Say It Right
Encyclopedia
"Say It Right" is a song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado
, from her third studio album, Loose
(2006). Written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley
and Nate "Danja" Hills, the song was inspired by, as Furtado described it, the "spooky, keyboard-driven pop sound" of the band Eurythmics
, specifically their 1983 song titled, "Here Comes the Rain Again
". The song released as the album's third single
in North America and Australia (see 2006 in music
). The song served as the album's fourth single in certain European and Asian countries. It was released digitally in the United Kingdom in March 2007. It was the album's fifth single in Latin America
.
"Say It Right" received positive reviews from critics praising its high quality production as well as commenting on the lyrical content and Furtado's vocal performance. The song attained worldwide success, topping the charts in more than fifteen countries, including the United States, Spain, France, New Zealand, Canada and many European countries. The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Rankin & Chris, portrays Furtado singing in various costumes and in various locations. The song has been performed on a number of live appearances by Furtado, including her third headlining Get Loose tour.
The process of creating the song began in the recording studio one morning at around 4:00 a.m., when Timbaland recommended that Furtado should go home because she was tired. Furtado, who had heard that the band U2
(a band she says she deeply admires) wrote many of their songs in the studio control room, said "Really? I'll show you", put on her hoodie
and began to "jam
". Nate Hills and Timbaland soon joined her, writing and producing as they went, and according to Furtado, this process intensified as she sang. The team used four microphones in the live room and moved them around during recording, about which Furtado said, "...when you listen to it—there's a lot of dimension. It kind of sounds like [Timbaland is] in another country". Afterwards, they picked the best vocals and "perfected" them, before inserting "reverbs and weird alien sounds" onto them. "[W]e experimented a lot with depth and different sounds", Furtado said of the making of the song. "[It] affected my vocals a whole lot."
"Say It Right" is performed with a moderate techno groove and is written in F minor
. It is set in common time
; in 4/4 count. The chord progression is Fm–E♭–D♭–B♭m. Furtado's vocal range spans from Ab3 to F5. Furtado has cited the "spooky, keyboard
-driven pop sound" of the band Eurythmics
, particularly their 1983 song "Here Comes the Rain Again
", as an influence on "Say It Right" and other tracks on Loose. "I'm not 100 percent sure what ["Here Comes the Rain Again" is] about, but it always takes me away to another place, and I love it", she said. In fact the song deals with mystic
or transcendental
experiences as she explains in an interview in 2007. "It is a kind of a magical song. It has a mystery to it, that I have not quite figured out. It has a haunting twist to it."
In other interviews she said that she does not really know what "Say It Right" is about, "but it captures the feeling I had when I wrote it, and it taps into this other sphere." In an interview for The Sunday Times
, it was mentioned that it is about her breakup with DJ Jasper Gahunia, the father of her daughter. Bloc Party
covered the song on Jo Whiley
's radio show on April 11, 2007. The song was played during the Miss Universe 2007
Introductory Ceremony, the 2006 American Music Awards, and Concert for Diana
.
Billboard
magazine called the song "a Pussycat Dolls
-inspired contempo jam, high on hooks and of-the-moment production. Well done, if in the most generic sense." About.com
's Bill Lamb gave the song 4/5 stars, saying that with "Say It Right", "many pop music fans are likely to take a second look at purchasing [Loose]". He described the song as "the foundation of Loose" and "a welcomed presence in the pop top 40". IGN Music
calls the song "...one of the brightest moments on the album" and "another throwback to the '80s" which "...lets loose with the most hypnotic chorus". Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine
considered the song "a dark meditative piece that would have fit on [Furtado's] previous records". The New York Times
described the song as "building a groove from hard drums and ghostly, multitracked voices, and Ms. Furtado sings a melancholy chorus she doesn't quite believe", comparing the coda, with music getting louder and then slowly fading, "the way the best — and worst — nights out often do". John Jobling of Mansize.com suggests that "[I]t would take a man of stone to resist the song’s hypnotic pull, with the alien like synths, spooky reverb effects and Timbaland’s signature space hop percussion creating a gloriously atmospheric soundscape where the carnal and spiritual coexist in perfect harmony." Also, DJ Z's reviewed the song as "the only single in the world to work at both a club in Manhattan, and on an safari through the natives land of (fill in the blank)." UK music.com described the track as "an expectional track, that is filled with addictive beats and atmospheric synths." The song received a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to Amy Winehouse
's "Rehab". It was also nominated for two MuchMusic Video Awards
.
