Folklore (album)

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Folklore is the second album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, released by DreamWorks Records in the United States on November 25 2003 (see 2003 in music).

[edit] Production and release

The album's title was influenced by Furtado's parents' immigration to Canada, "when I look at my old photo albums, I see pictures of their brand-new house, their shiny new car, their first experiences going to very North American-type places like Kmart. When you have that in your blood, you never really part with it—it becomes your own personal folklore."<ref name=interview>Interview: Nelly Furtado. Interview. Retrieved on 29 May, 2006.</ref> The album also displayed a diverse sound but with a more rock-oriented, acoustic approach.<ref name=amazon>Folklore. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 28 May, 2006.</ref> As she focused more on the songwriting rather "than on frenetically switching genres five times in one song",<ref name=interview/> BBC felt that it had "twice the originality" of her debut.<ref name=folklore>Folklore. BBC. Retrieved on 28 May, 2006.</ref> Furtado attributed the mellowness of the album to the fact that she was pregnant during most of its recording.<ref name=interview/> The final track on the album, "Childhood Dreams", is dedicated to her daughter.

Folklore includes the single "Força" (meaning "strength" or "carry on" in Portuguese), which was written as the official anthem of the 2004 European Football Championship. Furtado performed the song at the championship's final in Lisbon, Portugal in July 2004.<ref>Nelly Furtado Gets Her Kicks. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 9 December, 2005.</ref> Other singles included the ballad "Try" and "Powerless (Say What You Want)", in which she embraces her Portuguese heritage; the song deals with "the idea that you can still feel like a minority inside, even if you don't look like one on the outside".<ref name=interview/> Additional singles were released in certain territories; "Explode" in Canada and Europe, and "The Grass Is Green" in Germany. The radically altered edits of "Try" and "Força" released to radio stations do not appear on the album, nor does the Spanish single version of "Powerless (Say What You Want)" featuring Juanes.

The album was not as successful as Furtado's debut album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000), partly because of troubles at DreamWorks Records and the less poppy sound.<ref name=folklore/> It lacked promotion because DreamWorks was sold to Universal Music Group at the time of Folkore's release, and it spent only eleven weeks on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. In 2005 DreamWorks Records was shut down, and many of its artists, including Furtado, were absorbed into Geffen Records.<ref>Universal Music Snags DreamWorks Records. Blogcritics.org. Retrieved on 29 May, 2006.</ref> An enhanced CD, Folklore sold two million copies in Europe alone<ref>AOL.com.[1]. Retrieved September 28 2006.</ref> and was most successful in Germany. Furtado said, "Why do Germans love this album? I think I figured it out: It's so cerebral. It's great in its own way, but that's a different side."<ref>Anderson, Jason. "Bustin' Loose". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. June 20 2006. Retrieved September 18 2006.</ref>

[edit] Track listing

1. "One-Trick Pony" (Gerald Eaton, Nelly Furtado, Brian West) – 4:47
2. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Anne Dudley, Eaton, Furtado, Trevor Horn, Malcolm McLaren, West) – 3:52
   • Samples Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals"
3. "Explode" (Eaton, Furtado) – 3:44
4. "Try" (Furtado, West) – 4:39
5. "Fresh off the Boat" (Eaton, Furtado, West) – 3:16
6. "Força" (Eaton, Furtado, West) – 3:40
7. "The Grass Is Green" (Mike Elizondo, Furtado) – 3:50
8. "Picture Perfect" (Eaton, Furtado, West) – 5:16
9. "Saturdays" (Furtado) – 2:04
10. "Build You Up" (Eaton, Furtado, West) – 4:58
11. "Island of Wonder" (S. Diaz, Furtado, J. Gahunia) – 3:49
    • Samples Caetano Veloso's "Tonada De Luna Llena"
12. "Childhood Dreams" (Eaton, Furtado, West) – 6:33

UK bonus tracks

• 13. "Try" (acoustic version)
• 14. CD-ROM video footage

Japanese bonus tracks

• 13. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (alternative acoustic mix)
• 14. "Try" (acoustic version)

Latin American re-issue

• 13. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" featuring Juanes

[edit] Singles

• "Powerless (Say What You Want)"
• "Try"
• "Força"
• "Explode"
• "The Grass is Green" (Germany Only)

[edit] Sales and certifications

[edit] Notes

<references/>

[edit] References

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