Nelly Furtado

Whoa, Nelly! arrived in 2000 with a mix that was difficult to reduce to a single category. “I’m Like a Bird” gave the album its most immediate introduction, while “Turn Off the Light” made the rhythmic and vocal personality just as clear. The songs had pop choruses, but the arrangements kept opening small doors towards folk, trip-hop and other influences.

Folklore in 2003 brought questions of roots and identity closer to the centre. “Powerless (Say What You Want)” and “Try” take quite different routes through the same record, one driven and outward-looking, the other much more exposed. It is an important part of the catalogue rather than simply the space between two larger commercial moments.

Loose in 2006 made a striking change in emphasis. Working closely with Timbaland and Danja, Furtado placed her voice inside tight, highly detailed rhythmic arrangements. “Promiscuous”, “Maneater” and “Say It Right” are different kinds of pop song, linked by a production style that lets the spaces and small sounds matter as much as the beat.

Later releases, including the Spanish-language Mi Plan, continued the movement rather than fixing the Loose sound in place. The pleasure of the catalogue is in that willingness to take another route. Furtado’s delivery is recognisable enough to carry the change, and her best records make curiosity sound like a practical way of writing pop.