stations on October 30, 2006. Geffen Records withdrew from radio the second single from Loose, "Maneater
", before promoting "Say It Right". The song debuted on the Billboard
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart at number twenty-two in the issue dated November 18. It entered the Billboard Hot 100
in late-November at number ninety-three, and it reached number one in its fourteenth week, becoming Furtado's second number-one single after "Promiscuous
" (2006). The song stayed at number one for one week, in the top ten for fourteen weeks and on the Hot 100 for thirty weeks. "Say It Right" contributed to sales of the album Loose, and was credited as being responsible for its return to the top ten on the U.S. Billboard 200
. According to Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
, "Say It Right" was the second most-played song on U.S. radio in 2007 with 364,000 plays through December 2, and it was at number four on R&R
magazine's 2007 year-end all-format top 100 songs list. On the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart, it was ranked ninth. The RIAA certified "Say It Right" platinum in December 2007. To date, "Say It Right" has been listened to more than 4 billion times in the U.S alone. "Say It Right" peaked at number one for ten weeks on the Canadian BDS
Airplay Chart, which it entered in early December, becoming Furtado's third Canadian number-one single. According to BDS, it was the fourth most-played song of 2007 on Canadian radio, amassing around 56,900 detections. The song charted on the BDS Airplay Chart for sixty-two weeks. In April 2007, it became Furtado's second number-one single on the Canadian Dance Chart (after "Maneater
"). The song had equal success on Billboard's Canadian Hot 100
; it reached number five on unpublished versions of the chart, and debuted when the chart was introduced the week of June 2, 2007. The song remained on the Canadian Hot 100 for over six months after the chart was officially introduced. "Say It Right" peaked at number two for three consecutive weeks on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, giving Loose a "second wind" on the albums chart, according to the Herald Sun
; ARIA
accredited it as a platinum single. The single debuted at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart
in February 2007, before reaching its peak; ten, a month later, and by doing so, it broke the record for the highest chart placing for a download-only single, after chart regulations were changed to allow songs not accompanied by a physical format to chart. Since then, the record was broken by the Coldplay
with their number-one hit "Viva la Vida
". The popularity of "Say It Right" contributed to sales of Loose in the UK, according to Music Week, helping the album reach its highest chart position since its first week of release. The song was the twenty-ninth best-selling single of 2007 in the UK. The song also spent 37 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, which is twice as long as any other of Furtado's songs (23 of those in the top 40). In France, the song debuted at number one with 8,100 copies sold on its release, becoming the lowest selling number-one in a week. In Germany, it debuted at number two, where it stayed for nine non-consecutive weeks, behind DJ Ötzi
and Nik P.'s Ein Stern (...der deinen Namen trägt) which topped the German chart for several months. It became the third most successful song of 2007 in Germany. It was the most successful single of 2007 in the European Hit Radio
. In Spain, the song enjoyed a great success, reaching number one on the singles chart for two-consecutive weeks. The song became her fourth number one hit on the country after "Fotografía
, "Te Busqué
" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)
". "Say It Right" is Nelly Furtado's most successful song in Australia, Austria
, Romania
, Switzerland
and Sweden
. It is Furtado's second most successful single in Norway
, the Netherlands
, France (after "All Good Things (Come to an End)
"). New Zealand (after "Turn Off the Light
"), and United States (after "Promiscuous
").
