Nelly Furtado

Nelly Kim Furtado ComIH (/fərˈtɑːdoʊ/ fər-TAH-doh, European Portuguese: [fuɾˈtaðu]; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter.

Its singles received moderate success in Europe, but the album's underperformance compared to her debut was regarded as a sophomore slump.

[8][9] Considered a radical image reinvention, the album spawned four successful number-one singles worldwide: "Promiscuous" (featuring Timbaland), "Maneater", "Say It Right", and "All Good Things (Come to an End)".

Furtado split with her management and went independent thereafter, releasing her indie-pop sixth album, The Ride, in 2017 under her own label Nelstar Entertainment[pt].

Furtado has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame, and was awarded Commander of the Order of Prince Henry on February 28, 2014, by Aníbal Cavaco Silva, the then-President of Portugal.

Ultimately, Furtado felt the trip hop style of the duo was "too segregated", and believed it did not represent her personality or allow her to showcase her vocal ability.

Furtado continued the collaboration with Eaton and West, who co-produced her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, which was released in October 2000.

Slant Magazine called the album "a delightful and refreshing antidote to the army of 'pop princesses' and rap-metal bands that had taken over popular music at the turn of the millennium".

[24] The sound of the album was strongly influenced by musicians who had traversed cultures and "the challenge of making heartfelt, emotional music that's upbeat and hopeful".

In 2002, Furtado appeared on the song "Thin Line", on underground hip hop group Jurassic 5's album Power in Numbers.

"Powerless (Say What You Want)" was later remixed into a Spanish version called "Abre Tu Corazón", featuring Juanes, who had previously worked with Furtado on his track "Fotografía".

[34] The album received generally positive reviews from critics,[35] with some citing the "revitalising" effect of Timbaland on Furtado's music,[36][37] and others calling it "slick, smart and surprising".

[38] Loose has become the most successful album of Furtado's career so far, as it reached number one, not only in Canada and the United States, but also several countries worldwide.

She also appeared on stage at the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium in London on July 1, 2007, where she performed "Say It Right", "Maneater", and "I'm Like a Bird".

In 2008, she sang with the Italian group Zero Assoluto the ballad "Win or Lose – Appena prima di partire", released in Italy, France and Germany and whose video was shot in Barcelona.

Furtado married Cuban sound engineer Demacio "Demo" Castellón, with whom she had worked on the Loose album, on July 19, 2008.

Furtado participated in the live DVD recording of the Brazilian singer Ivete Sangalo in Madison Square Garden on September 4, 2010.

Furtado made a guest appearance on Canadian singer k-os's new album Yes!, collaborating alongside Saukrates on the song "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman", released in early July 2009.

[53] Furtado came under fire after 2011 reports from the New York Times and a WikiLeaks document revealed she had accepted payment of one million dollars to perform for the family of Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

Only after the story broke did she promise to donate to charity the CDN$1 million she received for a 2007 concert,[54] which ended up going to Free the Children.

[64][65][66] The first single from The Spirit Indestructible, "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)", was released digitally on April 17, 2012[67] and was sent to North American radio stations on May 1, 2012.

Furtado continued to collaborate with hip-hop producer Salaam Remi, who previously worked on the 2010 single "Night Is Young", on "The Edge".

The lyrics for the Salaam Remi produced track are reported to be influenced by the Tiger Woods cheating scandal, in which was originally referred to as "Elin's Song".

[88] In June 2021, Furtado celebrated the 15th anniversary of her third studio album Loose by releasing an expanded edition of 32 tracks to digital and streaming platforms.

[94] On December 31, 2022, five years after her last concert in Baloise Session in Basel, Switzerland, Furtado performed live at the Beyond The Valley Festival in Australia.

[102] As of March 2024, in an interview on Euphoria Magazine, Furtado revealed she recorded over 200 songs and the cover art for her upcoming seventh studio album will be shot during April 2024 and lead single would be released in May 2024.

[105] On July 5, 2024, Furtado announced via Instagram the release of "Corazón" as a single, more than a year after singing it for the first time in Monterrey, Mexico.

[123] In April 2017, during an appearance on the British daytime panel show Loose Women, Furtado announced she had separated from Castellon during the summer of 2016 and said she is now single.

"[141] She cites diverse influences, including Madonna, Mariah Carey,[142] Blondie, Prince, The Police, Eurythmics, Talking Heads, De La Soul, TLC, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Amália Rodrigues, Caetano Veloso, Juanes, Jeff Buckley, Esthero, Björk, Cornershop, Oasis, Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins, U2 and Beck.

[16][23][143] Furtado's work has also inspired the likes of Lorde,[144] Slayyyter,[145] Dua Lipa,[146][147] Bridgit Mendler,[148] Gia Woods[149] and Billie Eilish.

Furtado performing at Manchester Arena in February 2007
Furtado performing in Freiburg in October 2009
Furtado during the Isle of MTV in Malta, June 2012
Furtado in 2014
Furtado during Beyond The Valley on December 31, 2022
Furtado at her Canada's Walk of Fame induction ceremony in October 2010