Whoa, Nelly!

Whoa, Nelly! is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, released in North America on October 24, 2000 by DreamWorks Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1999 to 2000. It peaked at number twenty-four on the US Billboard 200 chart, and received critical acclaim. It produced four singles: "I'm Like a Bird", "Turn Off the Light", "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)", and "Hey, Man!". The album spent seventy-eight weeks on the Billboard 200, and hit double-platinum status in the US in January 2002.^[1]

Whoa, Nelly!
Standard edition cover
Studio album by Nelly Furtado
Released	October 24, 2000
Recorded	1999–2000
Studio	The Gymnasium Iguana Studios McClear Digital Studios (Toronto, Canada) Can-Am Studio (Tarzana, California) Metalworks Studios (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)
Genre	Pop trip hop worldbeat rock
Length	47:06
Label	DreamWorks
Producer	Gerald Eaton Brian West Nelly Furtado Jon Levine
Nelly Furtado chronology
Whoa, Nelly! (2000) Folklore (2003)
Singles from Whoa, Nelly!
"I'm Like a Bird" Released: September 25, 2000 "Turn Off the Light" Released: July 2, 2001 "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)" Released: December 3, 2001 "Hey, Man!" Released: June 10, 2002

After the release of the album, Furtado headlined the Burn in the Spotlight Tour and appeared on Moby's Area:One tour. According to Maclean's magazine, Whoa, Nelly! has sold 5-6 million copies Worldwide as of 2006. The album also caught the eye of record producer Timbaland, who later signed Furtado to his record label.^[2][3]

Composition

Whoa, Nelly combines elements of a large number of genres. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic states that "much of the record sounds like folk-pop tinged with bossa nova" and describes the songs as "blends of pop, folk, dance, and Latin".^[4] According to Heidi Sherman from Spin "Furtado takes on mainstream urban pop, alternative folk, R&B-soul, and Brazilian samba on Whoa, Nelly!".^[5] Billboard notes that "Nelly Furtado sees no reason for separating rock guitars from pop melodies from R&B/hip hop beats from effervescent bossa nova".^[6] Other articles on Billboard describe Whoa, Nelly as a trip-pop and worldbeat/rock album.^[7][8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	79/100[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The A.V. Club	(favorable)[10]
Billboard	(favorable)[6]
Entertainment Weekly	A[11]
The Guardian	[12]
NME	6/10[13]
Q	[9]
Rolling Stone	[14]
Slant	[15]
Yahoo! Music UK	[16]

Whoa, Nelly! was well received by critics for its eccentric, yet intriguing instrumentations as well as Furtado's vocals. It currently holds a score of 79 from Metacritic.^[9] Slant magazine called it "a delightful and refreshing antidote to the army of 'pop princesses' and rap-metal bands that had taken over popular music at the turn of the millennium."^[15] The sound of the album was strongly influenced by musicians who had traversed cultures and "the challenge of making heartfelt, emotional music that's upbeat and hopeful."^[17] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave a positive review while commenting that "Furtado is a restless vocalist, skitting and scatting with abandon, spitting out rapid repetitions, bending notes, and frequently indulging in melismas."^[4] and also stating that "Whoa, Nelly! unfolds as a rewarding, promising debut."^[4] Rolling Stone gave Whoa, Nelly! a positive review calling it a "wild-ass pop go-go, filled with songs that pursue adventure yet could still make the hit parades."^[14] Q listed Whoa, Nelly! as one of the best 50 albums of 2001.^[18]

As a result of critical acclaim, the album received four nominations at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in on 27 February 2002. The album itself received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, while Furtado herself was nominated for Best New Artist as well as Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I'm Like a Bird", in which she won the latter.^[19]

Commercial performance

Whoa, Nelly! debuted with first week sales of 4,087 in the United States.^[20] It officially made its debut on the Billboard 200 at number 190 on the week of January 13, 2001.^[21] Due to the help of radio airplay, by the end of 2000 the album was now selling up to 12,000 copies per week; by the end of 2001 it was selling up to 55,000 copies per week. It eventually reached its peak at number 24 on the chart and is currently certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[20]

In Furtado's home country of Canada the album peaked at number two and is currently certified 4× platinum.^[22][23]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Nelly Furtado, Gerald Eaton and Brian West, except for "Well, Well", which is produced by Furtado and Jon Levine.

