Rewind to 2006: George W. Bush was president, Paris Hilton dominated the gossip blogs, and a singer named Nelly Furtado changed the music landscape. A mostly-forgotten relic of the early aughties scene by then, Nelly made a massive splash that summer when she debuted a new sound and an impressive set of abs. Teaming up with Timbaland, their melding of hip-hop beats and melodic hooks inspired a classic album,
Loose, and paved the way for pop stars back to the top of the charts that had been owned for years by urban acts.
Loose was a worldwide phenomenon, scoring a pair of #1 hits and a matching pair of Grammy nominations. More importantly, it became something of a religion on ATRL, which was so infatuated by its groundbreaking production and massive success that, for a time, the L might well have stood for
Loose. Which of its three smash singles was the best generated particularly endless debate. So in honor of the album's 10th anniversary—which went far too little celebrated in June—we are undertaking a definitive ranking of its superb track list.
To participate, please complete this
quick song sorter and PM me your results by this Sunday, Oct 23. Those lists will be compiled to determine a universal ranking, which will be unveiled in a countdown event. (Check out the
Emotion ranking to see how it works.) Feel free to use this thread to advocate for your track of choice or to share your memories from this past decade of
Loose. Thirteen lucky guest writers will also be chosen to explain why their favorite song is the true highlight of the album, so let me know if you are interested.
The Definitive "Loose" Ranking