Nelly Furtado
Encyclopedia
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia
, Canada.
Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!
, and its single "I'm Like a Bird
", which won a 2001 Juno Award
for Single of the Year
and a 2002 Grammy Award
for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It produced two more international singles: the more successful "Turn off the Light
", and "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)". After giving birth to her daughter Nevis, her second studio album, Folklore, was released. It was less commercially successful in the US. It produced three international singles: "Powerless (Say What You Want)
", "Try", and "Força
" (the theme of the 2004 European Football Championship).
In summer 2006, she released her third studio album, Loose
. It is her biggest success to date worldwide. It produced the number-one hits "Promiscuous
", "Maneater
", "Say It Right
" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)
". After a three-year break, in September 2009, she released her first full-length Spanish album, Mi Plan
, along with her first Spanish single "Manos al Aire
", which topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs. This made Furtado the first North American singer to top the Billboard Hot Latin Chart with an original Spanish song. Further singles released were "Más
" and "Bajo Otra Luz
". For Mi Plan
, Nelly received the Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. On October 26, a remix album, Mi Plan Remixes
, was released. Furtado released her first greatest hits
album, The Best of Nelly Furtado
, one month later on November 12, 2010. Two follow-up studio albums are currently under way; one in English and another in Portuguese, both set for a 2012 release.
, to Portuguese
parents, Maria Manuela and António José Furtado, both immigrants from the Azores
. She was named after Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim
. Her parents were born on São Miguel Island
and emigrated to Canada in the late 1960s. Her siblings are Michael Anthony and Lisa Anne. She was raised in a Roman Catholic home.
At age four, she began performing and singing in Portuguese. Furtado's first public performance was when she sang a duet with her mother at a church on Portugal Day
. She began playing musical instruments at the age of nine, learning the trombone
, ukulele
and – in later years – the guitar and keyboards. At the age of 12, she began writing songs, and as a teenager, she performed in a Portuguese marching band.
Furtado has acknowledged her family as the source of her strong work ethic; she spent eight summers working as a chambermaid with her mother, along with her brother and sister, who was a housekeeper in Victoria. She has stated that coming from a working class background has shaped her identity in a positive way.
group Plains of Fascination. She contributed vocals to their 1996 album, Join the Ranks, on the track "Waitin' 4 The Streets". After graduating from Mount Douglas Secondary School in 1996, she moved to Toronto to reside with her sister Lisa Anne. The following year, she formed Nelstar, a trip hop
duo with Newkirk. 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. She left the group and planned to move back home.
In 1997, she performed at the Honey Jam talent show. Her performance attracted the attention of The Philosopher Kings
singer Gerald Eaton
, who then approached her to write with him. He and fellow Kings member Brian West
helped Furtado produce a demo. She left Toronto, but returned again to record more material with Eaton and West. The material recorded during these sessions led to her 1999 record deal with DreamWorks Records
, where she was signed by A&R executive Beth Halper, partner of Garbage
drummer and record producer Butch Vig
. Furtado's first single, "Party's Just Begun (Again)
", was released that year on the Brokedown Palace: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
.
, which was released in October 2000. Following the release of the album, Furtado headlined the "Burn in the Spotlight Tour" and also appeared on Moby
's Area:One
tour.
The album was an international success, supported by three international singles: "I'm like a Bird
", "Turn off the Light
", and "...On the Radio (Remember the Days)
". It received four Grammy nominations in 2002, and her debut single won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
. Furtado's work was also critically acclaimed for her innovative mixture of various genres and sounds. 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". 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". According to Maclean's magazine, Whoa, Nelly! had sold six million copies worldwide as of August 2006. Portions of the song "Scared of You" are in Portuguese, while "Onde Estás" is entirely in Portuguese, reflecting Furtado's Portuguese heritage. The International Release of "Whoa Nelly" featured fellow Canadian Esthero
on the song titled "I Feel You".
In 2002, Furtado appeared on the song "Thin Line", on underground hip hop
group Jurassic 5
's album Power in Numbers
. The same year, Furtado provided her vocals to the Paul Oakenfold's song "The Harder They Come" from the album Bunkka and also made the song "These words are my own". She also had a collaboration with Colombian artist Juanes
, in the song "Fotografia" where she showed her diversity of yet another language. Furtado was also featured in "Breathe" from Swollen Members
"Monsters in the Closet" release; the video for "Breathe," directed by Spawn
creator Todd MacFarlane, won the 2003 Western Canadian Music Awards Outstanding Video and MuchVIBE Best Rap Video.
