Turn Off the Light

"Turn Off the Light"
Single by Nelly Furtado
from the album Whoa, Nelly!
Released	August 14, 2001 (2001-08-14) (See release history)
Format	CD maxi single, vinyl
Recorded	2000
Genre	Pop
Length	4:36 (album version) 3:36 (radio edit)
Label	DreamWorks
Writer(s)	Nelly Furtado
Producer	Gerald Eaton, Brian West
Nelly Furtado single chronology
"I'm like a Bird" (2000)	"Turn Off the Light" (2001)	"...On the Radio (Remember the Days)" (2001)
Audio sample
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Alternate cover
Australian cover

"Turn Off the Light" is a popsong written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado for her debut studio album, Whoa, Nelly! (2001). Produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, it was released as the album's third single in mid-2001 (see 2001 in music). The song samples the famous acoustic guitar riff from "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield.

Furtado, who cited a song by the Canadian band Big Sugar as the inspiration for "Turn Off the Light", has described it as "a real song ... Though I may seem so independent and stuff, blah, blah, blah, when I turn out the light at night I can get lonely just like everybody else. Maybe that's why it's such a good song and everyone is responding to it – because it's real. Just a song with a fun, hooky chorus."

Music video

There were two music videos made for "Turn Off the Light", the Under Ground version, and the Normal version. The normal version was directed by Sophie Muller.^[1]

The music video for the normal version of "Turn Off the Light" begins in a swamp where Furtado is sitting on the edge on a log and people are swimming in the swamp. She begins to sing the first verse and when the chorus comes the people in the swamp pull her in and they start dancing in the swamp. The second verse starts and Furtado is at a temple singing while these dancers jump out and dance with Furtado. At the second part of the chorus she's surrounded by a group at the temple and the dance around her while she sings. At the bridge she at an old house singing and she is sitting on a chair. The video ends with Furtado back at the temple, it concludes with Furtado eating noodles at the temple.
The underground video features nelly playing the guitar in a wooden shed, wearing a white top and jeans, she is also seen buying flowers, there are also scenes of nelly walking in the grass wearing a white dress and sandals with an umbrella, later in the video she loses the sandals and is seen walking in the grass barefoot, there is also a scene of her walking on rocks wearing a white dress. She is barefoot in this scene.

Chart performance

The song eventually became her most successful song at the time of its release. In New Zealand, it became her first number-one single there and stayed in the chart for twenty-seven weeks^[2]. It became the second most successful song of 2001 year-end chart^[3]. The song is 28th most successful song in that country and the most successful song for Nelly Furtado in that country^[4].

It peaked at number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on October 30, 2001, her highest chart position until her 2006 single, "Promiscuous", reached number one. A remix featuring rappers Ms. Jade and Timbaland was released, and a dance remix reached number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The song ranked at number 70 in the Year-End chart of 2001 and at number 92 on the 2002 recap. It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart.

It peaked at number seven in Australia, being her second top ten single there and stayed in the chart for twenty-one weeks^[5]. It also peaked at number four in United Kingdom, becoming her second top five single there.

Formats and track listings

These are the formats and track listings of major single-releases of "Turn Off the Lights."

Remixes

• "Turn Off the Light" (Radio Mix) (3:34)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Dataluxe Mix) (10:07)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Dataluxe Radio Edit) (4:14)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Decibel's After Midnight Mix) (7:00)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Yoggie's Sunshine Reggae Mix) (3:20)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Yoggie's Sunshine Remix) (4:00)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Richard Vission Astronomic Mix) (7:17)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Chriss Vrenna vs. Tweaker Remix) (3:34)
• "Turn Off the Light" (DJ Jeckel Jungle Mix) (4:35)
• "Turn Off the Light" (DJ Wheels In The Parking Remix) (7:29)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Anyanami Mix) (3:16)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Hex Hector Extended Remix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Hex Hector Remix Edit)
• "Turn Off the Light" (DJ 17 Mix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Brody Mix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Kandiman Remix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Psycle Remix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Rock Air Remix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Indian Remix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Much Dance 2002 Remix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Sky Dog Remix)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Remix) (feat. Ms.Jade & Timbaland) (4:41)
• "Turn Off the Light" (A Capella Remix) (feat. Ms.Jade & Timbaland)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Instrumental Remix) (feat. Ms.Jade & Timbaland)

Other versions

• "Turn Off the Light" (Radio Edit) (3:36)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Album Version) (4:36)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Instrumental Version)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Acoustic Version) (4:00)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Album A Capella) (4:33)
• "Turn Off the Light" (Real A Capella)

Release history

Charts

References