Promiscuous (song)
Encyclopedia
"Promiscuous" is a dance-pop
/R&B
song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose
(2006). It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton
, Timbaland
and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song. The song's lyrics, which were penned by Furtado and Clayton, feature a conversation between a man and woman who call each other a "promiscuous
" boy or girl. "Promiscuous" was released as the first single from Loose in North America in early 2006, and as the second single elsewhere in mid-2006 except in Latin America, where the single was released as the third single in late 2006.
The song had received mostly positive reviews, with some critics calling the song the highlight of Loose. The song was an international success and it had become Furtado's first number-one single in the United States
. It also topped the chart in Denmark
and New Zealand
and peaked within the top ten on many charts across Europe
. It had won "Best Pop Single of the Year" at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards and received a nomination for the "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. The music video for the song was filmed with a club theme and does not follow a storyline. It features scenes of Furtado and Timbaland, in what Furtado describes as a "verbal Ping-Pong game". Cameo appearances are made by Keri Hilson
, Justin Timberlake
and Bria Myles.
, which is why the song is so playful" and that she and Clayton nicknamed the song 'The BlackBerry
Song', because everything we say in the song you could text-message
to somebody". Because of the preponderant musical influence of artists such as Talking Heads
, Blondie
, Madonna
, The Police
and Eurythmics
, whom producers Timbaland and Danja listened to during the writing of the album, "Promiscuous" takes inspiration from pop music of the 1980s. The sexuality was based on the "strong women in control" of the 1990s, such as Queen Latifah
, MC Lyte
, Yo-Yo
, Salt-n-Pepa
and TLC
.
The reference to basketball player Steve Nash
in the song's lyrics led to speculation that he and Furtado were romantically involved, but both deny the link with Nash commenting, "I'm flattered that she put me in her song, but I'm completely in love with my wife and two little baby girls". Furtado decided to include him because she and Nash are both from Victoria
, British Columbia
, and due to frequent citations of basketballers in songs, she decided to "give him the props". In one of the verses Timbaland introduces himself as Thomas Crown. The Thomas Crown Affair
is a film about wealthy businessman who plays a cat-and-mouse/flirting game with an insurance investigator. Timbaland only performed the song live on special occasions, such as Furtado's appearance on Saturday Night Live
, and the 2006 MuchMusic Video Awards
. Starting with Furtado's show at the 94th Grey Cup
on November 19, 2006, and extending into the Get Loose Tour, Timbaland's part is filled in by Canadian rapper Saukrates
.
considered it a highlight in Loose. Timbaland's appearance received particular praise, which added Furtado's "high-school musical vocals" over his eighty beats according to Sheffield. Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine compared it to "vintage Prince
", citing "Promiscuous" as a highlight of Furtado's makeover. However, Erlewine believed that no matter how much Furtado sings about sex, she does not sound sexy and does not "generate much carnal heat". IGN
review considered the song "simultaneously annoying and yet catchy beyond belief" and listed as one of Loose's "Definitely Download
s", Pitchfork Media
called it "one of the best vocal performances of his [Timbaland's] career", and
Billboard
called the duo of Furtado and Timbaland "a surprisingly good match". The song was also included in three lists of best songs of 2006: fourth on Blender
, sixth at The Village Voice
s Pazz & Jop
, and 56th on Rolling Stone.
On December 4, 2006, "Promiscuous" won "Best Pop Single of the Year" at the 2006 Billboard Music Award
s, beating Daniel Powter
's "Bad Day
" and Sean Paul
's "Temperature
". The song was nominated for the "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to Tony Bennett
& Stevie Wonder
's "For Once in My Life
".
's MuchOnDemand
after an interview with Furtado on May 8, 2006. On May 4, 2006, "Promiscuous" debuted inside the top five on the Canadian Singles Chart
, and on June 1, it became Furtado's first Canadian number-one single. It spent twenty-five weeks on the singles chart, and returned to number two after the commercial release of Loose, but was the year's shortest-running number-one single. "Promiscuous" charted at number one on the Canadian Digital Chart and was the most successful single release in her home nation since "I'm Like a Bird
" (2000). In April 2008, the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA) began certifying ringtone sales, and "Promiscuous" was included in its debut list, having sold 120,000 copies in Canada.