Furtado's second album, Folklore, was released in November 2003. The final track on the album, "Childhood Dreams", was dedicated to her daughter, Nevis. The album includes the single "Força
" (meaning "strength"/ "power" or "you can do it!" in Portuguese), the official anthem of the 2004 European Football Championship. Furtado performed this song in Lisbon
at the championship's final, in which the Portugal national team played. The lead single is "Powerless (Say What You Want)
" and the second single is the ballad "Try". The album was not as successful as her debut, partly due to the album's less "poppy" sound, as well as underpromotion from her label DreamWorks Records. DreamWorks had just been sold to Universal Music Group
. In 2005, DreamWorks Records, along with many of its artists including Furtado, was absorbed into Geffen Records
.
"Powerless (Say What You Want)" was later remixed, featuring Colombian rocker Juanes
, who had previously worked with Furtado on his track "Fotografía
" ("Photograph"). The two would collaborate again on "Te Busqué
" ("I searched for you"), a single from Furtado's 2006 album Loose.
, after the spontaneous, creative decisions she made while creating the album, was released in June 2006. In this album, primarily produced by Timbaland
, Furtado experiments with sounds from R&B, hip hop, and 1980s music. Furtado herself describes the album's sound as punk-hop, described as "modern, poppy, spooky" and as having "a mysterious, after-midnight vibe... extremely visceral". She attributed the youthful sound of the album to the presence of her two-year-old daughter. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with some citing the "revitalising" effect of Timbaland
on Furtado's music, and others calling it "slick, smart and surprising". Some have labeled her a "sellout" for seemingly abandoning her folk and rock roots in favour of hip hop and R&B, while others have accused her of attempting to "sex up" her music and appearance to sell more records.
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. The album produced her first number-one hit in the United States, "Promiscuous
", as well as her first number-one hit in the United Kingdom, "Maneater
". The single "Say It Right
" eventually became Furtado's most successful song worldwide, due to its huge success in Europe and in the United States, where it became her second number-one hit. "All Good Things (Come to an End)
" became her most successful song in Europe, topping single charts in numerous countries there.
On February 16, 2007, Furtado embarked on the "Get Loose Tour". She returned in March 2007 to her hometown of Victoria to perform a concert at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. In honour of her visit, local leaders officially proclaimed March 21, 2007, the first day of spring, as Nelly Furtado Day. After the tour, she released her first live DVD/CD named Loose the Concert. On April 1, 2007, Furtado was a performer and host of the 2007 Juno Awards
in Saskatoon
, Saskatchewan. She won all five awards for which she was nominated, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year. 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 2007, Furtado and Justin Timberlake
were featured on Timbaland's single "Give It to Me
", which became her third number-one single in the U.S. and second in the UK. In late 2008, Furtado collaborated with James Morrison
on a song called "Broken Strings
" for his album Songs for You, Truths for Me
. The single was released on December 8 and peaked at No.2 on the UK Singles Chart
in early January.
In 2007, Furtado leaked plans to Flare
regarding a song she was set to duet for Kylie Minogue
's return. However, the song was not featured on her album X
, though Minogue says the aforementioned song "is still outstanding" and has plans to pursue it. She said, "I am looking forward to getting in the studio and doing it because I know Nelly and I would have a great time together". The track has not appeared on Minogue's 2010 album Aphrodite
either. 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. On December 31, 2008, El Diario La Prensa
posted an article that Furtado is planning on recording songs in English and Spanish for her upcoming album and that it is "expected to launch on September 15, 2009".
's new album, R.O.O.T.S.
, which was released on March 31, 2009. The track is titled "Jump
". Furtado has also made a guest appearance on Divine Brown
's Love Chronicles
, co-writing and singing on the background of the song "Sunglasses".
In early March, a song called "Gotta Know" leaked onto the Internet and was said to be Nelly's. In response, on March 4, 2009, Furtado stated on her MySpace blog that the song is not hers and that she is recording two new albums: one in Spanish, and the other in Portuguese. Nelly Furtado announced via the Perez Hilton
blog, that the Spanish album would be titled Mi Plan
and the first single titled "Manos Al Aire
" (in English, meaning "Hands in the Air").
The album will have twelve new songs, all in Spanish, as stated by Nelly in a message left in her official website.
