Most may remember her from her hit album in 2006, “Loose”, where she released hit singles “Maneater”, “Promiscuous” & “Say It Right”. However, after a seven-year hiatus, Canadian pop icon Nelly Furtado is back with a synth, dance-pop, and ballad-incorporated album named ‘7’ (which, coincidentally, is her seventh album).
The 45-year-old owner of Nelstar Entertainment gave fans an unexpected taste into an element of her life. She describes the album as that it “doesn’t have an aesthetic… it’s a collection. I made this project as fun as possible.” The album has fourteen songs in total and lasts 37 minutes.
Song Reviews
As previously mentioned, the album has fourteen songs. Here, I am describing what I believe to be the five most significant (or my favorite) songs. Some honorable song mentions are Ready For Myself, Fantasy and Take Me Down.
Track #1: Showstopper
This track is one of my favorites; Furtado describes this song as a “party-ready track.” Listeners can hear that when this catchy synth song plays, it adds such light to the introduction of the album and sets the tone for the dance-pop songs to come.
Track #2: Corazón
Fun fact: “Corazón” (from Spanish) is translated to “heart”. Inversely, this is the second lead-off track for the new album. Nevertheless, if you are interested in listening to a Latin-based, dance-pop song incorporating cool, versatile instrumentation, this is the one for you! Furtado partnered with Colombian band Bomba Estéreo and released this as one of the lead-off tracks for her album. Hidden behind this song is the meaning that it is okay to live freely and do everything with a good heart.
Track #3: Love Bites
This was released on May 22, 2024 as the first lead-off track to the album. After collaborating with English singer SG Lewis on her previous single released in 2023, “Eat Your Man,” both artists teamed up with Swedish singer Tove Lo for a fresh, slinky, sly single with a constant beat in the background.
Track #5: Honesty
“I believe in honesty, a little bit of honesty is always in my recipe,” sings Furtado. This club-geared track serves as a nod back to her club era in 2006. Fans highlighted that this was one of the favorites on the album and to be honest, I do too. For fans who consistently listen to Nelly’s music, this song proved to me that she is trying new, up-to-date trends with her songs which excites me for what’s to come in her future releases.
Track #9: Save Your Breath
If there’s one track on here that is my ultimate favorite–it is this one! In the introduction of the song, Nelly claims, “This is a community recording.” You can feel that when you hear the quality-sounding voices of Charmie, Taborah Johnson, Tynomi Banks, and Williane 108–who sings a masterful bridge of the song in Haitian Creole. This break-up blues song reminds the antagonist, presumably an ex, that “you are such bad company, nothing [the relationship]’s left.” The outro of this song has explicit content so listen at your own risk!
Track #12: Better Than Ever
Not only is Nelly Furtado known for launching club hits, but she also writes sad songs in her time. Furtado sings, “You made me hurt times ten, the pain was at eleven.” This soft-tempered ballad shows vulnerability, adversity, and provides incredible emotional appeal to listeners. After all, this song shows that people (including artists) go through the twists and turns of life, too.
Public Reviews
- “Obsessed with @NellyFurtado’s new album 7!!! No skips! Been on repeat. Such a great body of work added to her iconic catalogue! The evolution of Nelly has been so inspiring and fun! She’s so multi-talented, it still gags me! So many bops on repeat!
— @ComoYoo444 on Twitter/X.
- “I cannot get enough of this album. It’s so good and you should all be streaming. @Nelly Furtado knocked it outta the park with this one…”
— @jetlaggedmike on Twitter/X.
- “All in all, 7 is a testament to how diverse, unexpected, and fun Nelly Furtado albums can be. She’s stayed true to the young woman who once sang “I’m not a one-trick pony” two decades ago by continuing to evolve and explore.”
— Euphoria Magazine
- “I love EVERY song from your album, all —— BOPS but I gotta admit my absolute favorite song is Better Than Ever. I get so emotional every time I hear it, it’s such a beautiful song. I thank you for this album Nelly Furtado, a true blessing!! NEVER STOP MAKING MUSIC QUEEN!”
— @carimen75 on Twitter/X.
- “7… is a remarkable album, full of bops and ballads. She really put her heart and soul in this album. She deserves all the flowers she gets. 7 really is one of the best albums of the year.”
— @huntertabz on Twitter/X.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I enjoyed listening to this album. It seemed as if the order of the songs and the musical content were calculated and selected wisely. While there were some songs that I was not heavily connected with, 7 provided various head-bopping hits and heavy ballads and introduced new international artists through her features. I would rate this album an 8.5/10: there were great tracks that showed different emotions, as well as insight into who Nelly was as a person and how her experience shaped who she is now. After all, she is still the Maneater we all adore. Be sure to give the album a listen on all digital platforms!