for "Say It Right" was directed by British
duo Rankin & Chris
and filmed in Los Angeles, California
in late October 2006. It was shot back-to-back with the video for "All Good Things (Come to an End)
", the album's third single in Europe. Furtado called the video her "first action thing" since the video for her 2000 single, "I'm like a Bird
", and said that it featured her experiencing what she called "a total rock-star moment. It's so iconic." The mini-feathered cocktail dress Furtado wears at the opening of the video was designed specifically for her by Australian designer Alex Perry
, who said, "It's so cool because she's just undergone a bit of a revamp from what her previous image was; she's become a little more sexy and glamorous." The clip starts with a helicopter landing on a black helipad bearing Furtado's name on top of a building, and Furtado getting out. She is shown on the roof of the building throughout the video, with the Los Angeles
skyline in the background. The video features mostly face shots of her and Timbaland intercut with shots of dancers, under the careful guidance of internationally acclaimed Puerto Rican choreographer Gabriel Rivera
. Furtado described the clip as "a throwback to the '80s ... the more surreal side" because the shots of her and Timbaland reminded her much of those of Annie Lennox
and Dave Stewart
in videos for Eurythmics' singles, and "the strange relationship [they] had, where ... you get this intense vibe from it. And Tim and me, we're partners, we vibe on a serious creative level, so the video captures that energy." The video ends with Furtado climbing back into the helicopter, which flies off. The video debuted on MTV
's Total Request Live
in the U.S. on November 6 and on Canada's MuchMusic
in the week ending November 16. It reached number nine on the Total Request Live top ten video countdown on November 8, its first day on the countdown; it returned to the countdown on December 14 and peaked at number one twice. The video reached number one on the MuchMusic series Countdown
for the week ending February 16. The "Say It Right" video was retired from TRL after spending forty days on the countdown. At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
, Furtado was nominated in the category of Female Artist of the Year for "Say It Right" and "Maneater
". "Say It Right" was nominated for the MuchMoreMusic Award and in the Best International Video by a Canadian category at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards
. MTV International certified the "Say It Right" video platinum for more than 6,000 plays on the MTV network.
produced dance
remix
es of "Say It Right". Juan Martinez of Universal Music Group
, the A&R
person who enlisted the producers of the remixes for each single from Loose, said that the "Say It Right" remixes had received "the strongest reaction". Marie Digby
did an acoustic version of "Say It Right", along with "All Good Things (Come to an End)". The videos are posted in YouTube
. Bloc Party
also did a cover version for "Say It Right". "Strictly Physical
", a 2007 single by German pop group Monrose
, has been compared to "Say It Right" and there have been countless mash-ups that successfully mix the two songs together. There is also a 'Reggae Main Mix' of "Say It Right", featuring reggae singer Courtney John. MTV Mash-Ups Volume 1 features a mash-up of Robert Miles' Children with the Furtado's Say It Right lyrics, produced my Martinn. The track is titled "Robert Miles vs. Nelly Furtado - Children Say It Right [Martinn]".
German 2-Track Single
German 4-Track Single
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
, from her third studio 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). Written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
and Nate "Danja" Hills, the song was inspired by, as Furtado described it, the "spooky, keyboard-driven pop sound" of the band 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...
, specifically their 1983 song titled, "Here Comes the Rain Again
Here Comes the Rain Again
"Here Comes the Rain Again" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song was released as the third single in the UK from the album Touch and in the United States as the first single. It became...
". The song released as the album's third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in North America and Australia (see 2006 in music
2006 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2006.-January:*January 10 – Eric Burdon releases his album Soul of a Man and begins touring with a new band....
). The song served as the album's fourth single in certain European and Asian countries. It was released digitally in the United Kingdom in March 2007. It was the album's fifth single in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.
"Say It Right" received positive reviews from critics praising its high quality production as well as commenting on the lyrical content and Furtado's vocal performance. The song attained worldwide success, topping the charts in more than fifteen countries, including the United States, Spain, France, New Zealand, Canada and many European countries. The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Rankin & Chris, portrays Furtado singing in various costumes and in various locations. The song has been performed on a number of live appearances by Furtado, including her third headlining Get Loose tour.
Background and writing
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
(a band she says she deeply admires) wrote many of their songs in the studio control room, said "Really? I'll show you", put on her hoodie
Hoodie
A hoodie is a sweatshirt with a hood. The characteristic design includes large frontal pockets, a hood, and a drawstring to adjust the hood opening. They are sometimes worn with sweatpants. Some hoodies have zippers on them to allow easy removal much like a jacket...
and began to "jam
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
". Nate Hills and Timbaland soon joined her, writing and producing as they went, and according to Furtado, this process intensified as she sang. The team used four microphones in the live room and moved them around during recording, about which Furtado said, "...when you listen to it—there's a lot of dimension. It kind of sounds like [Timbaland is] in another country". Afterwards, they picked the best vocals and "perfected" them, before inserting "reverbs and weird alien sounds" onto them. "[W]e experimented a lot with depth and different sounds", Furtado said of the making of the song. "[It] affected my vocals a whole lot."
"Say It Right" is performed with a moderate techno groove and is written in F minor
F minor
F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. The harmonic minor raises the E to E. Its key signature has four flats ....