The second single "Más
" was released on July 21, as it was announced on Nelly's official MySpace. The third single "Mi Plan" (ft. Alex Cuba
) was released on iTunes on August 11, 2009 and "Bajo Otra Luz
" (ft. Julieta Venegas
and La Mala Rodriguez
) is the fourth and final countdown single and it was released on September 1, 2009. She also invited the Mexican star Alejandro Fernández
to sing a duet song named "Sueños" ("Dreams"). The video for "Manos al Aire" premiered on July 29 on It's On with Alexa Chung
. On November 11, 2010 Furtado won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album for Mi Plan. She is the first Canadian to win a Latin Grammy award.
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. Nelly Furtado will make a guest appearance on Tiësto
's single "Who Wants to Be Alone
" on his new album Kaleidoscope
which was released on October 6, 2009. Furtado also recorded "Manos al Aire" in Simlish for the new Sims 3 expansion, World Adventures.
On February 12, 2010, Nelly Furtado sang in a duet with Bryan Adams
at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games
. The song was called "Bang The Drum" released on EMI album Sounds Of Vancouver 2010 (a commemorative album). On February 14, 2010, she appeared again at the Winter Olympic Victory Ceremony after the awarding of the medals for the athletes. On April 13, 2010, Nelly announced on her Twitter account that Lifestyle, her fourth English studio album, would not be released during the summer of 2010 and that she will go on a second leg of her Mi Plan Tour where she will get more inspiration for her upcoming album Lifestyle. Nelly Furtado is featured in a new song by N.E.R.D. called "Hot N Fun". She also participated in the Young Artists for Haiti
song, in which many Canadian artists came together and sang K'naan
's inspirational song "Wavin' Flag
" to raise money for the victims of the Haiti
Earthquake.
To promote the tour in Brazil
, on March 24, 2010, Furtado made a "VIP Pocket Show" in reality show program Big Brother Brasil 10
from Rede Globo
, the country's leading channel. She performed 5 songs from the tour in acoustic versions ("Maneater", "I'm Like A Bird", "Try", "Say It Right" and "Turn Off The Light"). Nelly Furtado participated in the live DVD recording of the Brazilian singer Ivete Sangalo
in Madison Square Garden
on September 4, 2010. Nelly Furtado sang two new songs: "Girlfriend in the City" and "Night Is Young
" on her concert in Warsaw, Poland.
Furtado was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
in October 2010. On October 26, 2010, Furtado released Mi Plan Remixes featuring 12 tracks of remixed hits from "Mi Plan." This album included the Original Spanglish Version of "Fuerte", her final release from Mi Plan.
Furtado released her first greatest hits album entitled The Best of Nelly Furtado
on November 16, 2010. The album's first single, "Night Is Young" premiered on BBC Radio 1
on October 3, 2010. The song was first released for digital download on October 12, 2010 in Australia. Three new songs will be on the greatest hits album, including "Night Is Young", another collaboration Salaam Remi
entitled "Girlfriend in the City", and the Lester Mendez
produced track, left over from the Loose sessions, "Stars".
, Tiësto
, Timbaland
, Ryan Tedder
and Rodney Jerkins
. At a concert in Lisbon,'Delta Tejo Festival', Furtado covered Jennifer Lopez
's 2011 hit single "On the Floor
" which incorporates Kaoma
's 1989 single "Lambada
". Furtado announced that she would include rapper Nas
on her upcoming lead single, amongst others to be featured on the album. Another album feature surfaced is Passion Pit
's lead singer Mike Angelakos on a track entitled "The Edge", while Furtado also expressed interest to work once again with rapper Missy Elliot. 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". Furtado proclaims that Lifestyle would be most like her 2000 debut Whoa, Nelly!
, but containing elements from urban
, alternative
, and reggae
. In addition is the first of Furtado's album to be completely in English. The influences for the album range from Janelle Monae
, The xx
, to Florence + the Machine.
Aside from Lifestyle, Furtado was featured on one of the Game's The R.E.D. Album
tracks, entitled "Mamma Knows" (produced by The Neptunes).
For the Canadian film The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
, Furtado lent her vocals for the Dolly Parton
gospel cover "The Seeker" featured during the credits of the film.. Furtado has simultaneously begun work on a full-length Portuguese
album, as a followup to her Spanish effort, Mi Plan. On October 17, 2011, Furtado made announced that she would be collaborating with recording artist Alex Cuba
once again.
