Nelly Furtado: Tiny Desk Concert

Stephen Thompson | May 24, 2024
Nelly Furtado’s career has spanned a quarter-century, not to mention tens of millions of records sold, so it’s tough to fit all the highlights into a single Tiny Desk concert. But damned if Furtado didn’t at least try: Her set featured a bunch of her biggest hits (“Promiscuous,” “Say It Right,” “I’m Like A Bird,” “Maneater”), her remix of Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” and, yes, a brand-new single called “Love Bites.” In all, 11 tracks — some of them complete, some of them truncated into medleys — made the cut.

For this set, Furtado assembled eight of her favorite veteran collaborators, who joined her in organically re-creating her busy, glitchy pop sound without relying on backing tracks. That meant incorporating everything from a violin to cowbell to beatboxing to scratching courtesy of DJ Lil Jaz — Furtado and Lil Jaz have a daughter together, Nevis, who served as the set’s creative director — in a performance that felt like a victory lap, a greatest-hits reel and a homecoming all at once.

SET LIST
“Say It Right”
“Explode”
“Powerless (Say What You Want)”
“Promiscuous”
“All Good Things (Come To An End)”
“I'm Like A Bird”
“Get Ur Freak On (Remix)”
“Love Bites”
“Eat Your Man”
“Give It To Me”
“Maneater”

MUSICIANS
Nelly Furtado: lead vocals
Hrag Sanbalian: keys, musical direction
Daniel Stone: percussion
William Lamoureux: violin
Brian West: guitar
Lionel Jarvis: bass
Jim Beanz: vocals
Anjulie Persaud: vocals
DJ Lil’ Jaz: DJ

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Bobby Carter
Director/Editor: Kara Frame
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Alanté Serene
Audio Engineer: Carleigh Strange
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Michael Zamora
Tiny Desk Copy Editor: Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

#tinydesk #nprmusic #nellyfurtado

[sailorearth]

“Say It Right” - 0:00
“Explode” - 1:23
“Powerless (Say What You Want)” - 3:25
“Promiscuous” - 4:45
“All Good Things (Come To An End)” - 9:09
“I'm Like A Bird” - 10:31
“Get Ur Freak On (Remix)” - 12:30
“Love Bites” - 14:11
“Eat Your Man” - 15:32
“Give It To Me” - 16:01
“Maneater” - 17:43

[franciscovargaspino]

She nailed one of the best live sets of her career, teaming up with eight of her favorite veteran buddies! They came together to recreate her unique, glitchy pop sound totally live, no backing tracks needed. Congrats for this era Nelly, love from Chile!

[mystique.]

0:01 Say It Right
1:24 Explode
3:25 Powerless
4:45 Promiscuous
9:09 All Good Things
10:34 I'm Like A Bird
12:30 Get Ur Freak On
14:11 Love Bites
15:33 Eat Your Man
16:03 Give It To Me
17:42 Maneater

❤

[MarceloRadomski]

Her voice is an instrument. She sounds just the same as 2 decades ago. So glad to hear her back.

[roido]

Sound of the 90's and early 2000's

Nelly Furtado is just too beautiful.

[AkeemJamal]

Say It Right is single-handedly one of the best pop songs ever 😭

[janinso]

it blows my mind how humble she is for such an accomplished artist. legendary tiny desk concert.

[chiaraluchetti]

i didn't realize how many of her songs were part of my life growing up

[ermertieplug]

Anyone that can sound this good without studio production is a true musician and artist. She has a quality about her that can't be replicated.

[jpsouza]

Loose has aged like fine wine. It's peak 2000s pop music and Nelly is a legend.

[harpermillerauthor]

the transitions were smooth. I never realized the Get Ur Freak On Remix isn't on streaming. Nelly killed this! 🫶🏾🙌🏾👏🏾

[Aslan]

Nelly Furtado so deserves the Tiny Desk treatment! I also love that she shouted out Timbaland. He really was instrumental in the 2000s and in her career.

[markitoesplaylists]

The performance and the mixes, to the way she introduces her band. Anybody can tell she’s genuinely happy. She’s just in her zone, baby.
Party’s just begun!

[aniafedorova]

OMG I hope Nelly and the band read the comments and receive all our love because that was epic. THANK YOU

[ndhlovusithabiso]

I have never seen people so proud and happy for the singer. Nelly, the people around you are there for you. Loved it

[codigourbano]

the musical arrangement for “Missy Elliott - get ur freak on” is simply spectacular, beautiful Tiny Desk!

[shaun]

Her music is TIMELESS! It sounded fresh in the early 2000s and would still fit in if it was released today. She was forever doing her own thing.

[biancastratford]

Nelly’s songs are the definition of TIMELESS. Loved every second.

Edit: the percussionist Daniel Stone has my heart

[camipco]

I love how much she recognizes the producers and process of music here, for me that's a real sign a singer is a musician who is participating in the production process, and not just adding their voice to a track.

[inwin]

She took the time to introduce every single member of her band. How sweet.

Also I think I just fell in love again.