Whoa, Nelly! – Standard edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Hey, Man!"	Furtado	4:10
2.	"Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)"	Furtado	3:54
3.	"Baby Girl"	Furtado Eaton West	3:46
4.	"Legend"	Furtado Eaton West	3:35
5.	"I'm Like a Bird"	Furtado	4:03
6.	"Turn Off the Light"	Furtado	4:36
7.	"Trynna Finda Way"	Furtado Eaton West	3:32
8.	"Party"	Furtado Eaton West	4:02
9.	"Well, Well"	Furtado	2:59
10.	"My Love Grows Deeper" (Part 1)	Furtado Eaton West	4:21
11.	"I Will Make U Cry"	Furtado	3:59
12.	"Scared of You"	Furtado	6:09
Total length:			47:06

Whoa, Nelly! – International edition (bonus track)^[24]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Onde Estás"	Furtado	4:14
Total length:			51:02

Whoa, Nelly! – UK edition (bonus tracks)^[25]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
14.	"I Feel You" (featuring Esthero)	Furtado Eaton West	4:11
15.	"My Love Grows Deeper" (single version)	Furtado Eaton West	4:54
16.	"I'm Like a Bird" (music video)	Furtado	4:03
Total length:			64:28

Whoa, Nelly! – European edition (bonus videos)^[26]

No.	Title	Length
14.	"I'm Like a Bird"	4:03
15.	"Turn Off the Light"	4:36
Total length:		73:07

Whoa, Nelly! – Japanese edition (bonus tracks)^[27]

No.	Title	Length
14.	"Party" (Choroni Mix)	4:30
15.	"I'm Like a Bird" (Gavo's Martini Bar Mix)	6:56
Total length:		77:17

Whoa, Nelly! – 2008 special edition (bonus disc)^[28]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I'm Like a Bird" (acoustic version)	4:03
2.	"My Love Grows Deeper" (single version)	4:54
3.	"I Feel You" (featuring Esthero)	4:11
4.	"I'm Like a Bird" (Nelly vs. Asha Remix)	5:38
5.	"...On the Radio (Remember the Days)" (Dan the Automator Remix)	4:35
Total length:		22:41

Whoa, Nelly! – Asian special edition (bonus disc)^[28]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Hey, Man!" (music video)	4:26
2.	"...On the Radio (Remember the Days)" (music video)	3:58
3.	"Turn Off the Light" (music video)	4:36
4.	"I'm Like a Bird" (music video)	4:03
5.	"I'm Like a Bird" (acoustic)	4:03
6.	"I'm Like a Bird" (Nelly vs. Asha Remix)	5:38
7.	"Turn Off the Light" (Yogi's Sunshine Reggae Mix)	5:18
8.	"...On the Radio (Remember the Days)" (Dan the Automator Remix)	4:35
Total length:		35:17

Whoa, Nelly! – 20th Anniversary Expanded edition^[29][30]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Hey, Man!"	Furtado	4:10
2.	"Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)"	Furtado	3:54
3.	"Baby Girl"	Furtado Eaton West	3:46
4.	"Legend"	Furtado Eaton West	3:34
5.	"I'm Like a Bird"	Furtado	4:03
6.	"Turn Off the Light"	Furtado	4:36
7.	"Trynna Finda Way"	Furtado Eaton West	3:32
8.	"Party"	Furtado Eaton West	4:02
9.	"Well, Well"	Furtado	2:59
10.	"My Love Grows Deeper" (Part 1)	Furtado Eaton West	4:23
11.	"I Will Make U Cry"	Furtado	3:59
12.	"Scared of You"	Furtado	6:09
13.	"I'm Like a Bird" (Acoustic Version)	Furtado	3:56
14.	"My Love Grows Deeper" (Non-LP Version)	Furtado Eaton West	4:54
15.	"I Feel You" (featuring Esthero)	Furtado Eaton West	4:09
16.	"I'm Like a Bird" (Nelly vs. Asha Remix)		5:36
17.	"Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)" (Dan the Automator Mix Version)		4:35
18.	"Baby Girl" (live at The Forum)	Furtado Eaton West	4:37
19.	"Party" (Reprise)		4:54
20.	"Turn Off the Light" (Timbaland Full Mix Version)		4:35
21.	"I'm Like a Bird" (Junior Vasquez Club Anthem)		10:19
22.	"Onde Estás"	Furtado	4:13

