Spirit Indestructible

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"Spirit Indestructible"
Single by Nelly Furtado
from the album The Spirit Indestructible
ReleasedJuly 20, 2012 (2012-07-20)
Recorded2012
Studio2nd Floor Studios (California)
Length4:01 (main version)
3:55 (radio edit)
LabelInterscope, MMG
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
Nelly Furtado singles chronology
"Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)"
(2012)
"Spirit Indestructible"
(2012)
"Parking Lot"
(2012)
Music video
"Spirit Indestructible" on
YouTube

"Spirit Indestructible" is a song by Canadian recording artist

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
.

Lyrically, it has a positive and upbeat message — about having a spirit that is indestructible and unbreakable, along with a heart that's pure and a body that's a miracle. The song received mixed reviews from music critics, some praised the "epic chorus" and the uplifting lyrics, but others felt that the song was a "mess" and a strange choice of single.

The music video was shot on Vancouver's scenic Grouse Mountain and captures the song's empowering and spiritual message, featuring snow-capped mountains and beach bonfires, as well as Furtado performing in a theater alongside a kid playing on a miniature piano. The song performed modestly on the charts, reaching the top forty in Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland.

Background and release

"Spirit Indestructible" is the first song Furtado and

Free The Children, helped her to write the song.[3] She also recorded a Spanglish version of the song, titled "Espíritu Invencible".[4] The song was released via digital download in Europe on July 31, 2012, in Germany on August 3,[5] and on August 14, 2012, in the U.S. Digital Amazon store.[6]

Composition

"Spirit Indestructible" was written by Furtado and co-written and produced by

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins.[7] The song features Freestyle influences, in the same style of lead single "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)".[8] The song starts out with a piano introduction and then Nelly starts singing the first verse: "Through my one square foot window, I can see outside / I have chains on my feet, but not in my mind."[3] After the first chorus, a driving drum beat enters as the second verse is sung.[8] The post chorus features a military-drum breakdown, with Furtado singing 'AEIOU'.[8]
Speaking about the song, Furtado says: "It's an ode to the spirit which resides in all of us and triumphs over anything".[7] "It is inspired by people I have met, and special moments in history that I have read about."[7]

Critical reception

The song received mostly mixed reviews from music critics. Katharine St. Asaph of Pop Dust gave the song 3 out of 5 stars, commenting, "You end up wishing the entire song was like the second half–the lyrics are the same, so it's no less inspirational, and it's more inspiring anyway to move than to wonder whether you're listening to a half-finished demo, where the producers fleshed out Nelly's voice but didn't get around to half the instruments yet. It's probably too disjointed for radio play, and it's a strange choice of single even with Darkchild producing again."[8] Nolan Feenay from Entertainment Weekly's Music Mix wrote that "the song has a chorus as epic and uplifting as you'd expect with a new-age title like that."[9] However, he called it "a Frankenstein of musical styles. The opening keyboard recalls the intro to Lady Gaga's 'Marry the Night,' and the Timbaland-esque beat that kicks in later sounds like a rhythmic repeat of their 2006 hit 'Promiscuous'. Now throw in a vowel-chanting breakdown, a cinematic war cry of a bridge, and some guitar for the heck of it? Woah, Nelly. That's a lot of song you've got there."[9]

Becky Bain of

Idolator commented: "Oddly, there's something totally 80s about whatever's going on in this hot mess of a song. It needs a lot more work to make the whole thing mesh together. And we know Nelly has always been a bit nasal, but here she just sounds like she's whining."[10]

Commercial performance

"Spirit Indestructible" debuted at number 41 on the

Music video

A lyric video was released before the official video. The video is about Spencer West, a paraplegic who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro using only his hands.[citation needed] The official music video for "Spirit Indestructible" was filmed on June 15, 2012, at Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[14] On July 13, 2012, Furtado uploaded via her

VEVO.[15] The video begins with Furtado singing in a stage accompanied by a young boy playing a piano and when the beat of music starts, Furtado suddenly is on a mountain, where she twirls around while conjuring up her own unbeatable inner strength.[16] Furtado then leads a crew of men to a beach for a spiritual drum circle session and a dance around a bonfire.[16] The second part of the video shows her walking with drummers on the beach and dancing on a mountain and behind the blue sky wearing a golden dress. In the final shot, the snow has melted, and Furtado turns to dust and is at one with nature.[16]

