No Hay Igual

"No Hay Igual"
Single by Nelly Furtado
from the album Loose
A-side "All Good Things (Come to an End)"
Released 11 April 2006 (2006-04-11)
Format
Recorded 2005; The Hit Factory
(Miami, Florida)
Genre
Length 3:35
Label
Writer(s)
Producer(s)
Nelly Furtado singles chronology
"The Grass Is Green"
(2005)		 "No Hay Igual"
(2006)		 "Promiscuous"
(2006)

"No Hay Igual" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her third studio album Loose (2006). It was written and produced by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley, Nate "Danja" Hills and Nisan Stewart, with vocal production by Jim Beanz. While working with Timbaland and Danja at The Hit Factory in Miami, Florida, Pharrell Williams introduced her to reggaeton, a musical genre that was unfamiliar to her. After he played a song for her, Furtado became inspired and wrote the lyrics to "No Hay Igual" "nearly on the spot". It is a hip hop and reggaeton song in which Furtado sings and raps in Spanish over a reggaeton rhythm.

"No Hay Igual" was released as the lead single of Loose on 11 April 2006 by Geffen Records. It received generally positive reviews from music critics with some of them calling the song a highlight on Loose and praising its production. A music video for the remix of "No Hay Igual" with Calle 13 was shot in La Perla, San Juan, Puerto Rico. The video features Furtado and Pérez characters in various situations throughout the slum astride such as eating ice cream and playing pool. Furtado performed a medley of "No Hay Igual" with "Party" (Whoa, Nelly!, 2002) on the Get Loose Tour in 2007. The live performance was included on Furtado's first live album Loose: The Concert (2007).[1]

Writing and recording

Pharrell Williams introduced Furtado to reggaeton while she was working with Timbaland and Danja in Miami.

In August 2005, when it came time for Furtado to "lay down the tracks" for her third studio album Loose, she turned to hip hop producer Timbaland, who she previously collaborated with on the remix to Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" (2001) and on Ms. Jade's single "Ching Ching" (2002).[2] Interscope Records president Jimmy Iovine played Furtado a few of Timbaland's latest productions, which she responded positively to. According to Furtado, "It sound[ed] like he's listening to all the same stuff as me — everything from System of a Down to Bloc Party and Death from Above 1979, and a lot of Coldplay, too".[2] "Within no time", the two were working on music at The Hit Factory in Miami, Florida, alongside Timbaland's protege Danja.[2] There, they produced ten of Loose's thirteen tracks.[2]

According to Furtado, in the studio, Timbaland had some beats that were "already kind of halfway there; and then he had beats that he just had nucleuses of; and then other stuff we jammed together".[3] While she was working with Timbaland and Danja in Miami, Pharrell Williams introduced Furtado to reggaeton, a musical genre that was unfamiliar to her. After he played a song for her, Furtado became inspired and wrote the lyrics to "No Hay Igual" "nearly on the spot".[2] In an interview with MTV News, Furtado joked: "Supposedly it was Pharrell's idea for me to work with Tim [...] Jimmy Iovine, the head of my record label [Interscope], might beg to differ."[4]

"No Hay Igual" was produced by Timbaland, Danja and Nisan Stewart.[5] It was recorded, mixed and engineered by Demacio "Demo" Castellon at The Hit Factory in Miami and Thomas Crown Studios in Virginia Beach.[5] Additional recording of the song was provided by Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica. Jim Beanz provided the production of Furtado's vocals. James Roach, Kobla Tetey, Ben Jost and Vadim Chislov acted as second engineers to the song.[5] Stewart provided the drums, while Danja played the keyboards together with Timbaland, who also added the percussion. Background vocals were provided by Furtado and Beanz.[5]

Composition and response

"No Hay Igual" is a hip hop and reggaeton song, with a length of three minutes and thirty-five seconds.[6] It is a Spanglish tongue twister over "future-tropic" beats.[6] The song contains a "sharp mix" of percussion and "empowered chanting".[7] In "No Hay Igual", Furtado sings in Spanish over a reggaeton rhythm.[8] According to Sean Fennessey, the song is called reggaeton "because it's sung in Spanish and isn't salsa, is an aerial assault". He wrote that the song "never wears down the listener" and "uses a few vocal change-ups, unlike the much-maligned genre it's been compared to".[9] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that in the song, Furtado "plays the world traveler", where she deftly blends reggaeton and M.I.A.."[10] According to Will Hermes of Entertainment Weekly, "No Hay Igual" is a "reggaeton-style trifle" that is "more fun than anything else" on Loose.[11]

Barry Schwartz of Stylus Magazine called "No Hay Igual" one of Loose's "indisputable highlights".[12] He wrote that Furtado and Timbaland are "absolutely ripping reggaeton" better than "nearly everyone who actually does reggaeton".[12] Allmusic's senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine picked it as one of the best tracks on the album, alongside "Maneater", "Promiscuous" and "Te Busqué".[10] Robert Christgau wrote a positive review for The Village Voice and said that the song "might accomplish God's great plan on the dance-floor."[13] Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone highlighted the song, calling it a "reggaeton rip".[14] While praising the song, Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe commented that the song "makes Rihanna sound all the more shrill and unnecessary."[15] John Murphy from MusicOMH perceived that it has "a similar vibe to Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl – after a while it proves a bit annoying, but it's catchy enough."[16]

Music video

A music video for the remix of "No Hay Igual" was filmed on 26 June 2006 in La Perla shantytown located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Rene Perez, of Calle 13, said he hoped that the video would help them both reach new audiences: "It's a good opportunity for us both. More than the North American market, the European market really interests me and her because her family is Portuguese."[17] The video was directed by Israel Lugo and Gabriel Coss, photographed by Sonnel Velazquez and produced by María Estades.[18]

The video starts with Furtado walking under a stone bridge near which is an icon of Jesus Christ. As the video progresses she continues to walk and starts singing the song's lyrics. She then arrives at one building where Pérez is at the balcony putting his shirt on while Furtado interpreters the lyrics referring to him. He then starts joining her as other residents start starring at them. Scenes are intercut with both of them at a pastry shop, seductively eating ice cream. Then, Pérez is shown at an underground graffiti place rapping his verse on the song. Scenes are intercut with both of them at a club playing pool. The video intercuts with scenes of Furtado and Pérez dancing while performing the song, crowded with other people around them. The video ends with both of them walking towards the bridge in an early morning.