. It is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
; in 4/4 count. The chord progression is Fm–E♭–D♭–B♭m. Furtado's vocal range spans from Ab3 to F5. Furtado has cited the "spooky, keyboard
Electronic keyboard
An electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
-driven pop sound" of the band 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...
, particularly their 1983 song "Here Comes the Rain Again
Here Comes the Rain Again
"Here Comes the Rain Again" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song was released as the third single in the UK from the album Touch and in the United States as the first single. It became...
", as an influence on "Say It Right" and other tracks on Loose. "I'm not 100 percent sure what ["Here Comes the Rain Again" is] about, but it always takes me away to another place, and I love it", she said. In fact the song deals with mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
or transcendental
Transcendence (religion)
In religion transcendence refers to the aspect of God's nature which is wholly independent of the physical universe. This is contrasted with immanence where God is fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways...
experiences as she explains in an interview in 2007. "It is a kind of a magical song. It has a mystery to it, that I have not quite figured out. It has a haunting twist to it."
In other interviews she said that she does not really know what "Say It Right" is about, "but it captures the feeling I had when I wrote it, and it taps into this other sphere." In an interview for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
, it was mentioned that it is about her breakup with DJ Jasper Gahunia, the father of her daughter. Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
covered the song on Jo Whiley
Jo Whiley
Johanne "Jo" Whiley is a British radio disc jockey and television presenter. She was the host of the long running weekday Jo Whiley Show on Radio 1.-Early life and education:...
's radio show on April 11, 2007. The song was played during the Miss Universe 2007
Miss Universe 2007
Miss Universe 2007, the 56th Miss Universe pageant, took place on May 28, 2007 at the National Auditorium in Mexico City, Mexico. 77 delegates competed for the title. Riyo Mori of Japan was crowned the winner of the title by Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico....
Introductory Ceremony, the 2006 American Music Awards, and Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
.
Critical response
"Say It Right" received positive reviews from critics praising its high quality production as well as commenting on the lyrical content and Furtado's vocal performance.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...
magazine called the song "a Pussycat Dolls
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls are an American pop girl group and dance ensemble based in Los Angeles; currently consisting of Lauren Bennett, Vanessa Curry, Kristal "Lyndriette" Smith, Tiffany "Taz" Zavala, Kia Hampton and Paula Van Oppen. The Pussycat Dolls were founded by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995...
-inspired contempo jam, high on hooks and of-the-moment production. Well done, if in the most generic sense." About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
's Bill Lamb gave the song 4/5 stars, saying that with "Say It Right", "many pop music fans are likely to take a second look at purchasing [Loose]". He described the song as "the foundation of Loose" and "a welcomed presence in the pop top 40". IGN Music
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...
calls the song "...one of the brightest moments on the album" and "another throwback to the '80s" which "...lets loose with the most hypnotic chorus". Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
considered the song "a dark meditative piece that would have fit on [Furtado's] previous records". The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described the song as "building a groove from hard drums and ghostly, multitracked voices, and Ms. Furtado sings a melancholy chorus she doesn't quite believe", comparing the coda, with music getting louder and then slowly fading, "the way the best — and worst — nights out often do". John Jobling of Mansize.com suggests that "[I]t would take a man of stone to resist the song’s hypnotic pull, with the alien like synths, spooky reverb effects and Timbaland’s signature space hop percussion creating a gloriously atmospheric soundscape where the carnal and spiritual coexist in perfect harmony." Also, DJ Z's reviewed the song as "the only single in the world to work at both a club in Manhattan, and on an safari through the natives land of (fill in the blank)." UK music.com described the track as "an expectional track, that is filled with addictive beats and atmospheric synths." The song received a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
's "Rehab". It was also nominated for two 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....
.
Chart performance
In the United States, the song was made available for airplay at mainstream contemporary hit radioContemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
stations on October 30, 2006. Geffen Records withdrew from radio the second single from Loose, "Maneater
Maneater (Nelly Furtado song)
"Maneater" is a song written by Nelly Furtado, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jim Beanz and Nate "Danja" Hills for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and includes influences of 1980s music by artists such as Eurythmics and Hall & Oates...
", before promoting "Say It Right". The song debuted on the 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...
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart at number twenty-two in the issue dated November 18. It entered 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...
in late-November at number ninety-three, and it reached number one in its fourteenth week, becoming Furtado's second number-one single after "Promiscuous
Promiscuous (song)
"Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song...
