In the mid-aughts, Nelly Furtado was a force to be reckoned with.
For a while, her music dominated radio stations and nightclubs everywhere.
There was virtually no escaping Furtado not that you’d want to anyway.
However, in 2007 during the peak of her career the Grammy winner seemingly vanished from the spotlight.
She may have stepped back from the limelight, but she never stopped making music.
And as of 2023, she’s making a fierce comeback.
These days, Furtado undoubtedly still has what it takes to make us say, “Whoa!”
The chirpy folk-pop anthem earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performace.
Her second single, “Turn Off the Light,” climbed to No.
5 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and grabbed the attention of legendary hip-hop producer Timbaland.
Together, the pair churned out a supercharged remix of “Turn Off the Light.”
Furtado teamed up with Timbaland again in 2006.
The record sold 12 million copies and spawned a massive world tour.
“Loose” catapulted Furtado into the glitzy, fast-paced world of global stardom.
But after a while, the lifestyle began taking a toll on her.
Endless nights of parties and performances left little time for solitude.
Then one night I went on stage and I suddenly realized how stressed out I was.
I actually cried my way through the first two songs."
After her breakdown, Furtado high-tailed it out of the limelight.
Furtado’s exit sent shockwaves through the music industry.
“It was not easy to take time out,” she recalled.
“I had to learn to say no.
People were trying to get me to record another album.
I wasn’t worried about burning any bridges, though.”
She returned to Canada and devoted more time to raising her daughter, Nevis.
“I took a break from music and went home,” the singer told theDaily Mailin 2012.
“And now I can look at it in a positive way.”
Throughout the years, Furtado welcomed two more children.
Her eldest, Nevis, turned 20 in 2023.
PerBillboard, Nevis is pursuing a career in songwriting and music curation.
My two youngest children were on FaceTime watching me from home," Furtado gushed toPeoplein 2023.
“My 20-year-old daughter was there watching me, and I was singing to the crowd.
And so she tried many things.
At one point, she even worked at a record shop.
Most importantly, she was able to do things on her own terms.
“I think I was really “in search of,” the “Promiscuous” singer toldGQ.
“What is really being grounded?
Grounded is not just ‘I’m going to take some time off.’
I wanted to clean my own bathroom again and wash my own laundry again.
I really missed normal life.
I wanted to make it as isolated as I possibly could.
It really helped me, honestly.
It sounds silly but it kind of saved me.”
Along with her dramatic lifestyle change, Furtado also took a different approach to music.
She started writing songs purely for the thrill of being creative.
Furtado also did several art installations, including a sound design piece for the Art Basel Contemporary Art Fair.
“I wouldn’t be able to create with that productivity had I been under contract.”
“My life was pretty much on fast-forward from the age of 20,” the pop sensation toldRefinery29.
She added, “I didn’t quit music, but I quit juggling.”
So, what does a retired juggler do with all that extra time?
For one thing, Furtado started taking college classes.
She studied a variety of subjects, including playwriting and ceramics.
She also tried her hand at sewing.
When she wasn’t learning new skills, Furtado played guitar and piano with her daughter.
At one point, she even got a job at her daughter’s school library.
In hindsight, Furtado realized, “All those things help me remember who I was.”
During her hiatus from music, Furtado also cultivated some international friendships.
She connected with a group of Colombian women who helped her rediscover her purpose.
That also needs to be nurtured.”
In 2011, she joined the organization in rural Kenya to film a documentary about education.
Furtado found a renewed sense of purpose thanks to her work with charity.
“Giving back is really important to me,” the pop icon toldSamaritan Magin 2016.
In 2009, Furtado released a Spanish-language album titled “Mi Plan.”
With melodic guitar chords and powerful vocals, “Mi Plan” was another triumph for the singer-songwriter.
The record generated a chart-topping single, “Manos Al Aire,” and scored a Latin Grammy.
In 2012, Furtado returned to the studio to record her fifth album, “The Spirit Indestructible.”
The record garnered mixed reviews, with some critics calling it"clumsy"and"outdated.
“The album opened at No.
79 on the Billboard chart a disappointing follow-up to “Loose,” which debuted at No.
Still, Furtado was unbothered by the lackluster reception.
She added, “I feel like it’s probably my strongest lyrical album yet.
Releasing an independent record involved some unique challenges but for Furtado, it was worth it.
Ultimately, the process freed her from the pressures of being attached to a major record label.
“The Ride” hit stores on March 31, 2017.
Unfortunately, it was a commercial flop.
According toiHeart, the record sold only 1,814 copies in the U.S.
The pair grew closer while working together on Furtado’s “Loose” album.
By 2008, they were married.
Furtado broke the news to ET Canada, telling the publication, “I’m happy …
I’m excited about the future” (viaPeople).
Unfortunately, things didn’t last; in 2017, the couple quietly separated.
Throughout the years, Furtado has remained tight-lipped about her personal and family life.
However, following her split from Castellon, she told ITV’s “Loose Women.”
“I am single now” (viaET Online).
“Someone here needs to update my Wikipedia it’s not helping my dating life!”
Furtado confessed that the breakup was an “emotionally difficult time.”
Fortunately, she found strength in singing and writing songs.
Furtado poured her emotions into the music-making process and sang to herself during long car rides.
“It first came to my attention when my oldest was 16,” Furtado toldVogue.
“She was like, “Mom, ‘Promiscuous’ is trending on TikTok!”
I didn’t even have TikTok on my phone.
I was like, ‘okay, what do we do?’
“The videoracked up 6 million views and made Furtado a TikTok icon.
Since then, the singer has become a regular user of the platform.
Thanks to her TikTok fame, Furtado’s music was embraced by a new generation.
“I felt like I was in the year 2001!”
In 2023, Furtado celebrated reaching1 million TikTok followers no doubt a mix of new and original fans alike.
Later that year, Furtado reunited with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake on the track “Keep Going Up.”
“I’m there again, I’m in it for the craft.
I’m in it for the right reasons and it’s so pure for me right now.
It’s just pure inspiration all day.”
But new music is only a part of what the superstar has in store.
In 2023, Furtado made surprise appearances at Lollapalooza and the Portola Music Festival.
She’s also scheduled to headline the Electric Forest Festival in 2024.
And most importantly, Furtado told Billboard that she is “happier than ever.”
She added, “I love my job more than I’ve ever loved it.”
