advertisement
Pop

Nelly Furtado Says She's Stepping Away From Performing ‘For the Foreseeable Future’

“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,” she shared with fans via social media.

Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Valentin Herfray

Nelly Furtado is stepping out of the stage lights.

On Friday (Oct. 24), the Canadian singer-songwriter shared with fans and followers that she will not be performing for the foreseeable future.


The news coincides with the 25th anniversary of Furtado’s debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, which she celebrated on social media. Back in 2001, the project peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart.

In the post, the “Promisicuous” singer thanks fans for rediscovering her music. She says seeing her discography reach new generations has been “surreal ” and “joyful,” 25 years later.

“It’s been so fun embracing this opportunity, getting out on stages again and seeing up close, the true lasting power of good music,” she writes. “It’s made me really believe in magic.”

advertisement

Furtado says she decided to step away and embark on "some other creative and personal endeavours" to better suit her next phase of life, but doesn't provide any concrete details about what’s on the horizon.

“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,” she said. “I’ll identify as a songwriter forever.”

She continues: “I deeply thank all of those who have worked so hard to help me make my pop dreams come true on a creative and organizational level.”

Furtado ends the post by thanking everyone who made her “pop dreams come true” and wishes the new generation of musical talent years of success.

This year, Furtado has been touring in support of her 2024 studio album, 7, which wrapped up in August 2025.

During one of her festival performances, the Grammy winner brought out Billboard Canada Women of the Year, The Beaches, to perform her chart-topping hit “Maneater” in Budapest.

advertisement

Over the last few years, Furtado has been cited as an influence for a new generation of young pop singers, including Tate McRae and Dua Lipa, who paid tribute to her at a recent show in Toronto.

advertisement
Executive of the Week: Justin West of Secret City Records on the Secrets of Independent Music Success​
FYI

Executive of the Week: Justin West of Secret City Records on the Secrets of Independent Music Success​

The man behind one of Canada's most successful indie labels talks about the late-blooming success of French-language streaming record-holder Patrick Watson, why he builds long-term relationships with artists, and why it's important for the indie sector to work together.

Justin West is a leader and advocate in Canada’s independent music scene, but he didn’t plan it out that way. When he started his record label Secret City Records in Montreal in the mid-2000s, it was out of necessity. He had met an artist he loved and wanted to build a career with, and the label was a means to do it. That artist was Patrick Watson, and 20 years later he — and Secret City — are more successful than ever.

West — a multiple time Billboard Canada Power Player – leads one of the biggest indie labels in Canada while also advocating for the sector on multiple boards both locally and internationally. When we speak to him for this Executive of the Week interview, he’s just returned from Banff for the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture, and is a central figure in discussions around the Online Streaming Act and collective negotiations with online streaming platforms.

keep readingShow less
advertisement