Loose (Nelly Furtado Album)

''Loose'' is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, released on June 7, 2006, by Geffen and Mosley Music Group. Following the release of Furtado's second album, ''Folklore'' (2003), through DreamWorks Records, it was announced that Universal Music Group would acquire DreamWorks Records, the latter was folded into the Interscope Geffen A&M umbrella label where Furtado would release any new music. Recording sessions for ''Loose'' took place from 2005 to 2006. Timbaland and his protégé Danja produced the bulk of the album, primarily a pop album which incorporates influences of dance, R&B, hip hop, latin pop, synth-pop, reggaeton, new wave, funk, and Middle Eastern music. Lyrically, it explores the theme of female sexuality and has been described as introspective.

Overall, ''Loose'' was seen as critically and commercially successful. It reached high positions on the record charts of several markets, including number one in ten countries, and as of 2019, it has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of the 2000s. However, the album received criticism because of the sexual image Furtado adopted, as some critics felt it was a ploy to sell more records.

''Loose'' was heavily promoted, released in several editions and supported by the Get Loose Tour, which is the subject of the concert DVD, '' Loose: The Concert''. The album debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, making it Furtado's first album to top the chart, and spawned eight singles, including the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one hits "Promiscuous" and "Say It Right", which received Grammy Award nominations for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, respectively. Other notable singles include the UK Singles Chart number-one hit " Maneater" and the European number-one hit "All Good Things (Come to an End)”.

Background

Furtado wanted to make a pop record to prove to herself that she could be more streamlined. Furtado cited Madonna's 1998 album ''Ray of Light'' as a major influence, saying "she was smooth but sexy, universal, epic, iconic!" Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine suggested Furtado work with Timbaland, who had produced Missy Elliott's " Get Ur Freak On", which featured Furtado in a remix and a remix of Furtado's single "Turn Off the Light".

Recording

Furtado began work on ''Loose'' by holding with emcee Jellystone what she referred to as a "hip-hop workshop", in which they would "write rhymes, dissect them, and try different flows over beats." The first producers she worked with were Track & Field—who co-produced her first two albums, ''Whoa, Nelly!'' (2000) and ''Folklore'' (2003)—and by May 2005, she had collaborated with Swollen Members and K'naan.McNeil, Jason (4 May 2005)
"Furtado At Work On Third Album"
''Billboard''. Retrieved on 7 May 2008 Furtado worked with Nellee Hooper in London on reggae-oriented material and with Lester Mendez in Los Angeles on acoustic songs. One of the tracks Mendez helped to create is "Te Busqué", which is co-written by and features Juanes, who collaborated with Furtado on his 2002 song " Fotografía".
During her time in Los Angeles, she worked with Rick Nowels