Album Review: Nelly Furtado – “The Spirit Indestructible”

Sep 24

Fans have been anxiously awaiting a new album, from Nelly Furtado and on September 14, the wait was over and The Spirit Indestructible was released.

The Spirit Indestructible is Furtado’s first English-language studio album in six years and her fifth studio album overall. Her 2009 album, Mi Plan, was the singer’s first Spanish LP and won her a Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album (2010).

The album is comparable to a maze of harmonic melodies; just when you think the album is going one direction, you’re met with a something completely different a few minutes later.

The Spirit Indestructible‘s lead single, “Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)” was written by Furtado and super-producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. The uptempo urban song became an instant hit in clubs, bars and lounges across the world. The song’s music video showcased Nelly’s swagged-out style, as she commanded attention walking through the streets with her large earrings and flared-out pant legs. After the release of the video, fans were able to appreciate the song more.

“One of the first songs I did with Rodney was, ‘Big Hoops.’ When I was writing it, I kinda came into this mindset of myself at about age 14 you know, growing up in my small town but living, living this life that was full of this wonderful R&B and hip hop music that I listened to and it became sort of part of my lifestyle and my friends and I we lived, it was the soundtrack of that time in my life.”

The track “Something” featuring rapper Nas, is an unconventional pairing, but his bars meshes perfectly with Furtado’s vocals. It’s almost as though Nelly has taken on a new persona for “Something.” Her voice takes on a sultry and alluring tone that fans might not be used to hearing. This coupled with the song’s addictive beat and old-school Hip Hop feel, makes it a great addition to any playlist. Nas’ soft but quick delivery gives the track the “something” that it needs. It would be an absolute travesty, if this song doesn’t make on Billboard’s Hot 100.

The song “Parking Lot” has received mixed reviews from fans. Some see the song as a stroke of genius, while others have compared Furtado’s delivery to MIA. After listening to the track a few times, the latter couldn’t be further from the truth. This is classic Nelly Furtado and this song embodies the multifaceted artist she has shown herself to be through the years.The song is fancy-free homage to Furtado in her younger years, a time when she would hang out with friends in parking lots and just have fun. The song’s chorus “Na-na-na-na-na/ Le-le, ha-a-a-a-ha/Eh-eh-eh” is catchy and even if you aren’t a fan of the song itself, you can’t help but sing-a-long with Nelly and mimic her hand-gestures from the song’s music video.

If you’re looking for a fun Dance song, then “Waiting For The Night” is the perfect jam. The song begins with a Trance beat, then segues into a uptempo Dance track, and just when you get used to that arrangement, the drums kick in and the song takes on an Afrobeat arrangement. If you’ve ever been in love and spent many nights yearning to see that special someone, then you can relate to “Waiting For The Night.”

The song “The Most Beautiful Thing” featuring Sara Tavares is a match made in collaboration heaven. The pair’s harmony on this track brings out the beauty in each of their vocals. The song’s serene and soothing arrangement puts listeners into a calm state of mind. The song is mixture of Celtic music and easy-listening. Even though the song is smack dab in the middle of the album, it would have made it the perfect track to close-out Spirit Indestructible.

One of the song’s most powerful and inspirational songs has to be “Enemy.” The song centers around the old idiom of being “one’s own worst enemy.” Often times we stand in the way of our own success and Furtado brings that issue to the forefront here. But instead of letting those bad decisions be the end of you, you take the horn by the reigns and fight for the path you’re destined to follow. The song also sends the message that you should never let your pride stop you from asking for help when you need it.

The Spirit Indestructible is Nelly Furtado. Not many artists can proudly say they wrote all the songs on their album, but Nelly Furtado can. The singer spent ample time traveling the world and recording music for this LP along the way. The varied locations she visited over the past few years can be heard throughout the album, which has a plethora of diverse beats, genres and lyrics.

Furtado named the album, The Spirit Indestructible, as a way to pay homage to the spirit which resides in all of us and triumphs over anything. The album holds true to its name in every way. The Spirit Indestructible‘s eclectic feel and mix of genres touches your inner spirit and moves something inside of you.