" on the new label.
, and Nike
; fellow performers included Enrique Iglesias
, Kanye West
, Kelly Rowland
, Snoop Dogg
and Kelly Clarkson
. Furtado also hosted a program about AIDS on MTV, which also featured guests Alicia Keys
and Justin Timberlake
. On September 27, 2011, Furtado announced during Free the Children's WeDay Toronto, that she was giving $1,000,000 to Free the Children's effort to build girls' schools in the Maasai region of Kenya.
, hip hop
, alternative hip hop
, drum and bass
, trip hop
, world music
(including Portuguese fado
, Brazilian bossa nova
and Indian music
), and a variety of others. She cites diverse influences, which include soul-trip/hip hop artists such as De La Soul
, TLC
, world music artists Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Amalia Rodrigues
, as well as Caetano Veloso
, Juanes
, Jeff Buckley
, Esthero
, Björk
, Cornershop
, Oasis
, Radiohead
, The Smashing Pumpkins
and Beck
.
Furtado's music has also been influenced by her current residence, Toronto, which she calls "the most multicultural city in the entire world" and a place where she "can be any culture". Regarding Toronto's cultural diversity, she has said that she did not have to wait for the Internet revolution to learn about world music; she began listening to it at the age of five and continues to discover new genres.
Her biggest influence when growing up was Ani DiFranco
:
"When I was a teenager, I wanted to be (the feminist punk-folk singer) Ani DiFranco. I never wanted to be part of corporate music."
magazine that they continue to be good friends and jointly share responsibility of raising Nevis.
In June 2006, in an interview with Genre
magazine, when asked if she had "ever felt an attraction to women", Furtado replied "Absolutely. Women are beautiful and sexy". Some considered this an announcement of bisexuality
, but in August 2006, she stated that she was "straight, but very open-minded". In November 2006, Furtado revealed that she once turned down $500,000 to pose fully clothed in Playboy
.
Furtado married Cuban sound engineer Demacio "Demo" Castellón, with whom she had worked on the Loose album, on July 19, 2008.
Furtado is one of several celebrities who have come under fire recently after 2011 reports from the New York Times and a WikiLeaks document revealed several entertainers had received extravagant sums to perform for the family of Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi
. She promised to donate to charity the $1 million she received for a 2007 concert, which ended up going to Free the Children
.
Furtado publicly endorsed Green Party
leader Elizabeth May
in Saanich-Gulf Islands during the Federal election in 2011.
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, Canada.
Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!
Whoa, Nelly!
Whoa, Nelly! was well received by critics for its eccentric, yet intriguing instrumentations as well as Furtado's vocals. It currently holds a score of 79 from Metacritic...
, and its single "I'm Like a Bird
I'm like a Bird
"I'm Like a Bird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, as the first single from her first album Whoa, Nelly!. It was one of the year's critically acclaimed songs and widely considered as Furtado's signature song...
", which won a 2001 Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Single of the Year
Juno Award for Single of the Year
The Juno Award for Single of the Year has been awarded since 1974 for the best single in Canada. It has also been known as Best Single and Best Selling Single.-Best Single :...
and a 2002 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It produced two more international singles: the more successful "Turn off the Light
Turn off the Light
"Turn Off the Light" is a pop song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado for her debut studio album, Whoa, Nelly!. Produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, it was released as the album's second single in mid-2001 . Furtado, who cited a song by the Canadian band Big Sugar as the...
", and "Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)". After giving birth to her daughter Nevis, her second studio album, Folklore, was released. It was less commercially successful in the US. It produced three international singles: "Powerless (Say What You Want)
Powerless (Say What You Want)
"Powerless " is a pop song written by Nelly Furtado, Gerald Eaton and Brian West for Furtado's second studio album Folklore . It contains a sample of Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals" which was written by Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn and Malcolm McLaren...
", "Try", and "Força
Força
"Força" is a pop folk song written by Portuguese-Canadian singer Nelly Furtado, and Gerald Eaton and Brian West for Furtado's second studio album Folklore. It is sung mainly in English, with the chorus completely in the Portuguese language. It was produced by Track & Field and received a positive...
" (the theme of the 2004 European Football Championship).
