After several years of inactivity, Furtado confirmed new music in an interview in Fault magazine in May 2023, saying that she had "recorded a hundred songs in the last 18 months" and was "so excited to bring people new music".[8]
With the album's announcement in July 2024, Furtado said that she wrote "400–500 pieces of music in 4 years" and explained that her ADHD does not "always allow for [her] to organize creations in a methodical way so it's hard to explain how we have chosen 14 songs that magically rose to the top of the heap".[9] Furtado likened the songs to "random seashells that may be similar but not at all alike" and said that her intention was to "provide some portals to trip out and release and escape".[9] Her label called the album "four years of artistic discovery".[7]
About the album title, Furtado stated it was the only title that made sense to her, as well as being her seventh studio album and seven years having passed since her previous album, because "it's more like a collection. Fashion collections don't really have titles, they're just called collection number 10 or 21. This is my collection seven."[10]
Promotion
Singles
Furtado released the lead single "Love Bites" in May 2024, a collaboration with Swedish singer Tove Lo and British DJ SG Lewis. Furtado stated in 2023 that she wanted to work with DJs as she felt "called back to music from the DJ community" and "realized how much people like to dance and escape to [her] music".[11] The song peaked at number 36 on the Canadian BillboardCHR/Top 40 chart,[12] number 2 on the US BillboardDance/Mix Show Airplay chart,[13] and at number 21 on the Dance/Electronic Songs chart.[14]
The second single "Corazón" was released on 12 July 2024, the day following the album announcement.[4] Furtado first performed the song at Machaca Fest in Monterrey, Mexico, in June 2023;[15] she had mentioned a collaboration with Colombian band Bomba Estéreo in August 2023 after performing with them at the Osheaga Festival earlier that month.[16] In Canada, "Corazón" peaked at number 17 on the CHR/Top 40 chart.[17]
On the day of the album's release, Furtado released an official visualizer video for "Honesty",[18] which was sent to Italian radio as the album's third single.[3]
Live performances
In June 2024, Furtado performed the closing set to that year's Mighty Hoopla festival. Among her best known tracks, she performed "Love Bites".[19][20] On July 16, 2024, she performed at the Isle of MTV concert in Malta.[21]
Fabio Magnocavallo from Euphoria praised 7 for balancing modern and nostalgic elements, showcasing her evolution while maintaining the essence of her early 2000s sound. He highlighted tracks like the moody "Showstopper" and the bilingual "Corazón" with Bomba Estéreo, reminiscent of her Loose era. The album's diversity, from the electropop "Love Bites" with SG Lewis and Tove Lo to the piano ballad "All Comes Back", reveal Furtado's personal growth. Despite a somewhat scattered tracklist, Magnocavallo commended her multi-faceted artistry and gave the album 4 out of 5 stars.[23]
Josh Korngut, writing for Exclaim!, expressed disappointment with the album's overall lack of risk and depth. Korngut acknowledged Furtado's past musical successes, highlighting her ability to deliver emotionally powerful tracks like "Try" and "Pipe Dreams", but felt that 7 falls short of her potential. He suggested that the pressure to deliver a commercially successful album after several "flop eras" may have led to a safer, less adventurous project. Korngut noted that while some tracks, like "Better Than Ever", showcase Furtado's strength in confessional songwriting, many others, such as "Ready for Myself", feel outdated or uninspired. The track "Save Your Breath" was praised for its future-facing collaboration with drag star Tynomi Banks, though Korngut felt that the album's lead singles, including "Love Bites" and "Corazón", failed to captivate fans. Despite these criticisms, Korngut acknowledged Furtado's talent and ability to reinvent herself, suggesting that while 7 may not have hit the mark, she still has the potential to surprise critics in the future.[24]
Commercial performance
7 saw minor success in five European countries; in the United Kingdom, 7 debuted at number 37 on the UK Album Downloads Chart, additionally debuting at number 60 on the UK Albums Sales Chart and at number 71 on the UK Physical Albums Chart.[29]
