"Promiscuous" was released as the first single from Loose in North America in early 2006, and as the second single elsewhere in mid-2006 except in Latin America, where the single was released as the third single in late 2006. The song received positive reviews and became Furtado's first number-one single in United States. It won in the Best Pop Song category at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, was nominated for the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals Grammy Award at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards and won Single of the Year at the 2007 Juno Awards. The song got a number 3 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2006.
The lyrics of "Promiscuous" describe the two sides of the relationship that the song's protagonist deals with. It was one of the first songs Furtado wrote with labelmate Timothy "Attitude" Clayton. Furtado called their teamwork something she "had never done before" because she saw the writing process as "extremely freeing" because of his different approach and style. Clayton helped Furtado experiment with interpreting the "promiscuous girl" character and the two-sided relationship she is in. Furtado also described 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. The sexuality was based on the "strong women in control" of the 1990s, such as Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, Salt-N-Pepa and TLC.
A reference to basketball player Steve Nash in the song's lyrics led to speculation that he and Furtado were romantically involved, but both deny the 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 citations 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 wealthy businessman who plays a cat-and-mouse/flirting game with an insurance investigator.
Timbaland only performed the song live 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.
The song's music video was directed by Little X and features cameo appearances by Keri Hilson, Bria Myles and Justin Timberlake. It does not follow a storyline and per Furtado's request, focuses on scenes with dancing and flirting because she wanted to recreate the song's indicative vibe, and took the opportunity to film a club video for the first time. Furtado said of the video, "It's that whole dance that goes on. There's that mystery there, the fun, playful sexiness, the verbal Ping-Pong game". Furtado and Timbaland cannot decide whether they want to begin dating or instead flirt with others on the dance floor. Their single performances are intercut with several scenes of a dancing crowd, and the lighting changes between blue, green, red, and yellow colors.
"Promiscuous" premiered on MTV's Total Request Live on May 3, 2006, where it reached number one after spending twenty-one days on the countdown. After its debut on MuchMusic's Countdown, it ascended to number one for the week of July 28, 2006. At the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, it was nominated for the Best Dance, Female and Pop Video Awards. The video was parodied by MADtv in a segment entitled "Syphilis Girl"; in the video, Furtado (Nicole Parker) is comically portrayed as having given Timbaland (Jordan Peele) the sexually transmitted disease, as well as on YouTube by the comedic group Train of Thought Sketch Comedy, where the video is parodied by troupe member Kaci and features a puppet version of Timbaland.
Promiscuous
Nelly Furtado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So, I'm jamming, right? And I see her in the background
I'm like, "oh"
The opening lines to Nelly Furtado's hit song Promiscuous may seem simple at first glance, but they offer a peek into the mindset of someone who is all about the music and the way it makes them feel. When Nelly says "you're off beat," she's referring to someone who is not in tune with the rhythm and flow of the music. But instead of dismissing this person, she embraces their difference and uses it to fuel her own creativity. This acceptance of imperfection sets the tone for the rest of the song, which celebrates the joy of being free-spirited and adventurous.
The second line, "so, I'm jamming, right? And I see her in the background," introduces the idea of attraction and sexual energy. The word "jamming" suggests a vibe of movement and spontaneity, which is heightened by Nelly's sudden realization that someone else is in the room watching her. The use of the pronoun "her" hints at the bisexual undertones of the song, which is about exploring one's desires without judgment or shame.
Line by Line Meaning
You're off beat
You're not quite on track
So, I'm jamming, right?
I'm in the groove, feeling the music
And I see her in the background
Then, I notice a woman in the distance
I'm like, "oh"
I'm intrigued by her, caught off guard
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Anthem Entertainment, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Floyd Nathaniel Hills, Nelly Kim Furtado, Timothy Clayton, Timothy Z. Mosley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SuperRaedizzle
Surprised with how fresh this song still sounds
@Queenofblood666x
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@zoezhong1721
Hi
@artist.lifeart
Hi
@gabygab9608
Hiii rae how are you
@420_Lucifer
Mainly because of TikTok
@chicken
Its March 2024, let's see how many legends are listening to this incredible song๐
@Gnarpyeditz
bro Ur everywhere LEAVE ME ALONE๐ญ๐ญ
@shulbywolf
I see you everywhere LOL
@jazzman9977
Me๐