"Powerless (Say What You Want)"
Single by Nelly Furtado
from the album Folklore
Released6 October 2003 (2003-10-06)
Studio
Length3:53
LabelDreamWorks
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Track & Field
  • Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado singles chronology
"Fotografía"
(2003)		 "Powerless (Say What You Want)"
(2003)		 "Try"
(2004)

"Powerless (Say What You Want)" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado from her second studio album, Folklore (2003). The song was written and produced by Furtado, Gerald Eaton, and Brian West. It contains a sample of Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals", which was written by Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley, and McLaren. The song was released as the album's lead single in October 2003.

Background

"Powerless (Say What You Want)" addresses how Furtado was discriminated against as 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." Furtado also commented on gaining strength through the things that are truly important, saying that "real power comes from not caring about power and just letting yourself be free" and affirming that it is "good to have balance in life".[1]

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 was named 'Single of the Year' at the 2004 Juno Awards.

Music video

The music video was directed by Bryan Barber and was shot over three days.[2] The video revolves around a classic psychological metaphor: Furtado 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 Furtado in the box and added the transitions that transport her back and forth between the imprisoning box and the poster environments that signify the escape that self-expression can bring.[3]

There is an alternate version of the video featuring Furtado in a field, and shown in several screens in different parts of a city, showing the movements of the modern life.

Track listing

UK CD single[4]

  1. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (album version) – 3:53
  2. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Josh – Desi remix) – 3:12
  3. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (alternative acoustic mix) – 3:47

German 2-track single

  1. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (album version) – 3:53
  2. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (alternative acoustic mix) – 3:47

German 4-track single[5]

  1. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (album version) – 3:53
  2. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (alternative acoustic mix) – 3:47
  3. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (Josh Desi remix) – 3:47
  4. "Powerless (Say What You Want)" (instrumental version) – 3:53

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Folklore album booklet.[6]

Studios

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Powerless (Say What You Want)"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[35] Gold 150,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States 6 October 2003 DreamWorks [36]
Canada 21 November 2003 CD [37]
Australia 24 November 2003 [38]
United Kingdom 8 December 2003 [39]
Germany 15 December 2003 [40]
Japan 21 January 2004 Universal Music Japan [41]
United Kingdom Digital download DreamWorks [42]
Germany 2 February 2004 CD
  • Universal
  • Motor Music
 [43]

References

  1. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Mashes Cultures (And A Bumblebee) Together For New Video". MTV. 12 November 2003. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  2. ↑ "Nelly furtado POWERLESS music video". Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
  3. ↑ "POWERLESS music video synopsis". Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
  4. ↑ "Powerless by Nelly Furtado: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Nelly Furtado - Powerless - Amazon.com Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  6. ↑ Folklore (US CD album booklet). Nelly Furtado. DreamWorks Records. 2003. B0001007-12.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  8. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  9. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  10. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  11. ↑ Nelly Furtado — Powerless (Say What You Want). TopHit. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  13. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Nelly Furtado". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  14. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  15. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 5, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  17. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)". Top 40 Singles.
  18. ↑ "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 17, saptamina 26.04 – 02.05, 2004" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 21 February 2005. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  20. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)". Singles Top 100.
  21. ↑ "Nelly Furtado – Powerless (Say What You Want)". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  23. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  25. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  27. ↑ "CIS Year-End Radio Hits (2003)". TopHit. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  28. ↑ "The Year in Charts 2003: Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 11, no. 51. 19 December 2003. p. 22.
  29. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2004" (in German). Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  30. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2004" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  31. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2004". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  32. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2004" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  33. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2004" (in German). Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  34. ↑ "2004 The Year in Charts: Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs". Billboard Radio Monitor. Vol. 12, no. 51. 17 December 2004. p. 26.
  35. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Nelly Furtado; 'Powerless (Say What You Want)')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  36. ↑ "Radio & Records" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 3 October 2003. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  37. ↑ "Powerless (Say What You Want): Nelly Furtado". Amazon.ca. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  38. ↑ "The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 24th November 2003" (PDF). ARIA. 24 November 2003. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 December 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  39. ↑ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 6 December 2003. p. 27.
  40. ↑ "Powerless - Nelly Furtado". Amazon.de. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  41. ↑ "2004/1月新譜リリース表" [January 2004 New Release List] (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Archived from the original on 3 June 2004. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  42. ↑ "Powerless (Say What You Want) (International Version): Nelly Furtado". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  43. ↑ "Powerless – Nelly Furtado". Amazon.de. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
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