In United States, "Promiscuous" debuted at number sixty-four on the Billboard Hot 100
for the week of May 20, 2006. On July 8 it topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first number-one single. It spent six weeks at the top spot and was replaced by Fergie's "London Bridge". It reached the top position on Billboard Pop Songs
and Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Promiscuous" reached number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
and number thirty-six on Hot Latin Songs
chart. The song was certified platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) for the shipment of 1,000,000 copies. It also made number three on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart and number forty-four on the decade-end chart. As of August 2009, the song has so far sold over 2,504,000 digital downloads in the United States.
Outside North America, "Promicuous" performed well. The song debuted at number five on the Australian ARIA Charts
and peaked at number two in its third week. It was her first top five hit since "I'm Like a Bird
" (2000) and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) for the shipment of 70,000 copies. "Promiscuous" debuted at number thirty-three on the New Zealand Top 40
on July 10, 2006. It topped the chart in its third week and became her second number-one single after "Turn off the Light
" (2001). It remained the top spot for five weeks and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ).
In Europe, "Promiscuous" became a commercial success, peaking at number five on European Hot 100 Singles. The song debuted at number fifteen on the UK Singles Chart
and peaked at number three the following week. It spent a total of fourteen weeks on the chart. On December 31, 2006 BBC Radio 1
reported that "Promiscuous" was the thirty-eighth highest selling single in the UK in 2006. The single re-entered the UK Singles Chart
at number sixty-six in January 2007 due to the The Official UK Charts Company's new rules. It performed moderately in others European countries, less than the next singles, it tooped the chart in Denmark and was within the top five in Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Norway and Slovakia. It missed to reach the top ten in Austria, France and Sweden.
was directed by Little X
and features cameo appearance
s by Keri Hilson
, Bria Myles and Justin Timberlake
. It does not follow a storyline and per Furtado's request, focuses on scenes with dancing and flirting because she wanted to recreate the song's indicative vibe, and took the opportunity to film a club video for the first time. Furtado said of the video, "It's that whole dance that goes on. There's that mystery there, the fun, playful sexiness, the verbal Ping-Pong game". Furtado and Timbaland cannot decide whether they want to begin dating or instead flirt with others on the dance floor. Their single performances are intercut with several scenes of a dancing crowd, and the lighting changes between blue, green, red, and yellow colors. "Promiscuous" premiered on MTV
's Total Request Live
on May 3, 2006, where it reached number one after spending twenty-one days on the countdown. After its debut on MuchMusic
's Countdown, it ascended to number one for the week of July 28, 2006. At the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
, it was nominated for the Best Dance
, Female
and Pop Video
Awards. The video was parodied by MADtv
in a segment entitled "Syphilis
Girl"; in the video, Furtado (Nicole Parker
) is comically portrayed as having given Timbaland (Jordan Peele
) the sexually transmitted disease
, as well as on YouTube
by the comedic group Train of Thought Sketch Comedy
, where the video is parodied by troupe member Kaci and features a puppet
version of Timbaland.
German 4-Track Single
Australian CD Single
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...
/R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose
Loose (Nelly Furtado album)
Loose is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was released in North America on June 20, 2006 by Geffen Records. Timbaland and his then-protégé Danja produced the bulk of the album, which incorporates influences of dance, R&B and hip hop...
(2006). It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton
Attitude (rapper)
Timothy Clayton, , better known by his stage name Attitude, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.- Biography :...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song. The song's lyrics, which were penned by Furtado and Clayton, feature a conversation between a man and woman who call each other a "promiscuous
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
" boy or girl. "Promiscuous" was released as the first single from Loose in North America in early 2006, and as the second single elsewhere in mid-2006 except in Latin America, where the single was released as the third single in late 2006.
