Recorded 2003 Label DreamWorks | Length 3:53 | |
Released 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) Format CD single
digital download
maxi single Writer(s) Nelly Furtado
Gerald Eaton
Brian West
Trevor Horn
Anne Dudley
Malcolm McLaren | ||
"Powerless (Say What You Want)" is a pop song written by Nelly Furtado, Gerald Eaton and Brian West for Furtado's second studio album, Folklore (2003). It contains a sample of Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals" which was written by Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn and Malcolm McLaren. It was produced by Furtado and Track & Field and was chosen to be the lead single from the album, released in December 2003. Banjo player Béla Fleck appears on the track.
Contents
Background
"Powerless" addresses how Furtado herself was discriminated against in that her record company wanted to hide her ancestry: "Paint my face in your magazines/Make it look whiter than it seems/Paint me over with your dreams/Shove away my ethnicity". According to Furtado, “I noticed that when I turned on the TV, I didn’t really see anybody that looked like me. So it’s really important for me to keep that realness in me and always remember where I came from, while at the same time always entertaining people. I like music to be inclusive.” Afterwards, come reflections on gaining strength through the things that are truly important - "real power comes from not caring about power and just letting yourself be free." - and "have balance in life".
Of the instrumentation, Furtado said: "I get to see a lot of DJ-oriented performance stuff, and I'm into the heaviness of breakbeats, how raw and powerful they are. Everything lately has become so synthesized, but just the standard sound of breakbeats is inspiring. 'Powerless' uses breakbeats like that; it's a real groove, a real vibe. It just carries you away. There’s a banjo mixed with a breakbeat from elements of Malcolm McLaren's 'Buffalo Gals.' So right away you're bobbing your head. The lyrics are initially in-your-face, like, 'Okay, I know I'm going to be stereotyped in my life because that is the world we live in; that's society.' But the song tries to find some sense of order in this complicated world." The song won Single of the year at the 2004 Juno Awards.
Music video
The music video was directed by Bryan Barber and was shot in the period of three days. The video revolves around a classic psychological metaphor: Nelly trapped inside a box from which she seeks to escape. Inside, the box is plastered with posters that act as doors or windows for the artist’s imagination. Her situation is a metaphor for being both defined and confined by the illusory commercial reality of her celebrity and beauty. The video was shot on various sets and dressed locations, and in a large customized box crate, which were all created by production designer Aaron Goffman. Using Photoshop and Illustrator, Moneyshots designed the posters and graphics that surround Nelly in the box and added the transitions that transport Nelly back and forth between the imprisoning box and the poster environments that signify the escape self-expression can bring.
There is an alternate version of the video featuring Nelly in a field, and shown in several screens in different parts of a city, showing the movements of the modern life.
Track listing
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Album Version) - 3:53
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Josh Desi Remix) - 3:12
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Alternative Acoustic Mix) - 3:47
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Album Version) - 3:53
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Alternative Acoustic Mix) - 3:47
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Album Version) - 3:53
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Alternative Acoustic Mix) - 3:47
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Josh Desi Remix) - 3:47
- "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Instrumental Version) - 3:53