Mi Plan

Restless as ever, Nelly Furtado dives head-first into Latin music on 2009’s Mi Plan. The Portuguese-Canadian songstress forsakes the mainstream dance-pop of 2006’s Loose in favor of something riskier and ultimately more satisfying. In these tracks, Furtado works within the boundaries of the Latin market without sublimating her own freewheeling personality. In her typically eclectic fashion, she combines earthy traditional instrumentation with contemporary techno-dance beats, never stinting on the pop hooks in the process. Tracks like “Bajo Otra Luz” (a reggaeton/cumbia fusion featuring rapper La Mala Rodriguez) and “Fuerto” (Spanish in feel, with a sleekly contemporary groove) glide with an easy yet insistent flow. As on previous releases, Furtado doesn’t shy away from soul-bearing — the volatile “Manos al Aire” and the tender “Josh Groban” (the latter a duet with Josh Groban) hold little back emotionally. Acoustic-centered numbers like “Suenoz” and “Mas” are reminiscent of her early work, while “Sufficient Tempo” is a straight shot into today’s high-gloss Latin pop.