Samples

• Hey, Man!" contains a sample from "White Man Sleeps (Second Movement)" by Kronos Quartet.
• "My Love Grows Deeper" (Part 1) contains a sample from "Stride With Ease" by Jeff Tyzik.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from AllMusic.^[31]

Nelly Furtado – lead and background vocals, acoustic guitar, songwriting Field – bass guitar, acoustic guitar Track – tambourine, background vocals, quica, shakers Curt Bisquera – drums Lil' Jaz – turntables Johnny "The American" – electric guitar Bob Ludwig – mastering Rick Waychesko – trumpet, fluglehorn Mike Elizondo – bass guitar, double bass Victor Rebelo – percussion, berimbau, shaker Camara Kambon – piano Martin Tillmann – cello

James McCollum – guitar Russ Miller – drums Allan Molnar – vibraphone Brad Haehnel – shaker Roberto Occhipinti – bass guitar Luis Orbegoso – congas, toms Joe "Public" Allen – trumpet Nuno Cristo – guitar Alex Rebelo – rhythm guitar Daniel Stone – udu, shaker, triangle Martin Tillmann – cello

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Whoa, Nelly! Chart (2000–2002) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[32] 4 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[33] 37 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 20 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[35] 40 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[22] 2 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[36] 18 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[37] 10 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[38] 37 French Albums (SNEP)[39] 46 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[40] 14 Irish Albums (IRMA)[41] 6 Italian Albums (FIMI)[42] 14 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[43] 95 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[44] 5 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[45] 4 Polish Albums (ZPAV)[46] 41 Portuguese Albums (AFP)[47] 4 Scottish Albums (OCC)[48] 6 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[49] 15 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[50] 6 UK Albums (OCC)[51] 2 US Billboard 200[52] 24

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for Whoa, Nelly! Chart (2000) Position Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[53] 82 Year-end chart performance for Whoa, Nelly! Chart (2001) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[54] 16 Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[55] 9 Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[56] 59 European Albums (Music & Media)[57] 33 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[58] 46 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[59] 78 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[60] 26 UK Albums (OCC)[61] 26 US Billboard 200[62] 51 Worldwide Albums (IFPI)[63] 20 Year-end chart performance for Whoa, Nelly! Chart (2002) Position Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[64] 131 UK Albums (OCC)[65] 117

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Whoa, Nelly!

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[66]	2× Platinum	140,000^
Belgium (BRMA)[67]	Gold	25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[23]	4× Platinum	400,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[68]	Gold	25,000^
Germany (BVMI)[69]	Gold	150,000^
Mexico (AMPROFON)[70]	Gold	110,000[71]
Netherlands (NVPI)[72]	Gold	40,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[73]	3× Platinum	45,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[74]	Gold	25,000*
South Africa (RISA)[75]	2× Platinum	100,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[76]	Platinum	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[77]	2× Platinum	667,000[3]
United States (RIAA)[78]	2× Platinum	2,470,000[79]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[80]	Platinum	1,000,000*
Worldwide	—	5–6,000,000[2][3]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, label, editions and reference

Region	Date	Label	Edition(s)	Ref
Canada	October 24, 2000	Universal Music	Standard	[81]
United States		DreamWorks		[82]
Japan	November 22, 2000	Universal Music		[83]
Asia	February 19, 2001			[84]
Australia
Europe				[85]
United Kingdom	March 9, 2001			[86]
United States	May 20, 2008	Geffen	Special	[87]
Canada	May 27, 2008	Universal Music		[88]
Europe	May 30, 2008			[89]
Various	October 23, 2020		Expanded	[29][30]