The song had received mostly positive reviews, with some critics calling the song the highlight of Loose. The song was an international success and it had become Furtado's first number-one single in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It also topped the chart in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and peaked within the top ten on many charts across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It had won "Best Pop Single of the Year" at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards and received a nomination for the "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. The music video for the song was filmed with a club theme and does not follow a storyline. It features scenes of Furtado and Timbaland, in what Furtado describes as a "verbal Ping-Pong game". Cameo appearances are made by Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
and Bria Myles.
Background and writing
The lyrics of "Promiscuous" describe the two sides of the relationship that the song's protagonist deals with. It was one of the first songs Furtado wrote with labelmate Timothy "Attitude" Clayton. Furtado called their teamwork something she "had never done before" because she saw the writing process as "extremely freeing" because of his different approach and style. Clayton helped Furtado experiment with interpreting the "promiscuous girl" character and the two-sided relationship she is in. Furtado also described that in the process of writing lyrics "we were actually flirtingFlirting
Flirting is a playful, romantic, or sexual overture by one person to another subtly indicating an interest in a deeper relationship with the other person, and can involve verbal communication as well as body language...
, which is why the song is so playful" and that she and Clayton nicknamed the song 'The BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
Song', because everything we say in the song you could text-message
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
to somebody". Because of the preponderant musical influence of artists such as Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
and Eurythmics
Eurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
, whom producers Timbaland and Danja listened to during the writing of the album, "Promiscuous" takes inspiration from pop music of the 1980s. The sexuality was based on the "strong women in control" of the 1990s, such as Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
, MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
, Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo (rapper)
Yo-Yo is a Grammy-nominated American hardcore rapper and actress. Much of her music has advocated female empowerment, denouncing the frequent sexism found in hip-hop music. She is the protege of gangsta rapper Ice Cube...
, Salt-n-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
and TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
.
The reference to basketball player Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Stephen John "Steve" Nash, OC, OBC is a South African-born Canadian professional basketball player who plays point guard for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association . Nash enjoyed a successful high-school basketball career, and he was eventually given a scholarship by Santa Clara...
in the song's lyrics led to speculation that he and Furtado were romantically involved, but both deny the link with Nash commenting, "I'm flattered that she put me in her song, but I'm completely in love with my wife and two little baby girls". Furtado decided to include him because she and Nash are both from Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and due to frequent citations of basketballers in songs, she decided to "give him the props". In one of the verses Timbaland introduces himself as Thomas Crown. The Thomas Crown Affair
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968 film)
The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1968 film by Norman Jewison starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and won the Award for Best Song with Michel Legrand's "Windmills of Your Mind"...
is a film about wealthy businessman who plays a cat-and-mouse/flirting game with an insurance investigator. Timbaland only performed the song live on special occasions, such as Furtado's appearance on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, and the 2006 MuchMusic Video Awards
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos....
. Starting with Furtado's show at the 94th Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
on November 19, 2006, and extending into the Get Loose Tour, Timbaland's part is filled in by Canadian rapper Saukrates
Saukrates
Karl Amani Wailoo , better known by his stage name Saukrates , is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer of Guyanese descent. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of hip-hop/R&B group Big Black Lincoln...
.
Critical reception
"Promiscuous" was well received by music critics. Rob Sheffield of Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
considered it a highlight in Loose. Timbaland's appearance received particular praise, which added Furtado's "high-school musical vocals" over his eighty beats according to Sheffield. Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine compared it to "vintage Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
", citing "Promiscuous" as a highlight of Furtado's makeover. However, Erlewine believed that no matter how much Furtado sings about sex, she does not sound sexy and does not "generate much carnal heat". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
review considered the song "simultaneously annoying and yet catchy beyond belief" and listed as one of Loose's "Definitely Download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
s", Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
called it "one of the best vocal performances of his [Timbaland's] career", and
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
called the duo of Furtado and Timbaland "a surprisingly good match". The song was also included in three lists of best songs of 2006: fourth on Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
, sixth at The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
s Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
, and 56th on Rolling Stone.
