(CBS) Nelly Furtado worked with a group of music industry heavyweights on her upcoming album “Loose.” In-demand hip-hop producer Timbaland, Shakira’s longtime collaborator Lester Mendez, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Colombian megastar Juanes all worked on the album. But Furtado said it’s her 2 1/2-year-old daughter, Nevis, who deserves the most credit for the album.

“This album wouldn’t have existed if I wasn’t a mother,” she said. “That’s why it’s called “Loose.” (It) has this really youthful energy.

“During the recording process, I was living the life,” she continued. “I had my cake and ate it too, because I was with my daughter. She’s young, she’s not in school yet so she was just with me every day in the morning and we’d go to the park and go to the beach in Miami and have fun and play. And then at nighttime I got to record music with the greatest producers in the world.”

Furtado, 27, added that she’s living her own childhood all over again by seeing the world through her daughter’s eyes.

Being a single mum has also changed Furtado’s view of the music business. “It really made me take my job way more seriously, it made me think about my work ethic, it made me think more about providing for (Nevis) and her future.”

Things are already looking good for “Loose,” which is scheduled for release on 20th June (North America) 12th June (Rest of the World). The album’s first single, “Promiscuous (featuring Timbaland)” debuted at No. 64 on Billboard’s Hot 100 earlier this month, making it the highest-debuting single in Furtado’s career and ending her five-year absence from the chart.

Success isn’t about to spoil Furtado, not if Nevis has anything to do with it. Furtado said that being a mom “separates work from home life and that’s essential to keeping a level head in this business. It’s easy to just float away into the cosmos if you don’t have your 3-year-old throwing soup at you at the restaurant!”

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“Nelly on Motherhood”

Thanks to BITS Member mmm for finding this

Nelly Furtado has turned off the light on pop music — at least for the moment. On her third album, “Loose,” due 20th June (North America) 12th June (Rest of the World) via Geffen, she makes a concerted effort to get jiggy.

“For a long time I kind of denied my R&B and hip-hop roots,” the Canadian singer/songwriter tells Billboard.com. “All that rap and R&B I listened to as a kid made an impression on me; I used to write R&B songs in my bedroom that sounded like Mariah Carey songs. Now I’m tapping into that again, and I’m like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know I could go back there.’ It feels so good.”

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Thanks to icg for finding this. The quality isn’t that great, but it’s better than nothing!

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Source: lamusica.com

Justin Timberlake’s been collaborating with so many people for his new album that Nelly Furtado wanted to give him a little “Crowd Control.”

The two singers met up in Miami while both were recording their respective next albums with songwriter/producer Timbaland, who helped supply the necessary introductions. “I had met Justin briefly before, but I hadn’t really hung out with him,” Furtado said. Still, they felt like they knew each other — they had so many mutual friends and collaborators, such as Pharrell Williams, who had worked with Timberlake previously and had just teamed up with Furtado for her new record as well. “Supposedly it was Pharrell’s idea for me to work with Tim too,” Furtado laughed. “Jimmy Iovine, the head of my record label [Interscope], might beg to differ.”

After deciding they were like “distant cousins,” Timberlake and Furtado started tinkering around with a song called “Crowd Control” just for fun, without worrying where it might be released (see “Justin Timberlake ‘In A Good Place’ With His Collabos”). “It’s just a cute, clubby, upbeat, fun track,” she said. “It’s kind of sexy. I like it.” Working with the former ‘NSYNC singer also gave Furtado a new respect for him.

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Chris Martin’s collaboration with Nelly Furtado has been mysteriously axed from her forthcoming album. The duet, ‘All Good Things’, was reportedly removed from the LP’s track-listing on the orders of the Coldplay frontman’s record company EMI.

A source told Britain’s Daily Star newspaper: “Three days ago the order came through to remove it from her album. I don’t know if Chris knows yet, but when he finds out he’ll be furious. It seems EMI have a problem rather than either of the artists.”

This is not the first time a duet involving the singer has been stopped by his record company. The Coldplay frontman, who is married to Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow, recorded the original vocal to The Streets’ UK hit ‘Dry Your Eyes’. The group’s frontman, Mike Skinner, revealed: “I asked him to do it and he did, but I don’t think his record company liked it.” Rumours are now circulating that the track Chris recorded with rapper Kanye West may also never be released.

Sources: teentoday.co.uk, pr-inside.com

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Afraid
Real solid opener, with a hi-hatty beat (think the intro hits to Strafe’s “Set It Off” stretched for three and a half minutes), an unexpectedly catchy hook, Bubba-esque guest verse (is that Tim?) and a CHILDREN’S CHORUS on the outro. You can’t lose with kids.

Maneater
Right to the sternum! This one is a banger, with a lot of neat sonic extras and breakdowns that weren’t on the leaked version from a month or two back. No sign of Weezy F Baby however.

Promiscuous
The best update of “Shoop” we never even knew we wanted in the first place. Still a little weird that Timbo is calling himself “Thomas Crown” though. (The Pierce Brosnan remake is seven years old, duder!) But there is a welcome Steve Nash shout out.

Glow
Boom clap boom, synths, etc.

Showtime
Our secret favourite of the record. A bittersweet, Britpoppy ballad in 3/4 time that wouldn’t be out of place ending 120 Minutes in the mid 90s.

No Hay Igual
Does this song even have a proper chorus? It’s just one long intro. Which happens to really, really knock.

Te Busque featuring Juanes (English and Spanish versions)
Subtract Timbo, add Juanes, and get a fairly unremarkable track (or two, actually.) Nelly spits a Def Poetry Jam interlude though.

Say It Right
OK we need to step our pop reference game up a little for this one. Going to go with “Like A Prayer”-era Madonna, but there’s probably a random Cindi Lauper joint that would have been more appropriate.

Do It
That roller rink shit! Irrisistably hooky, with little Latin freestyle vocal cuts (”Yeah-yea-ye-yeah..”) interspersed throughout.

In God’s Hands
Another snoozy, Timbo-less ballad. Skip.

Wait For You
Hot damn, double-time R&B. With tabla!

All Good Things featuring Chris Martin
Don’t hold Chris Martin against it - he gets his Coldplay on and is still decent on this track, which is in the vein of No Doubt’s quieter moments. And if nothing else, it helps prove that the powers that be shouldn’t have hedged their bets with outside pop production on the other slow jams.

Source: thefader.com

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Check out an all new interview with Nelly Furtado in Rap-Up’s Spring issue, on sale now! In the 5 page feature, Nelly talks about everything ranging from Brangelina and Three 6 Mafia to her new sexy look and her guilty pleasures. Get to know Nelly like never before! Rap-Up is sold at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Wal-Mart, Tower Records, B. Dalton, Books-A-Million, and newsstands in the U.S. and Canada. You can also purchase a copy online at http://www.rap-up.com.