" (2006). The song stayed at number one for one week, in the top ten for fourteen weeks and on the Hot 100 for thirty weeks. "Say It Right" contributed to sales of the album Loose, and was credited as being responsible for its return to the top ten on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. According to Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, better known as BDS, is a service that tracks monitored radio, television and internet airplay of songs based on the number of spins and detections...
, "Say It Right" was the second most-played song on U.S. radio in 2007 with 364,000 plays through December 2, and it was at number four on R&R
R&R (magazine)
R&R was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes...
magazine's 2007 year-end all-format top 100 songs list. On the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart, it was ranked ninth. The RIAA certified "Say It Right" platinum in December 2007. To date, "Say It Right" has been listened to more than 4 billion times in the U.S alone. "Say It Right" peaked at number one for ten weeks on the Canadian BDS
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, better known as BDS, is a service that tracks monitored radio, television and internet airplay of songs based on the number of spins and detections...
Airplay Chart, which it entered in early December, becoming Furtado's third Canadian number-one single. According to BDS, it was the fourth most-played song of 2007 on Canadian radio, amassing around 56,900 detections. The song charted on the BDS Airplay Chart for sixty-two weeks. In April 2007, it became Furtado's second number-one single on the Canadian Dance Chart (after "Maneater
Maneater (Nelly Furtado song)
"Maneater" is a song written by Nelly Furtado, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jim Beanz and Nate "Danja" Hills for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and includes influences of 1980s music by artists such as Eurythmics and Hall & Oates...
"). The song had equal success on Billboard
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
; it reached number five on unpublished versions of the chart, and debuted when the chart was introduced the week of June 2, 2007. The song remained on the Canadian Hot 100 for over six months after the chart was officially introduced. "Say It Right" peaked at number two for three consecutive weeks on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, giving Loose a "second wind" on the albums chart, according to the Herald Sun
Herald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
; ARIA
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...
accredited it as a platinum single. The single debuted at number 37 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 ...
in February 2007, before reaching its peak; ten, a month later, and by doing so, it broke the record for the highest chart placing for a download-only single, after chart regulations were changed to allow songs not accompanied by a physical format to chart. Since then, the record was broken by the Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
with their number-one hit "Viva la Vida
Viva la Vida (song)
"Viva la Vida" , is a song by the British alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends , and was released as the second single from the album. On the album, this song segues directly into the next track,...
". The popularity of "Say It Right" contributed to sales of Loose in the UK, according to Music Week, helping the album reach its highest chart position since its first week of release. The song was the twenty-ninth best-selling single of 2007 in the UK. The song also spent 37 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, which is twice as long as any other of Furtado's songs (23 of those in the top 40). In France, the song debuted at number one with 8,100 copies sold on its release, becoming the lowest selling number-one in a week. In Germany, it debuted at number two, where it stayed for nine non-consecutive weeks, behind DJ Ötzi
DJ Ötzi
DJ Ötzi is the stage name of Gerhard Friedle , an Austrian entertainer and singer. Successful mainly in German-speaking countries, he is best known in the English-speaking world for his 2001 cover version of the Bruce Channel song "Hey Baby".-Biography:DJ Ötzi was born Gerhard Friedle in St...
and Nik P.'s Ein Stern (...der deinen Namen trägt) which topped the German chart for several months. It became the third most successful song of 2007 in Germany. It was the most successful single of 2007 in the European Hit Radio
European Hit Radio
European Hit Radio is one of the very first commercial radio stations in Baltic States. This radio focuses on reflecting the current situation in European music charts...
. In Spain, the song enjoyed a great success, reaching number one on the singles chart for two-consecutive weeks. The song became her fourth number one hit on the country after "Fotografía
Fotografía
"Fotografía" is a song recorded by Juanes and Nelly Furtado for Juanes' second studio album, Un Día Normal .The duet, which was followed by another , was extremely commercially successful: it reached number one on the U.S...
, "Te Busqué
Te Busqué
"Te Busqué" is a song written by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado and Colombian musicians Juanes and Lester Mendez for Furtado's third album, Loose . It features Juanes and was released as the album's first single in Spain, and as the fourth in Latin America...
" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)
All Good Things (Come to an End)
"All Good Things " is a pop song written by singer Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Danja and Chris Martin for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and released as the album's third European single in November 2006 . It was released as the fourth single in the United...