On December 4, 2006, "Promiscuous" won "Best Pop Single of the Year" at the 2006 Billboard Music Award
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
s, beating Daniel Powter
Daniel Powter
Daniel Richard Powter is a Canadian recording artist. He is known for his hit "Bad Day", which spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. Powter became the only act to register the #1 hit of the year but chart no other Hot 100 hit.- Life and career :Powter grew up in Vernon, in the...
's "Bad Day
Bad Day (Daniel Powter song)
"Bad Day" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Powter. It was released as the first single from his second album Daniel Powter and achieved the #1 spot in the U.S. and Ireland. In the U.S...
" and Sean Paul
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...
's "Temperature
Temperature (song)
"Temperature" was the third worldwide and the second American single from Sean Paul's The Trinity album. The song was produced by Rohan "Snowcone" Fuller and received a positive reception from music critics. The song was released as the second U.S...
". The song was nominated for the "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers collaborate...
" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
& Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's "For Once in My Life
For Once in My Life
"For Once in My Life" is a pop song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Jobete publishing company in 1967 . The composition was originally recorded by Jean DuShon, while other artists, such as Tony Bennett and The Temptations, recorded slow ballad versions of the song...
".
Chart performance
In Canada, the single's music video debuted on MuchMusicMuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's MuchOnDemand
MuchOnDemand
MuchOnDemand was an hour-long per broadcast viewer interactive television program aired on MuchMusic, Monday through Friday at 5pm ET. It was broadcast live from the Much broadcasting studio on 299 Queen Street West in Toronto. The Best of MuchOnDemand, aired Sundays at 10am ET, highlighting the...
after an interview with Furtado on May 8, 2006. On May 4, 2006, "Promiscuous" debuted inside the top five on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
, and on June 1, it became Furtado's first Canadian number-one single. It spent twenty-five weeks on the singles chart, and returned to number two after the commercial release of Loose, but was the year's shortest-running number-one single. "Promiscuous" charted at number one on the Canadian Digital Chart and was the most successful single release in her home nation since "I'm Like a Bird
I'm like a Bird
"I'm Like a Bird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, as the first single from her first album Whoa, Nelly!. It was one of the year's critically acclaimed songs and widely considered as Furtado's signature song...
" (2000). In April 2008, the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA) began certifying ringtone sales, and "Promiscuous" was included in its debut list, having sold 120,000 copies in Canada.
In United States, "Promiscuous" debuted at number sixty-four on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
for the week of May 20, 2006. On July 8 it topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first number-one single. It spent six weeks at the top spot and was replaced by Fergie's "London Bridge". It reached the top position on Billboard Pop Songs
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
and Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Promiscuous" reached number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and number thirty-six on Hot Latin Songs
Hot Latin Songs
Hot Latin Songs is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. It is often recognized as the most important music chart for Spanish language Latin music in the American music market. It was established by the magazine on September 6, 1986 with La Guirnalda by Rocío Dúrcal being the first song...
chart. The song was certified platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) for the shipment of 1,000,000 copies. It also made number three on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart and number forty-four on the decade-end chart. As of August 2009, the song has so far sold over 2,504,000 digital downloads in the United States.
Outside North America, "Promicuous" performed well. The song debuted at number five on the Australian ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
and peaked at number two in its third week. It was her first top five hit since "I'm Like a Bird
I'm like a Bird
"I'm Like a Bird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, as the first single from her first album Whoa, Nelly!. It was one of the year's critically acclaimed songs and widely considered as Furtado's signature song...
" (2000) and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) for the shipment of 70,000 copies. "Promiscuous" debuted at number thirty-three on the New Zealand Top 40
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
on July 10, 2006. It topped the chart in its third week and became her second number-one single after "Turn off the Light
Turn off the Light
"Turn Off the Light" is a pop song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado for her debut studio album, Whoa, Nelly!. Produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, it was released as the album's second single in mid-2001 . Furtado, who cited a song by the Canadian band Big Sugar as the...
" (2001). It remained the top spot for five weeks and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ).
