Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is… Read Full Bio ↴Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She is widely known for her musical versatility and genre experimentation.

She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired debut album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000), which was a critical and commercial success that spawned two top-10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, "I'm Like a Bird" and "Turn Off the Light". The first of the two singles won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Furtado's introspective folk-heavy 2003 second album, Folklore, explored her Portuguese roots. Its singles received moderate success in Europe, but the album's underperformance compared to her debut was regarded as a sophomore slump.

Furtado's third album, Loose (2006), was a smash hit and became her bestselling album, with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide, also making it one of the bestselling albums of the 2000s. Considered a radical image reinvention, Furtado continued to explore her Portuguese heritage while leaning heavier into hip hop. The album spawned four successful number-one singles worldwide; "Promiscuous", "Maneater", "Say It Right" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)".

She released her first Spanish-language album, Mi Plan, in 2009, which won her a Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. In 2012, Furtado released her nostalgia-inspired fifth album The Spirit Indestructible. Furtado split with her management and went independent thereafter, releasing her indie-pop sixth album, The Ride, in 2017 under her own label Nelstar Entertainment.

She has won many awards throughout her career, including one Grammy Award from seven nominations, one Latin Grammy Award, ten Juno Awards, one BRIT Award, one Billboard Music Award, one MTV Europe Music Award, one World Music Award, and three Much Music Video Awards. Furtado has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame, and was awarded Commander of the Order of Prince Henry on February 28, 2014, by Aníbal Cavaco Silva, the then-President of Portugal.

Circles
Nelly Furtado Lyrics

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The day is getting late
It’s a lot to take
Looking at your face
It hides nothing
Emotions are recycled
I open the window
I don’t know about you
But I’m feeling stifled

Then I get just a glimpse
I see where our love is
Please look into my eyes
Baby you gotta try to

Dial into me
Dial into me
Dial into me
Dial into me
Don’t talk in circles

You don’t know what to say
How did we get this way
It’s like we just press play
And run on automatic (it gets so static)
I can barely breathe
You’re filling up with steam
You say it’s about me
But I’m just setting boundaries

Then I see a bright light
I see it’s worth the fight
I know we’ll get it right
Baby our love can shine if you

Dial into me
Dial into me
Dial into me
Dial into me
Don’t walk in circles

We’re after the same things
Bursting at the same seams
I cannot carry the whole load here
No I can’t tell you what that means
I’m gonna carry my load
If you promise not to take your eyes off me
Don’t take your eyes off me

Don’t take your eyes off me
Let's break the circle

Overall Meaning

In Nelly Furtado's song "Circles," the artist talks about the difficulties couples face in relationships as they go through the same routine, go round and round, and fail to communicate. The song's message is to break the cycle of going through the motions and not talking about their feelings. In the first verse, the artist mentions the time of day, and how it's tough to deal with the emotions she's feeling after looking at her partner's face. We learn that their emotions are recycled, and she can't take it anymore, hence the need for communication.

In the chorus, Nelly urges her partner to dial into her and stop talking in circles. The partner seems hesitant to communicate, or maybe he doesn't know how to communicate his feelings. She mentions that they are after the same things and they are bursting at the seams. She agrees to carry her load in the relationship, but he should not take his eyes off her. The song concludes with Nelly's desire to break the cycle and not go round and round.

In summary, "Circles" is about the monotonous nature of relationships, the difficulties faced in communicating emotions, and the need to stop going round and round in the relationship. The song's empowering message is on the power of communication, breaking the cycle, and letting love shine.

Line by Line Meaning

The day is getting late
Time is running out

It’s a lot to take
It's overwhelming

Looking at your face
Observing your expression

It hides nothing
It reveals everything

Emotions are recycled
Emotions are repetitive

I open the window
I need fresh air

I don’t know about you
I am unsure of your thoughts

But I’m feeling stifled
I feel trapped

Then I get just a glimpse
I briefly see

I see where our love is
I see the state of our relationship

Please look into my eyes
Please pay attention to me