In summer 2006, she released her third studio album, Loose
Loose (Nelly Furtado album)
Loose is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was released in North America on June 20, 2006 by Geffen Records. Timbaland and his then-protégé Danja produced the bulk of the album, which incorporates influences of dance, R&B and hip hop...
. It is her biggest success to date worldwide. It produced the number-one hits "Promiscuous
Promiscuous (song)
"Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song...
", "Maneater
Maneater (Nelly Furtado song)
"Maneater" is a song written by Nelly Furtado, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jim Beanz and Nate "Danja" Hills for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and includes influences of 1980s music by artists such as Eurythmics and Hall & Oates...
", "Say It Right
Say It Right
"Say It Right" is a song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from her third studio album, Loose . Written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley and Nate "Danja" Hills, the song was inspired by, as Furtado described it, the "spooky, keyboard-driven pop sound" of the band Eurythmics,...
" and "All Good Things (Come to an End)
All Good Things (Come to an End)
"All Good Things " is a pop song written by singer Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Danja and Chris Martin for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and released as the album's third European single in November 2006 . It was released as the fourth single in the United...
". After a three-year break, in September 2009, she released her first full-length Spanish album, Mi Plan
Mi Plan
Mi Plan is the fourth studio album by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado and the first she has released in Spanish. It was first released on September 11, 2009 by Furtado's own record label, Nelstar Entertainment...
, along with her first Spanish single "Manos al Aire
Manos al Aire
"Manos al Aire" is a Latin pop song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado. Written by Furtado, Alex Cuba and James Bryan, it was produced by Furtado and Bryan for the former's fourth studio album, Mi Plan...
", which topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs. This made Furtado the first North American singer to top the Billboard Hot Latin Chart with an original Spanish song. Further singles released were "Más
Más (Nelly Furtado song)
"Más" is a single released by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was the first of four songs to be released during an iTunes promotion counting down the release to her fourth studio album, Mi Plan...
" and "Bajo Otra Luz
Bajo Otra Luz
"Bajo Otra Luz" is the third single released by Nelly Furtado during a special iTunes promotion counting down to the release of her fourth studio album, Mi Plan. The song features Julieta Venegas and La Mala Rodríguez vocals and was written entirely by Venegas...
". For Mi Plan
Mi Plan
Mi Plan is the fourth studio album by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado and the first she has released in Spanish. It was first released on September 11, 2009 by Furtado's own record label, Nelstar Entertainment...
, Nelly received the Latin Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. On October 26, a remix album, Mi Plan Remixes
Mi Plan Remixes
Mi Plan Remixes is a remix album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, released on October 25, 2010 by Universal Music Latino. The album consists of twelve remixes of songs from her first Spanish album Mi Plan.-Track listing:...
, was released. Furtado released her first greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album, The Best of Nelly Furtado
The Best of Nelly Furtado
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album a four out of five star rating, noting the variety on the album and commended that "Not one of Nelly Furtado’s albums sounds like the one that came before", calling it an "admirable trait"...
, one month later on November 12, 2010. Two follow-up studio albums are currently under way; one in English and another in Portuguese, both set for a 2012 release.
Early life
Furtado was born on December 2, 1978, in Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, to Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
parents, Maria Manuela and António José Furtado, both immigrants from the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. She was named after Soviet gymnast Nellie Kim
Nellie Kim
Nellie Vladimirovna Kim is a retired Soviet gymnast who won three gold medals and a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, and two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics...
. Her parents were born on São Miguel Island
São Miguel Island
São Miguel Island , nicknamed "The Green Island", is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese Azores archipelago. The island covers and has around 140,000 inhabitants, 45,000 of these people located in the largest city in the archipelago: Ponta Delgada.-History:In 1427, São Miguel...
and emigrated to Canada in the late 1960s. Her siblings are Michael Anthony and Lisa Anne. She was raised in a Roman Catholic home.
At age four, she began performing and singing in Portuguese. Furtado's first public performance was when she sang a duet with her mother at a church on Portugal Day
Portugal Day
Portugal Day, officially , is Portugal's National Day celebrated annually on June 10. Although officially observed only in Portugal, Portuguese citizens and emigrants throughout the world celebrate this holiday...
. She began playing musical instruments at the age of nine, learning the trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, ukulele
Ukulele
The ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
and – in later years – the guitar and keyboards. At the age of 12, she began writing songs, and as a teenager, she performed in a Portuguese marching band.
