N.E.R.D.’s fourth studio album, Nothing, will be released September 7th. The first single off the album is entitled “Hot-N-Fun” and is a full fledged attempt to be a fun summer party jam. Some people may love the song for being just that, a fun dance track. But despite the fact that the track features Nelly Furtado and has likely been played this summer in clubs across the country, it does not pack the same level of punch some previous N.E.R.D. or The Neptunes tracks have. It rather comes off a bit on the bland side. The addition of Nelly Furtado doesn’t bring much to the track, but rather makes the track seem as if it could have been released by the Black Eyed Peas with Furtado playing a similar role to that of Fergie. The lyrics are certainly that of a dance track, and even on that level leave much to be desired. The lyrics mostly are comprised of “Look at You, Look at Me” and the title “Hot-N-Fun” which is uttered 18 times in the just over three minutes of the track. Pharrell even admits in the lyrics that this song is for people who “don’t want to think no more… just want to feel”.
In a eclectic merging of Indie and Pop genres (is there even any longer a difference between the two?), N.E.R.D. has released with the single a series remixes along with the single by some of the heavy hitters of the more dancy side of independent music. The B-Side of the single includes remixes by Hot Chip, Yeasayer, Boys Noize and Crookers and do each add some spice and a bit of life to the track, even though none can truly save it. Yeasayer and Hot Chip add their own distinct sounds to the track and Crookers give it a more of a spacey feel. Yet my personal “favorite” of the tracks is the Boyz Noize remix, who add a bit of a Justice-esque funk to the track. In the end, unfortunately, none of the remixes to anything to fix the songs lyrics.
Check out the original track and remixes below.
N.E.R.D. ft. Nelly Furtado – “Hot-N-Fun” (Original)
N.E.R.D. – “Hot-N-Fun” (Hot Chip Remix)
N.E.R.D. – “Hot-N-Fun” (Yeasayer Remix)
N.E.R.D. – “Hot-N-Fun” (Crookers Remix)
N.E.R.D. – “Hot-N-Fun” (Boys Noize Remix)