Track listing

  1. "Spirit Indestructible" – 4:01
  • Germany digital download[19]
  1. "Spirit Indestructible" (radio edit) – 3:35
  2. "Spirit Indestructible" (acoustic) – 3:55
  3. "Spirit Indestructible" (music video) – 4:18
  • UK digital download[20]
  1. "Spirit Indestructible" – 4:01
  2. "Spirit Indestructible" (radio edit) – 3:35
  3. "Spirit Indestructible" (acoustic) – 3:55
  4. "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" (Wideboys Remix)
  5. "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" (Michael Woods Remix)
  1. "Spirit Indestructible" (radio edit) – 3:35
  2. "Spirit Indestructible" (acoustic) – 3:55

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from The Spirit Indestructible album liner notes.[22]

Technical
  • Recorded and mixed at 2nd Floor Studios,
    Hollywood, California
    .
Personnel

Chart performance

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 41
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[23] 75
CIS (TopHit)[24] 114
Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 23
Japan (
Japan Hot 100)[26]
79
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[27] 20
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[28] 10
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] 32

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Spirit Indestructible"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Italy July 20, 2012 Radio airplay Universal [29]
DACH
August 3, 2012 CD single [30]
United Kingdom September 23, 2012 Digital download Polydor [31]

References

  1. ^ "Nelly Furtado releases new single 'Spirit Indestructible' - listen - Music News". Digital Spy. 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  2. ^ Azzopardi, Chris. "Nelly Furtado Talks Gay Clubbing, First Drag Experience & Coming Full Circle With New Album". Pride Source. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  3. ^ a b Savage, Mark (2012-05-07). "BBC News - Nelly Furtado: 'Swagger in spades'". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  4. ^ "Spirit Indestructible [Spanglish Version]". Nelly Furtado Daily. August 7, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  5. ^ a b "Spirit Indestructible (2-Track): Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  6. ^ "Spirit Indestructible: Nelly Furtado: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  7. ^ a b c "NEW MUSIC: NELLY FURTADO – 'SPIRIT INDESTRUCTIBLE'". Rap-Up. July 3, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c d St. Asaph, Katharine (July 6, 2012). "The Singles Bar: Nelly Furtado, "The Spirit Indestructible"". Pop Dust. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  9. ^ a b Feeney, Nolan (July 6, 2012). "Nelly Furtado debuts 'Spirit Indestructible' -- Hear it here". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  10. Idolator
    . Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  11. ^ a b c "Nelly Furtado – Spirit Indestructible" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. Media Control AG
    . Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  13. ^ a b "Nelly Furtado – Spirit Indestructible". Swiss Singles Chart.
  14. ^ "Nelly Furtado's 'Spirit Indestructible' Video - Watch Now!". terra.com. 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  15. ^ "News : Spirit Indestructible - official video!!". Nelly Furtado. 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  16. ^
    Idolator
    . Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  17. ^ "iTunes - Music – "Spirit Indestructible - Single" par Nelly Furtado". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
  18. ^ "iTunes - Music – "Spirit Indestructible - Single" by Nelly Furtado". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2012-08-14.
  19. ^ "iTunes - Musik – "Spirit Indestructible - Single" von Nelly Furtado". Itunes.apple.com. January 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  20. ^ "Spirit Indestructible - EP by Nelly Furtado - Preorder Spirit Indestructible - EP on iTunes". iTunes (UK). 2012-09-23. Retrieved 2012-08-18.
  21. ^ "Nelly Furtado - Spirit Indestructible (CD) at Discogs". discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  22. ^ The Spirit Indestructible (liner notes). Nelly Furtado. 2012 Interscope Records / Mosley Music Group, LLC.
  23. Ultratip
    .
  24. ^ Nelly Furtado — Spirit Indestructible. TopHit. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Nelly Furtado – Spirit Indestructible" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  26. Billboard.biz
    . Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  27. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 33, 2012" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  28. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 20123 into search.
  29. ^ "Nelly Furtado - Spirit Indestructible (Radio Date: 20-07-2012)".
  30. ^ "Spirit Indestructible". Amazon Germany.
  31. ^ "This weeks single releases – 23 September | All-Noise". 23 September 2012.

External links