Track listings

  1. "No Hay Igual" — 3:37
  2. "No Hay Igual" (Instrumental) — 3:37
  • Digital download
  1. "No Hay Igual" — 3:38
  • Digital download (Remix)
  1. "No Hay Igual" featuring Calle 13 — 3:41

Credits and personnel

Recording and mixing
Personnel
  • Lyrics – Nelly Furtado
  • Songwriting – Nelly Furtado, Tim Mosley, Nate Hills and Nisan Stewart
  • Production – Timbaland and Danja
  • Vocal production – Jim Beanz
  • Drums – Nisan Stewart
  • Keyboards – Danja and Timbaland
  • Percussion – Timbaland
  • Background vocals – Nelly Furtado and Jim Beanz
  • Recording – Demacio "Demo" Castellon
  • Engineering – Demacio "Demo" Castellon
  • Mixing – Demacio "Demo" Castellon
  • Second engineering – James Roach, Kobla Tetey, Ben Jost and Vadim Chislov
  • Additional recording – Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Loose, Mosley, Geffen.[5]

Charts

Chart (2006–07) Peak
position
US Hot Singles Sales (Billboard)[20] 39
US Latin Rhythm Airplay (Billboard)[20] 38

Release history

Country Date Format Label Ref.
United States 11 April 2006 Digital download
[21]
18 April 2006 12" [22]
France 24 April 2006 Digital download Polydor [23]
Germany Universal Music [24]
Ireland [25]
Italy [26]
New Zealand [27]
Norway [28]
Singapore [29]
Spain [30]
Sweden [31]
Canada 29 September 2006 Digital download (Remix) [32]

References

  1. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Performs Her Hits Live on 'Loose The Concert' DVD and CD Releasing Dec. 4 on Geffen Records". PR Newswire. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Lash, Jolie (16 February 2006). "Nelly Furtado Brings the Punk-Hop". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  3. ↑ Scaggs, Austin (19 June 2006). "Why Is Nelly Furtado's New Album So Loud?". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  4. ↑ Vineyard, Jennifer (28 August 2006). "Nelly Furtado Hooks Up With 'Distant Cousin' Timberlake, Emerges With 'Sexy' Song". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Loose (inlay cover). Nelly Furtado. Mosley Music Group, Geffen Records. 2006.
  6. 1 2 Macnie, Jim; Woehrle, Melinda; Bottomley, C (11 April 2006). "I Week, 10 Songs: Editors' Picks". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  7. ↑ Morgan, Emma (20 June 2006). "Nelly Furtado – 'Loose'". Yahoo! Music UK & Ireland. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on July 3, 2006. Retrieved 10 Marcy 2013. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  8. ↑ Lynskey, Dorian (9 June 2006). "CD: Nelly Furtado, Loose". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  9. ↑ Fennessey, Sean (23 June 2006). "Nelly Furtado – Loose". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  10. 1 2 Thomas, Stephen. "Loose – Nelly Furtado". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 10, 2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  11. ↑ Hermes, Will (19 June 2006). "Loose | Music". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  12. 1 2 Scwartz, Barry (19 June 2006). "Nelly Furtado – Loose". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert (11 July 2006). "History Lessons – Page 2". The Village Voice. Voice Media Group. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  14. ↑ "Loose : Nelly Furtado : Review". Rolling Stone. Jann Wenner. 15 June 2006. Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  15. ↑ O'Keefe, Jonathan (12 2006). "Nelly Furtado: Loose | Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ↑ Murphy, John. "Nelly Furtado – Loose (Polydor)". musicOMH. Retrieved 16 August 2006.
  17. ↑ "Furtado films video in Puerto Rico". Jam!. Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  18. ↑ "Nelly Furtado graba video en La Perla en el Viejo San Juan junto con Residente de Calle 13" (Spanish). ¡Boom! Online. 26 June 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2006.
  19. ↑ "No Hay Igual" (12-inch single liner notes). Nelly Furtado. Santa Monica, CA: Geffen Records, a division of Universal Music Group. 2006. B0006699-11.
  20. 1 2 "Chart Search". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media Inc. Archived from the original on December 15, 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  21. ↑ "Nelly Furtado: No Hay Igual". Amazon.com (Amazon MP3). Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  22. ↑ "Nelly Furtado: No Hay Igual (Vinyl)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  23. ↑ "Nelly Furtado: No Hay Igual" (in French). Amazon.com (France). Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  24. ↑ "Nelly Furtado: No Hay Igual" (in German). Amazon.com (Germany). Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  25. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – No Hay Igual". 7digital Ireland. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  26. ↑ "Nelly Furtado: No Hay Igual" (in Italian). Amazon.com (Italy). Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  27. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – No Hay Igual". 7digital New Zealand. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  28. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – No Hay Igual". 7digital Norway. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  29. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – No Hay Igual". 7digital Singapore. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  30. ↑ "Nelly Furtado: No Hay Igual" (in Spanish). Amazon.com (Spain). Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  31. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – No Hay Igual". 7digital Sweden. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  32. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – No Hay Igual – Remix". 7digital Canada. Retrieved 10 March 2013.

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