 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Folklore
- By Nelly Furtado
- Genre: Pop
Common Sense Media says
Good messages, pretty melodies, but kind of banal.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the lyrics on this CD encourage kids to be who they are and not followers. There's nothing concerning here.
What's the story?
Nelly Furtado hits on some positive messages on FOLKLORE. The first two tracks, "One-Trick Pony" and "Powerless (Say What You Want)" warn about selling out to a predictable, mass-produced image. She also honors her cultural roots; she sings in Portuguese and the song "Island of Wonder" is about the Azores, where her parents are from. The most controversial song, "Explode," mentions both drinking and drug use ("Slip the acid on your tongue?/ We couldn't get enough"), but it's far from a glamorous portrayal; the lyrics also address a friend being raped behind a McDonalds and contains the refrain "Stuck in the teenage waste." But too often Furtado's words are vague, poorly written, or simply clichés (In "Build You Up" she sings "Baby, they build you up/ Only to tear you down/ Don't give up).
Is it any good?
It's hard to get too excited about this album. The pop tracks lack originality and, with minor exceptions, Furtado's voice isn't big enough to bring any energy to her ballads. While she is to be commended for fusing varied elements (listeners will hear mandolin and cavaquinho, a traditional Portuguese and Brazilian guitar, mixed with modern turntable techniques, as well as more modern scratching), the results are basically banal.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about "One-Trick Pony" and "Powerless (Say What You Want)" and how celebrities are packaged for popular consumption -- and often white-washed along the way.
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AGE
i loved nelly furtado's first album and waited a long time for this album. i love that nelly furtado puts CULTURE into her music, she uses her portuguese background in music and mixes it into her own music. she also has some songs that have the portuguese language in it. this is far better than most of the other "music" that kids are listening to these days. good messages and some good melodies.
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| Artist: | Nelly Furtado |
| Release date: | November 25, 2003 |
| Label: | Dreamworks |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Parental advisory: | No |
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