A singer who rose to fame in the early 2000s with a string of hits including I’m Like a Bird, Promiscuous and Maneater has revealed she’s no longer going to be doing live performances.
Nelly Furtado became a household name with the release of her debut album Whoa, Nelly! In 2000 and has since gone on to release six more albums.
Throughout her career, the Canadian singer has sold over 45 million records and won a Grammy, a Brit and a Billboard Music Award.
However, after a quarter of a century touring the world, Nelly is now taking a step back.
Sharing a lengthy post on social media alongside a series of photos taken of her over the years, the 45-year-old began by writing: ‘25 years ago today my first album Whoa, Nelly! was released.
‘In the first slide I am 20 years old, about to play my first show as a professional artist at Lilith Fair. I went down to a store called “Original” on Queen West in Toronto and shopped for that pink dress and some sparkly platform shoes to perform in. It was so meaningful, and my artist self felt so actualised.
‘25 years later, my music has reached a whole new generation of fans and I couldn’t be happier about that.
‘In the year 2000 I remember feeling purpose in hoping some kid would dust off the Whoa, Nelly ! vinyl one day in a record shop and think it was cool or inspiring, so I never could have guessed that there would be so many new ways to discover “old” music in 2025!’
She continued: ‘To have so many people rediscovering my music has been surreal and joyful. It’s been so fun embracing this opportunity, getting out on stages again and seeing up close, the true lasting power of good music. It’s made me really believe in magic.
‘All this aside, I have decided to step away from performance for the foreseeable future and pursue some other creative and personal endeavours that I feel would better suit this next phase of my life.
‘I have enjoyed my career immensely, and I still love writing music as I have always seen it as a hobby I was lucky enough to make into a career. I’ll identify as a songwriter forever.’
Nelly went on to say she was ‘grateful for all the years of fun, community and wonder’.
‘Endless gratitude to anyone who has ever listened and vibrated with my music and attended any of my shows. I love you and your open hearts. I deeply thank all of those who have worked so hard to help me make my pop dreams come true on a creative and organisational level. I thank all my brilliant collaborators and loyal champions. I also wish, to the new generation of artists, many years of fruitful and passionate performance.’
Soon after sharing the news, Nelly was flooded with supportive comments from fans.
‘And an icon and international superstar was born. Not to “fly away” but to soar and stay. Your music makes the world a better place. A more joyful place. Love you Nelly. On top of it all, you have a heart of gold and manage to stay humble and true despite your international superstardom,’ presenter Dina Pugliese commented.
‘You are so loved, respected and cherished! I hope you feel all of that energy your way bc you deserve every drop. Thank you for sharing all of your gifts with us for so many years,’ Meredith Shaw shared.
‘I love this for you. Go write that new chapter. May it return the same magic and kindness and inspiration that you have given us,’ actress Amanda Brugel added.
Earlier this year, the singer discussed how she felt pressured over her looks while working in the music industry.
‘This year I became aware of the aesthetic pressure of my work in a brand-new way, while simultaneously I experienced new levels of self-love and genuine confidence from within,’ she wrote in an Instagram post.
‘For whoever cares, I have never had any face or body surgeries or augmentation, besides for veneers on the top row of my teeth, quite recently.’
She went on to share a ‘message for 2025’, in which she encouraged others to ‘express yourself freely, celebrate your individuality and know that it’s perfectly OK to be OK with what you see in the mirror, and it’s also OK to want something different’.
‘We are all cute little humans just bouncing around the earth looking for hugs.’
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