Official Charts Pop Gem #78: Nelly Furtado – Maneater

Every week we look for your overlooked classics or big hits of yesteryear that need some more love – and in a week where Take That relaunched as a trio and with a host of hot new albums on the way, we reckoned this week’s theme should be COMEBACKS.

Whether your popstars were away decades or just a couple of years, we wanted those tunes that brought a popstar back into your life after a spell away.

In the end, we got it down to these 10 crackers – but which glorious return has what it takes to be crowned Pop Gem?

After careful consideration, and taking into account impact and, also, what you guys were saying on Facebook, Twitter and over email, we went for Nelly Furtado’s Maneater. Everybody look at me, indeed.

Check out the video for Maneater before we explain why Nelly bagged her place in the Pop Gem Hall Of Fame…

Why it had to be Nelly

To understand why Nelly’s comeback was such a big deal, you have to look at her full story. The Canadian-born star’s early work had a much more folky sound than the music that would eventually give her the biggest hits of her career. After big success with early singles I’m Like A Bird and Turn Off The Light, Nelly got a reputation as someone whose songs had a message. Nelly had something to say and wasn’t afraid of using music to get that point across – but all in the nicest way possible.

She had hits from 2001–2004 and then kind of drifted away… She still had a career to be proud of, but most people could be forgiven there’d be no more from Nelly. And then she hooked up with the production genius that is Timbaland to formulate a comeback that was very much a “wow”, whether you liked the tunes or not.

The song

As we say, nobody was expecting Nelly to come back in such a big way, and with a song like this. Maneater was brash, raw and tough – its stark beat and oppressive synths seeming at odds with Nelly’s previously gentle image.

Nelly soon shoved all that to one side in the video, where the star goes looking for her dog (bear with us) only to discover an underground dance party. Old Nelly would’ve flown like a bird, but new Nelly busts out her best moves and shows them how it’s done. And then she finds her dog. Win win.

Nelly also kicked off her new look in the US, but with Promiscuous as the lead single – it followed Maneater here.

Maneater went in at Number 8, then leapt to the top the following week, ending Sandi Thom’s time at the Number 1 slot. Maneater ruled the top of the Official Singles Chart for three weeks, before it was deposed by Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie. Maneater has sold over 440,000 copies in the UK, making it Nelly’s second bestselling single here.

Nelly’s chart story

La Furtado’s first hit was I’m Like A Bird, which reached Number 5 in 2001. It was the first of 15 Top 40 hits, eight of which went Top 10. Along with Maneater, Nelly has another Number 1 to her name – she hit the top spot with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake on Give It To Me in 2007.

Her biggest selling single was actually never a Number 1 – her 2008 collaboration with James Morrison, Broken Strings, get that honour and has sold over 740,000 copies.

Over on the Official Albums Chart, Nelly has scored two Top 10s, Whoa Nelly (2001) and Loose (2006). 2003’s Folklore made it to Number 11. Loose is her top seller, with 1.07 million copies sold.

Nice one, Nelly! Welcome to the Pop Gem Hall Of Fame Take a look at all the tracks who've received the honour so far

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