In Europe, "Promiscuous" became a commercial success, peaking at number five on European Hot 100 Singles. The song debuted at number fifteen on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and peaked at number three the following week. It spent a total of fourteen weeks on the chart. On December 31, 2006 BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
reported that "Promiscuous" was the thirty-eighth highest selling single in the UK in 2006. The single re-entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number sixty-six in January 2007 due to the The Official UK Charts Company's new rules. It performed moderately in others European countries, less than the next singles, it tooped the chart in Denmark and was within the top five in Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Norway and Slovakia. It missed to reach the top ten in Austria, France and Sweden.
Music video
The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by Little X
Little X
Julien Christian Lutz , better known as Little X, X or Director X, is a Canadian music video director. He also has his own clothing line X Fit...
and features cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
, Bria Myles and Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
. It does not follow a storyline and per Furtado's request, focuses on scenes with dancing and flirting because she wanted to recreate the song's indicative vibe, and took the opportunity to film a club video for the first time. Furtado said of the video, "It's that whole dance that goes on. There's that mystery there, the fun, playful sexiness, the verbal Ping-Pong game". Furtado and Timbaland cannot decide whether they want to begin dating or instead flirt with others on the dance floor. Their single performances are intercut with several scenes of a dancing crowd, and the lighting changes between blue, green, red, and yellow colors. "Promiscuous" premiered on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
on May 3, 2006, where it reached number one after spending twenty-one days on the countdown. After its debut on MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
's Countdown, it ascended to number one for the week of July 28, 2006. At the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
, it was nominated for the Best Dance
MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video was first awarded in 1989, and it was one of the original four genre categories that were added to the MTV Video Music Awards that year. With a revamp of the awards in 2007, the category was cut out along with several others, yet it returned for the...
, Female
MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video is one of the original general awards that has been handed out every year since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, however, the award was briefly renamed Female Artist of the Year, and it awarded the artist's whole body of work...
and Pop Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video was first given out in , as MTV began to put several teen pop acts in heavy rotation. Nominations, however, were not just limited to pop acts, as dance, R&B, pop/rock, and, most recently, reggaeton artists have also received Best Pop Video nominations...
Awards. The video was parodied by MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
in a segment entitled "Syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
Girl"; in the video, Furtado (Nicole Parker
Nicole Parker
Nicole Frances Parker is an Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show MADtv. In July 2009, she concluded her run as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked...
) is comically portrayed as having given Timbaland (Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele is an American actor and comedian known as a cast member on MADtv from 2003–2008 and currently for his recurring role as Dr. Brian on the Adult Swim series Childrens Hospital...
) the sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
, as well as on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
by the comedic group Train of Thought Sketch Comedy
Train of Thought Sketch Comedy
Train of Thought is a sketch comedy group located in Seattle, Washington. Made up of John Boyle and Ryan Miller, a feature of their stage revues is basing the show around a single word or phrase...
, where the video is parodied by troupe member Kaci and features a puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
version of Timbaland.
Track listing
German 2-Track Single / UK CD Single- "Promiscuous" (Radio Edit) – 3:41
- "CrazyCrazy (Gnarls Barkley song)"Crazy" is the debut single from Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green, and is taken from their 2006 debut album St. Elsewhere...
" (Radio 1 Live LoungeLive LoungeThe Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
Session) – 3:24
German 4-Track Single
- "Promiscuous" (Radio Edit) – 3:41
- "CrazyCrazy (Gnarls Barkley song)"Crazy" is the debut single from Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green, and is taken from their 2006 debut album St. Elsewhere...
" (Radio 1 Live LoungeLive LoungeThe Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
Session) – 3:24 - "Promiscuous" (JoshJoSH (band)Josh is a Montreal-based Indian/Pakistani fusion band. Present members are "Rup" and "q" . Their songs showcase both modern and traditional bhangra beats and music, but are strongly influenced by hip hop and pop music.JIn 2009 Josh Performed in coke studio along with Pakistani Leading artist...
