About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

After the intricate, elegant sexual negotiation of "Promiscuous" and slamming dance beats of "Maneater,"Nelly Furtado digs deep into her hit album Loose. What she pulls out is a smoldering, midtempo groove that should keep the hit engines in motion.

Head over to Nelly Furtado's Official Site to listen to "Say It Right."

Rate it yourself.



Pros

• Deep, sinuous, midtempo groove
• Airy mix
• Trademark Timbaland percussion

Cons

• Elliptical and obtuse lyrics

Description

• Organic, rolling percussion
• Spare, airy vocals
• Gentle, but insistent, midtempo beat

Guide Review - Nelly Furtado - Say It Right

With the release of "Say It Right" onto the pop radio airwaves, many pop music fans are likely to take a second look at purchasing Nelly Furtado's hit album Loose. The two previous singles, "Promiscuous" and "Maneater" were hot individual tracks, but they barely hinted at the depth of the album. "Say It Right," with its deep, insinuating groove underscored by a subdued, but classic, Timbaland percussive track, unites the singles into an overall elegant sound that forms the foundation of Loose.

Nelly Furtado's performance of "Say It Right" at last week's American Music Awards tried to cast a mesmerizing spell but was ultimately distracting due to unusual staging of the performance. To truly enjoy "Say It Right," listen to it through headphones, lay back, and revel in the subtle Eastern influences, airy vocals, and gently insistent beats.

The unique sound of this single is a welcome presence in the pop top 40.