". "Say It Right" is Nelly Furtado's most successful song in Australia, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. It is Furtado's second most successful single in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, France (after "All Good Things (Come to an End)
All Good Things (Come to an End)
"All Good Things " is a pop song written by singer Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Danja and Chris Martin for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and released as the album's third European single in November 2006 . It was released as the fourth single in the United...
"). New Zealand (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...
"), and United States (after "Promiscuous
Promiscuous (song)
"Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song...
").
Music video
The 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...
for "Say It Right" was directed by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
duo Rankin & Chris
Rankin & Chris
Rankin & Chris are a British duo of film, music video and television directors. Their credits include commercials for Dove, Rimmel, Nintendo, H&M and Guinness. In 2006 they directed the music video for Nelly Furtado's single "Say It Right", and in 2007 they made their film debut with The Lives of...
and filmed in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in late October 2006. It was shot back-to-back with the video for "All Good Things (Come to an End)
All Good Things (Come to an End)
"All Good Things " is a pop song written by singer Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Danja and Chris Martin for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and released as the album's third European single in November 2006 . It was released as the fourth single in the United...
", the album's third single in Europe. Furtado called the video her "first action thing" since the video for her 2000 single, "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...
", and said that it featured her experiencing what she called "a total rock-star moment. It's so iconic." The mini-feathered cocktail dress Furtado wears at the opening of the video was designed specifically for her by Australian designer Alex Perry
Alex Perry
Alex Perry is an Australian fashion designer, particularly noted for his designs in womenswear. After graduating from East Sydney Technical College in 1984, Perry worked as a model agent representing Australian models for international modelling agencies. In 1992 Perry opened his first atelier...
, who said, "It's so cool because she's just undergone a bit of a revamp from what her previous image was; she's become a little more sexy and glamorous." The clip starts with a helicopter landing on a black helipad bearing Furtado's name on top of a building, and Furtado getting out. She is shown on the roof of the building throughout the video, with the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
skyline in the background. The video features mostly face shots of her and Timbaland intercut with shots of dancers, under the careful guidance of internationally acclaimed Puerto Rican choreographer Gabriel Rivera
Gabriel Rivera
Gabriel Rivera is a former All American football defensive tackle. Rivera was the 21st selection of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
. Furtado described the clip as "a throwback to the '80s ... the more surreal side" because the shots of her and Timbaland reminded her much of those of Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
and Dave Stewart
David A. Stewart
David Allan Stewart , often known as Dave Stewart, is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Eurythmics. He is usually credited as David A. Stewart, to avoid confusion with other musicians named "Dave Stewart".-Early life:Stewart was born in Sunderland,...
in videos for Eurythmics' singles, and "the strange relationship [they] had, where ... you get this intense vibe from it. And Tim and me, we're partners, we vibe on a serious creative level, so the video captures that energy." The video ends with Furtado climbing back into the helicopter, which flies off. The video debuted 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...
in the U.S. on November 6 and on Canada's 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:...
in the week ending November 16. It reached number nine on the Total Request Live top ten video countdown on November 8, its first day on the countdown; it returned to the countdown on December 14 and peaked at number one twice. The video reached number one on the MuchMusic series Countdown
Countdown (MuchMusic TV series)
The MuchMusic Top 30 Countdown is a ninety-minute music video program block, that airs on Canadian music television station MuchMusic. Countdown is one of the oldest programs that continues to be aired on Much Music since its debut...
for the week ending February 16. The "Say It Right" video was retired from TRL after spending forty days on the countdown. At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
2007 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year, took place on September 9, in Las Vegas at The Palms. The 2007 VMAs were the smallest VMAs ever held in MTV history, eliminating 13 awards, re-naming many of the remaining awards, and having only four...
, Furtado was nominated in the category of Female Artist of the Year for "Say It Right" and "Maneater
Maneater (Nelly Furtado song)
"Maneater" is a song written by Nelly Furtado, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jim Beanz and Nate "Danja" Hills for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and includes influences of 1980s music by artists such as Eurythmics and Hall & Oates...
". "Say It Right" was nominated for the MuchMoreMusic Award and in the Best International Video by a Canadian category at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards
2007 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Ontario at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 17, 2007 and featured performances by Fergie, Maroon 5, The Used, Avril Lavigne, Finger Eleven, Hilary Duff, and others. The most nominated artists were Billy Talent and Nickelback with five...
. MTV International certified the "Say It Right" video platinum for more than 6,000 plays on the MTV network.
