"Explode" is a song written by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado and Gerald Eaton for Furtado's second studio album, ''

Folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

'' (2003). It is produced by Eaton and was released in September 2004 as the fourth single from the album. The song charted in the top 40 in

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Furtado said the song "came from a poem I wrote called ''Teenage Waste''. When you're a teenager, you want to try everything; you're like a little firecracker. Your wiser self is there, somewhere deep down, depending on how young or old your soul is. But it doesn’t always show itself. "Explode" is visceral; it's guttural. That's why part of the song uses terms from

Capoeira Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th century ...

, the Brazilian martial arts form. It touches on teenage experimentation and bliss and fun, but also on some violence and aggression."

Music video

The video for "Explode" was shot in the

Central Technical School Central Technical School (CTS or Central Tech) is a Canadian composite high school in Toronto, Ontario. The school is run by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB); before 1998, it was run by the Toronto Board of Education (TBE). Central Tech ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and directed by Bradley Cayford and Nelly Furtado. It starts with the real Furtado walking into a room with her guitar singing in front of a microphone. It then shows the cartoon Furtado walking at school with her guitar case. At the chorus it has intercuts of the real Furtado and the cartoon version. The cartoon version is running to her

tree house A tree house, tree fort or treeshed is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, a han ...

in the forest for the second verse while the real Furtado is singing. The cartoon then starts to write a song as the viewer gets an insight to the character's imagination and a legend of three monsters living in the forest. The cartoon Furtado runs into the forest where she sees the monsters and begins to dance with them. The cartoon Furtado is then seen back in the tree house, writing the song. The conclusion of the video shows the real Furtado singing behind the microphone while playing guitar then leaving the same room. There is an alternate version of the video that shows Nelly singing the song in black and white beside a river.

Track listing

;CD single ;European CD single ;European maxi single

Charts

Release history

References

{{authority control 2004 singles Nelly Furtado songs Songs written by Gerald Eaton Songs written by Nelly Furtado 2003 songs DreamWorks Records singles Interscope Records singles