving a few pop songs a chance. And this one is totally pop-dance. How exciting!
Then, that little piece of doubt crept in again. "Ha," I scoffed to myself. "Knowing the radio these days, they probably added a male rap in the last third of the song."
And then... Oh My God... they actually DID!!
Nelly Furtado - "Do It" music video
Are you kidding me?? What IS this crap? Or to crib from one of your former single titles... what is this "Shit on the Radio"?? You have an amazing dance song, but God forbid it get released to radio without adding a rapper - who sounds totally out of place in the context of this music - just to appeal to your post-Promiscuous fanbase? How predictable. How pathetic! How shamelessly obvious that in this case, there's no doubt you allowed your art to get a facelift for a few extra spins on radio.
I'm totally disappointed. People don't seem to realize this, but I have NOTHING against rap or hip-hop music. I LOVE it. But I am sick unto death of it being the only thing that Top 40 radio allows itself to play. Now, even amazing pop songs and dance songs aren't given the chance to reflect their genres, on their own merit. No, you have to tack some obligatory "shout out" at the end. What the hell was the point? If they made it that far into the song, they already like it, sweetie. At that juncture, you might as well leave your artistic credibility intact.
Before, I could have made excuses. Now, it's totally obvious that there was no other reason for this choice than to pander to mass popularity... or, let me rephrase, pander to what we're being TOLD and FORCE FED as mass popularity.
I love you, Nelly. You're talented as a singer, songwriter, producer and persona. But stay true to yourself. Besides, if nothing else, your OLD fans will remain steadfast... they were the ones who were discerning enough to pick out a unique, under-publicized talent and turn her into a word of mouth (and subsequent commercial) sensation. Your NEW fans? As soon as your heat cools, they'll be on to the "next big thing" that they're told to love by somebody's bigger, richer PR machine.
And since it's all about marketing, I hope THAT logic sticks. Even if integrity doesn't.
Sincerely,
JADE DIVA
No comments:
Post a Comment