Remixes
Dummies, Friscia & Lamboy, Menage Music and Peter RauhoferPeter Rauhofer
Peter Rauhofer is a DJ, remixer and producer who formerly went under the moniker Club 69 as well as Size Queen. A native of Vienna, Austria, he is famous for his remixes of a number of Madonna's songs including "Nothing Really Matters", "American Life", "Nothing Fails, "Nobody Knows Me", "Get...
produced dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es of "Say It Right". Juan Martinez of Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, the A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
person who enlisted the producers of the remixes for each single from Loose, said that the "Say It Right" remixes had received "the strongest reaction". Marie Digby
Marié Digby
Marié Christina Digby is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actress. She is known for her acoustic cover version of Rihanna's "Umbrella", which attracted attention on YouTube in 2007...
did an acoustic version of "Say It Right", along with "All Good Things (Come to an End)". The videos are posted in 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....
. Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
also did a cover version for "Say It Right". "Strictly Physical
Strictly Physical (song)
"Strictly Physical" is a song written by Christian Ballard, Tim Hawes, Pete Kirtley, Obie Mhondera, and Andrew Murray for German pop trio Monrose's same-titled second studio album, Strictly Physical . It was co-produced by production teams Jiant and Snowflakers and released as the album's second...
", a 2007 single by German pop group Monrose
Monrose
Monrose was a German pop band, first established in November 2006. Formed on the fifth installment of the German adaption of the international television talent show Popstars on the ProSieben network, the trio consisted of singers and songwriters Mandy Capristo, Senna Guemmour, and Bahar...
, has been compared to "Say It Right" and there have been countless mash-ups that successfully mix the two songs together. There is also a 'Reggae Main Mix' of "Say It Right", featuring reggae singer Courtney John. MTV Mash-Ups Volume 1 features a mash-up of Robert Miles' Children with the Furtado's Say It Right lyrics, produced my Martinn. The track is titled "Robert Miles vs. Nelly Furtado - Children Say It Right [Martinn]".
Track listing
UK CD Single- "Say It Right" (Radio Edit)
- "Maneater" (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)
German 2-Track Single
- "Say It Right" (Radio Edit)
- "What I Wanted"
German 4-Track Single
- "Say It Right" (Radio Edit)
- "What I Wanted"
- "Say It Right" (Peter Rauhofer Club Mix Part 1)
- "Say It Right" (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...
, background vocals - Timbaland – producer, drums, background vocals
- Danja – producer, keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
- Kevin RudolfKevin RudolfKevin Rudolf is an American singer-songwriter and record producer signed to Cash Money Records. Rudolf is mostly known for singing and producing rock/pop music...
– guitar - 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...
– background vocals, vocal production - Demacio "Demo" Castellon – recording, 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...
- 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 - Ben Jost – second engineering
- James Roach – second engineering
- Kobla Tetey – second engineering
- Vadim Chislov – second engineering
- Recorded and mixed 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
Peak positions
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
Decade-end charts
| (2000–2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 39 |
| German Singles Chart | 32 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2007) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 25 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 6 |
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart | 17 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 28 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 12 |
| European Hot 100 Singles | 4 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 9 |
| French Singles Chart | 24 |
| German Singles Chart | 3 |
| Hungarian Airplay Chart | 2 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 29 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 22 |
| Romanian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 36 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart | 29 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 7 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum |
| Belgium | Gold |
| Denmark | Platinum |
| Germany | Platinum |
| New Zealand | Platinum |
| Norway | Platinum |
| Russia | Gold (Ring-back Tone) |
| Spain | 3× Platinum |
| Sweden | Gold |
| Switzerland | Gold |
| United States | Platinum |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
October 30, 2006 | Geffen Records Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:... |
Radio | |
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
December 1, 2006 | Geffen Records | CD single (Import) | B000LE164Y |
| Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
December 2, 2006 | Geffen Records | CD single | 1717580 |
| 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... |
March 2, 2007 | Geffen Records | CD single | 0602517245952 |
| Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Geffen Records | CD single | B000N0WY7E | |
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
March 5, 2007 | Universal Records Universal Records Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:... |
Digital download | |
| France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
May 21, 2007 | Geffen Records | CD single | B000PDZQX8 |
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2007 (U.S.)
- List of European number-one hits of 2007
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand)
- List of number-one hits of 2007 (Switzerland)
- List of number-one dance singles of 2007 (U.S.)
- List of number-one singles in Romania
- List of number-one hits of 2007 (France)