Desi Remix) - "Promiscuous" (Video)
Australian CD Single
- "Promiscuous" (Radio Edit)
- "Undercover"
- "Promiscuous" (JoshJoSH (band)Josh is a Montreal-based Indian/Pakistani fusion band. Present members are "Rup" and "q" . Their songs showcase both modern and traditional bhangra beats and music, but are strongly influenced by hip hop and pop music.JIn 2009 Josh Performed in coke studio along with Pakistani Leading artist...
Desi Remix) - "Promiscuous" (Video)
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the Loose liner notes.- Nelly Furtado – lyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
, lead vocals, background vocals - TimbalandTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
– lyrics, lead vocals, producer, drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:... - Danja – producer, drums, keyboards
- Demacio "Demo" Castellón – engineering, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, recording, additional programming - Marcella "Ms. Lago" AraicaMarcella AraicaMarcella Araica is an American recording and mixing engineer, who has recorded and mixed tracks for artists including Britney Spears, Madonna, Pink, Duran Duran and Keri Hilson.-Biography:...
– additional recording - Jim BeanzJim BeanzJames David Washington, better known under his stage name Jim Beanz, is an American vocal producer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, now working out of Philadelphia, signed to Timbaland Productions and Sunset Entertainment Group...
– additional background vocals, vocal production - James Roach – second engineering
- Kobla Tetey – second engineering
- Ben Jost – second engineering
- Vadim Chislov – second engineering
- Tim "Attitude" ClaytonAttitude (rapper)Timothy Clayton, , better known by his stage name Attitude, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.- Biography :...
– lyrics - Recorded at The Hit FactoryThe Hit FactoryThe Hit Factory was a recording studio in New York City famous for its clientele. It was officially closed for business April 1, 2005 whereas other Hit Factory studio locations remained open, such as in Miami, Florida.-History:...
, Miami, Florida - Mixed at Thomas Crown Studios, Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
Peak positions
| Chart (2006-07) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
2 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
12 |
| Belgian Flanders Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
6 |
| Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
8 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
1 |
| Czech Airplay Chart Rádio Top 100 Oficiální Rádio Top 100 Oficiální is the name of the Czech national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis.Besides the main Top 100 record chart, also two component charts are effective. While the Rádio CZ 50 Oficiální features songs released exclusively by Czech and/or Slovak... |
6 |
| Danish Airplay Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 13 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 5 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 4 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
15 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
6 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
4 |
| Hungarian Dance Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
21 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
5 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
8 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
3 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 |
| Slovak Airplay Chart Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna Rádio Top 100 Oficiálna is the name of the Slovakian national airplay chart published by the IFPI Czech Republic on a weekly basis since the cancellation of the Slovakian national section on December 31, 2009.... |
2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
16 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
6 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
3 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs | 1 |
| US Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. It is often recognized as the most important music chart for Spanish language Latin music in the American music market. It was established by the magazine on September 6, 1986 with La Guirnalda by Rocío Dúrcal being the first song... |
4 |
| US Pop Songs Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... |
1 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
22 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 10 |
| Belgian Flanders Singles Chart | 53 |
| Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart | 52 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 69 |
| German Singles Chart | 35 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart | 69 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 6 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 48 |
| UK Singles Chart | 38 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| US Pop 100 | 1 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (2000–2009) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
44 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum |
| New Zealand | Gold |
| United States | Platinum |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | April 25, 2006 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| Australia | June 24, 2006 | |
| New Zealand | ||
| Japan | June 27, 2006 | CD single |
| United States | June 29, 2006 | |
| United Kingdom | July 24, 2006 | |
| Austria | August 11, 2006 | Digital download |
| Belgium | ||
| Germany | ||
| Italy | ||
| Norway | ||
| Sweden | ||
| France | August 18, 2006 | CD single |
| Germany | ||
| France | August 28, 2006 | Digital download |
| Ireland | ||
| Netherlands | ||
| Sweden | ||
| Switzerland | ||
| United Kingdom | September 4, 2006 |
See also
- List of Canadian number-one singles
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2006 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance singles of 2006 (U.S.)
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2006 (U.S.)
- Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2006