Thursday, June 22, 2006

Strut, pout, put it out

Back in 2000, I reviewed Nelly Furtado's debut record, Whoa, Nelly! for PopMatters. It didn't deserve a lot of love, in my view, and I didn't give it much. Of course, I was immidiately proven right when she had a couple of hits that went to the top of the charts.

Over the years there have been sections of a handful of Furtado fan sites dedicated to hating me for the review, but at the moment I think the only one still up is this, where someone who is known as I Am writes:

His name is : Ben Varkentine . " varken " is the word for " pig " in the Netherlands !


I suppose that should sting, but I actually get kind of a kick out of it. I've been flamed before, but never bilingually (to the best of my knowledge). Actually, what hurt more is when another fan once pointed out a stupid error of fact I'd made in the review. I confused Jo Callis of the Human League with his onetime bandmate, Joanne Catherall. Inexcusable from the '80s man.

But anyway...so. We meet again, my old nemesis. Ms. Furtado has a new album out, an attempt at a comeback after her sophomore effort was less than successful. And what is the reason, she feels, it was less than successful?

Because she covered up her stomach and started giving off a hippy chick, feminist I-hate-men vibe. Seriously. These are quotes from her Blender interview, via The Bosh:
On her midriff-baring, sex bomb transformation: “I’m just now catching up, accepting my job more [emphasis mine-BV]. My video choreographer taught me how to move in all these different ways. I’m more at ease with my body than I’ve ever been."

On toning down her hippie vibe: “I went through a feminist phase and read a lot of philosophical stuff. Some of the male bashing brainwashed me for a bit so I stopped. I love men!”

If Furtado's new album brings her career back to life while Pink's album with "Stupid Girls" on it "appears to be close to dying"...I'm quitting show business.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Furtado also went through a "Mommy" phase during the production of that album.