"Promiscuous" is a song by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado from her third studio album, Loose (2006). The song was written by Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley, Furtado and Nate "Danja" Hills. The song's lyrics feature a conversation between a man and woman who call each other promiscuous. The song was released as the second single from the album on April 25, 2006.
The song was well received by music critics, with some critics calling it the highlight of the album. "Promiscuous" was an international success and became Furtado's first number-one single in the US. It was the first number one by a Canadian female artist since 1998's "I'm Your Angel" by R. Kelly and Celine Dion on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also topped the chart in New Zealand and peaked in the top ten on many charts across Europe.
The accompanying music video was directed by Little X, and features Furtado and Timbaland, in what Furtado describes as a "verbal Ping-Pong game". Cameo appearances are made by Keri Hilson, Justin Timberlake, and Bria Myles. The song won 'Best Pop Single of the Year' at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards and received a nomination for the 'Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals' at the 49th Grammy Awards, losing to Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder's "For Once in My Life".
Background and writing
The lyrics of "Promiscuous" describe the two sides of a relationship for the song's protagonist. It was one of the first songs Furtado wrote with labelmate Timothy "Attitude" Clayton. Furtado called their teamwork something she "had never done before", and viewed the writing process as "extremely freeing" because of his different approach and style. Clayton helped Furtado experiment with interpreting the "promiscuous girl" character and her two-sided relationship. Furtado also said that in the process of writing lyrics "we were actually flirting, which is why the song is so playful" and that she and Clayton nicknamed the song 'The BlackBerry Song', because "everything we say in the song you could text-message to somebody".
Because of the preponderant musical influence of artists such as Talking Heads, Blondie, Madonna, The Police, and Eurythmics, whom producers Timbaland and Danja listened to during the writing of the album, "Promiscuous" takes inspiration from pop music of the 1980s. Its sound was deemed a "playful" fusion of electropop and dance-pop featuring a "bubbling" hip-hop groove. The sexuality was based on "strong women in control" of the 1990s, such as Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Salt-n-Pepa, and TLC.
The reference to basketball player Steve Nash in the lyrics led to speculation that he and Furtado were romantically involved, but both denied any link, with Nash commenting, "I'm flattered that she put me in her song, but I'm completely in love with my wife and two little baby girls". Furtado decided to include him because she and Nash are both from Victoria, British Columbia, and due to frequent mention of basketballers in songs, she decided to "give him the props". In one of the verses Timbaland introduces himself as Thomas Crown. The Thomas Crown Affair is a film about a wealthy businessman who plays a cat-and-mouse/flirting game with an insurance investigator. Timbaland performed the song live only on special occasions, such as Furtado's appearance on Saturday Night Live, and the 2006 MuchMusic Video Awards. Starting with Furtado's show at the 94th Grey Cup on November 19, 2006, and extending into the Get Loose Tour, Timbaland's part is filled in by Canadian rapper Saukrates.
Critical reception
"Promiscuous" received positive reviews from music critics. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone considered it a highlight on Loose. Timbaland's appearance received particular praise, which added Furtado's "high-school musical vocals" over his eighty beats according to Sheffield. The New Yorker considered it "a playful update" of Janet Jackson's "Nasty", using "a heavier and darker rhythmic bed." AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine compared it to "vintage Prince", citing "Promiscuous" as a highlight of Furtado's makeover.
However, Erlewine believed that no matter how much Furtado sings about sex, she does not actually sound sexy and does not "generate much carnal heat". IGN's review considered the song "simultaneously annoying and yet catchy beyond belief" and listed as one of Loose's "Definitely Downloads". Pitchfork called it "one of the best vocal performances of [Timbaland's] career", and Billboard called the duo of Furtado and Timbaland "a surprisingly good match". The song was also included in four lists of best songs of 2006: fourth on Blender, sixth at The Village Voices Pazz & Jop, 56th on Rolling Stone, and 80th on Pitchfork.