It's hard for an ageing thirtysomething like myself not to feel more than a twinge of envy when considering Nelly Furtado. I mean, she's young, attractive, talented, incredibly successful and has a conviction which, though often cringeworthy to the more jaded amongst us, is nonetheless utterly charming. And she's a mother as well. Is there anything this young woman hasn't achieved? So I hope to be forgiven for any Sex and the City-style cattiness which may encroach on this review.
On to the song. It was chosen as the official theme tune to Euro 2004 and it's easy to see why. I don't know if it was written specifically for the event, but with lyrics such as "it is the beautiful game that you choose to play" and a rousing, chant-a-long chorus, it's difficult to imagine Nelly not penning it with the image of thousands of lobster-red, alcohol-soaked football fans bellowing along in mind. And apparently,"Forca" is Portuguese slang meaning "kick ass".
However, now it's all over and Portugal didn't win, the timing of this release seems a bit off. Still, there's a good bit of banjo on it which is worth a listen, so perhaps people will buy the record solely on musical merit. You never know, it might just happen.
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