Songfacts®:

• This song is a duet between Nelly Furtado and Timbaland, who produced it along with the rest of Furtado's Loose album. The lyrics are a flirtation between the two, typical of a couple who meet at a dance club or other social gathering. They're both sexually active, but the girl doesn't want the guy to take advantage of her and think of her as a slut, so even though she is attracted to him, she will tease him and test him to make sure he has strong "game," meaning he is a good talker and exudes confidence. As the song progresses, he proves himself and she agrees that they both want the same thing. At this point, there is no need to play games - he has passed the test.
• At the time, Furtado was romantically linked to fellow Canadian Steve Nash, who was the MVP point guard of the Phoenix Suns basketball team. Furtado mentions Nash in the line, "Is that the truth or are you talkin' trash, is your game MVP like Steve Nash?"
• The verses are rapped, which was familiar territory for Timbaland, who often raps on his productions, but was a departure for Furtado, who was known for her singing on hits like "I'm Like A Bird" and "Turn Off The Light."
  
  Timbaland warned her that she would be getting out of her comfort zone, telling her, "You can't be that same Nelly Furtado laying on the grass playing with birds." She was up for the challenge.
• In an interview with Blender magazine, Furtado said that the song is not about sex, but verbal foreplay: "Tim and I called it 'The BlackBerry Song' because everything we say in the song you could text-message to somebody."
• "Promiscuous" reigned at #1 in the US for six weeks, starting on July 8, 2006. Around this time, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake were collaborating on Justin's album FutureSex/LoveSounds, released three months after Furtado's Loose. On September 9, Timberlake's "SexyBack" went to #1 for seven weeks. Another FutureSex/LoveSounds track, "My Love," went to #1 on November 11, where it remained for three weeks.
  
  More Timbaland-powered hits from this pair reached the top in 2007, when Furtado's "Say It Right" and Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around" hit the top spot.
  
  But wait, there's more!
  
  Timbaland released his own single, "Give It To Me," featuring Timberlake and Furtado (who both appear in the video as well), which kept the run going with a #1 placement in April 2007. In case you lost count, that's three #1 Timbaland productions in 2006 and another three in 2007.
• Furtado and Timbaland performed the song on Saturday Night Live on May 20, 2006, acting out the flirtation with Furtado playing up her sexuality and Timbaland displaying a relaxed cool.
• That is indeed Justin Timberlake in the video putting the moves on Nelly and doing some dancing. The video was directed by Furtado's fellow Canadian, Director X, whose other clients from the Great White North include Justin Bieber ("Boyfriend") and Drake ("Hotline Bling"). Timbaland also appears in the video.
• It's important to note that the guy and girl in the song are on equal footing, and both equally promiscuous. "I wanted to show a man and a woman on the same even playing field, where each has a choice," Furtado explained to People magazine.
  
  The word "promiscuous" has negative connotations, but is sure does sing well and had never been in the title of a hit song. Furtado leaned into it, even titling the album Loose as a double-down. She spent a lot of time explaining that sexual desire is nothing to be ashamed of, and the song has a positive message. She drew inspiration from acts like TLC and Salt-N-Pepa, who often talked about sex but made it clear it was on their terms.
• Furtado wrote the song with Timbaland and his associates, Nate "Danja" Hills and Tim Clayton. Hills produced it along with Timbaland.
  
  Furtado is a very talented songwriter who has had a hand in writing every original song she's recorded. Early on, she often wrote solo - like on "Turn Off The Light" and "I'm Like A Bird" - but by 2006 she was mostly working with co-writers.
• Before "Promiscuous," Nelly Furtado was best known for her first two singles, "I'm Like A Bird" and "Turn Off The Light," both released on her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, when she was 21. Furtado has an unusual background: she's from Victoria, British Columbia, but her parents are Portuguese. She and Timbaland first connected when Nelly featured on the 2002 Ms. Jade song "Ching Ching," which he produced.
  
  She followed up her Loose album with the Spanish-language album Mi Plan in 2009. After her 2012 album The Spirit Indestructible, she slowed down to focus on family; her next albums didn't come out until 2017 and then 2024.
• Furtado remained proud of "Promiscuous," keeping it in her setlists throughout her career. It's always a crowd-pleaser and she loves singing it.