I'm Like a Bird

"I'm Like a Bird" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was written by Furtado and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West for her debut studio album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000). Released as the album's first single, it became one of the most successful singles of 2001, peaking at number one in Portugal, number two in Australia and New Zealand, number five in the United Kingdom, and number nine in the United States.

"I'm Like a Bird"
Single by Nelly Furtado
from the album Whoa, Nelly!
B-side
  • "I Feel You"
  • "Party (Reprise)"
  • "My Love Grows Deeper"
ReleasedOctober 24, 2000 (2000-10-24)
Length4:03
LabelDreamWorks
Songwriter(s)Nelly Furtado
Producer(s)
Nelly Furtado singles chronology
"I'm Like a Bird"
(2000)		 "Turn Off the Light"
(2001)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help
Music video
"I'm Like a Bird" on YouTube
Alternative cover
European cover

"I'm Like a Bird" received positive reviews from music critics for Furtado's singing and the empowering lyrics, and it became one of the most critically acclaimed songs of 2001. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, making Furtado the first female act to win the award for her debut single since Mariah Carey did so ten years earlier and the last to be awarded to a Canadian artist winner in the category. It also won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2001.[1]

Composition

"I'm Like a Bird" is composed common time in the key of B♭ major.[2] The song moves at 90 beats per minute, and Furtado's voice spans around 2 octaves, from F3 to F 5.[2] It is written in verse-chorus form, with a bridge before the third chorus.[2]

Furtado's response

In 2006 Furtado said of the song, "I've heard it sung at karaoke or by cover bands and it was awesome — I was like, wow, I've got one of those songs. Somebody once called it a 'hairbrush song', one that girls and guys sing in front of the mirror with their hairbrush. I just think I'm lucky I have it — it's paying the bills!"[3]

Music video

The music video for "I'm Like a Bird" was directed by Francis Lawrence, and features heavy use of CGI.[4] The video begins in the sky where the camera slowly pans down onto Furtado, who is lying in the grass. It then shows her singing on a tree trunk in mid-air. In the chorus she gets up and starts singing to the camera while birds are flying around her. The second verse shows her sitting in mid-air in a forest, while singing to the camera. The chorus consists of flashes of Furtado singing in mid-air, again, while leaning on the tree trunk. During the bridge she is singing to a bug while her eyes change colour, which changes the bug's color accordingly. The conclusion of the video shows her falling backwards from a branch into a crowd as she sings the final chorus of the song. The last shot pans out to reveal a crowd of tens of thousands.

There was made an edited version of the music video for European VH1, where some scenes where changed.

Track listings
UK CD single
No.TitleLength
1."I'm Like a Bird" (LP version)4:02
2."Party (Reprise)" (non-LP version)4:43
3."My Love Grows Deeper" (non-LP version)4:54
4."I'm Like a Bird" (video)4:02
German 2-track single
No.TitleLength
1."I'm Like a Bird" (LP version)4:02
2."Party (Reprise)" (non-LP version)4:43
German CD single
No.TitleLength
1."I'm Like a Bird" (LP version)4:02
2."Party (Reprise)" (non-LP version)4:43
3."My Love Grows Deeper" (non-LP version)4:54
4."I Feel You" (featuring Esthero)4:08

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Whoa, Nelly! album liner notes.[5]

Official versions

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[45] 2× Platinum 140,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Gold 400,000

^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history
List of release dates, showing region and label
Region Date Label
United States October 24, 2000 DreamWorks
Canada November 28, 2000 Universal Music
Europe February 19, 2001
Australia February 26, 2001
United Kingdom
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References
  1. "Winners + Nominees". The JUNO Awards. Retrieved May 7, 2020. Select 2001 from the drop-down list near the top of the page.
  2. Sheet music for "I'm Like a Bird". Nelstar Publishing. 2001.
  3. de Silverio, Victoria. "Nelly Furtado: Free As A Bird" Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Blender. July 2006. Retrieved September 18, 2006.
  4. Method Studios - Nelly Furtado "I'm Like a Bird" Archived October 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. (2000) Album notes for Whoa, Nelly! by Nelly Furtado [liner notes]. DreamWorks Records.
  6. "Australian-charts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  7. "Austriancharts.at – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  8. "Ultratop.be – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  9. "Ultratop.be – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  10. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7292." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  11. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 7102." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  12. "Danishcharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Tracklisten.
  13. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 18 no. 18. April 28, 2001. p. 9. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  14. "Lescharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in French). Les classement single.
  15. "Offiziellecharts.de – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like a Bird". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  16. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'm Like a Bird". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  17. "Italiancharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Top Digital Download.
  18. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 12, 2001" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  19. "Dutchcharts.nl – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  20. "Charts.nz – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Top 40 Singles.
  21. "Norwegiancharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". VG-lista.
  22. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19 no. 26. June 23, 2001. p. 14. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  23. "Top of the Year 2001". Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on December 9, 2002. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  24. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  25. "Swedishcharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Singles Top 100.
  26. "Swisscharts.com – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like A Bird". Swiss Singles Chart.
  27. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  28. "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  29. "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  30. "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  31. "Nelly Furtado Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  32. "2001 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  33. "Jaaroverzichten 2001" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  34. "Rapports annuels 2001" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  35. "Year in Review – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2001" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 19 no. 52. December 22, 2001. p. 14. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  36. "Tops de L'année | Top Singles 2001" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  37. "Ireland – Top Singles for 2001". Allcharts.org. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  38. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2001". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  39. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2001" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  40. "End of Year Charts 2001". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  41. "Årslista Singlar, 2001" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  42. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2001". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  43. "The Official UK Singles Chart 2001" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  44. "Billboard Top 100 – 2001". Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
  45. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2001 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  46. "British single certifications – Nelly Furtado – I'm Like a Bird". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
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