Furtado has acknowledged her family as the source of her strong work ethic; she spent eight summers working as a chambermaid with her mother, along with her brother and sister, who was a housekeeper in Victoria. She has stated that coming from a working class background has shaped her identity in a positive way.
1996–99: Musical beginnings
During a visit with her sister Lisa Anne in Toronto, the summer after eleventh grade, Furtado met Tallis Newkirk, member of the hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group Plains of Fascination. She contributed vocals to their 1996 album, Join the Ranks, on the track "Waitin' 4 The Streets". After graduating from Mount Douglas Secondary School in 1996, she moved to Toronto to reside with her sister Lisa Anne. The following year, she formed Nelstar, a trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
duo with Newkirk. 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. She left the group and planned to move back home.
In 1997, she performed at the Honey Jam talent show. Her performance attracted the attention of The Philosopher Kings
The Philosopher Kings
The Philosopher Kings are a Canadian rhythm and blues band who were most commercially successful in the late 1990s. The name of the band is derived from Plato's Republic, in which he outlines the design of an idealistic government, ruled by philosopher-kings...
singer Gerald Eaton
Gerald Eaton
Gerald Eaton is a Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and music producer, originally from Jamaica.He is the lead singer for the R&B-pop group The Philosopher Kings, which reached its peak popularity in the 1990s...
, who then approached her to write with him. He and fellow Kings member Brian West
Brian West (musician)
Brian West was the lead guitarist for the Canadian band The Philosopher Kings. His partner, Gerald Eaton began the record label Track and Field Records after they were nominated for several awards as a production duo under the name of Track and Field...
helped Furtado produce a demo. She left Toronto, but returned again to record more material with Eaton and West. The material recorded during these sessions led to her 1999 record deal with DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records
DreamWorks Records was an American record label. Founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks SKG, the label operated until 2005 when it was shut down...
, where she was signed by A&R executive Beth Halper, partner of Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
drummer and record producer Butch Vig
Butch Vig
Butch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
. Furtado's first single, "Party's Just Begun (Again)
Party's Just Begun (Again)
"Party's Just Begun " is a song from Nelly Furtado's debut studio album, Whoa, Nelly!, and is also a track from Brokedown Palace: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The song was released as a promotional single in the United States, containing several remixes of the track. Many...
", was released that year on the Brokedown Palace: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Brokedown Palace: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Brokedown Palace: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the film Brokedown Palace, released by Island Records on August 10, 1999 .-Track listing:...
.
2000–05: Whoa, Nelly! and Folklore
Furtado continued the collaboration with Eaton and West, who co-produced her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!Whoa, Nelly!
Whoa, Nelly! was well received by critics for its eccentric, yet intriguing instrumentations as well as Furtado's vocals. It currently holds a score of 79 from Metacritic...
, which was released in October 2000. Following the release of the album, Furtado headlined the "Burn in the Spotlight Tour" and also appeared on Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
's Area:One
Area Festival
The Area Festival was a music festival founded by popular electronic musician Moby, who asserted that he was "in large part, inspired by the ethos of Lollapalooza", and wished to create a similarly "genuinely eclectic, interesting, alternative music festival". Moby organized the first such...
tour.
The album was an international success, supported by three international singles: "I'm like a Bird
I'm like a Bird
"I'm Like a Bird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, as the first single from her first album Whoa, Nelly!. It was one of the year's critically acclaimed songs and widely considered as Furtado's signature song...
", "Turn off the Light
Turn off the Light
"Turn Off the Light" is a pop song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado for her debut studio album, Whoa, Nelly!. Produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, it was released as the album's second single in mid-2001 . Furtado, who cited a song by the Canadian band Big Sugar as the...
", and "...On the Radio (Remember the Days)
...On the Radio (Remember the Days)
"...on the Radio ", also known as "Shit on the Radio ", is the third official single from Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado's first album, Whoa, Nelly!...
". It received four Grammy nominations in 2002, and her debut single won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance is the latest in a series of awards recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. The award goes to the artist...
. Furtado's work was also critically acclaimed for her innovative mixture of various genres and sounds. Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
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". 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". According to Maclean's magazine, Whoa, Nelly! had sold six million copies worldwide as of August 2006. Portions of the song "Scared of You" are in Portuguese, while "Onde Estás" is entirely in Portuguese, reflecting Furtado's Portuguese heritage. The International Release of "Whoa Nelly" featured fellow Canadian Esthero
Esthero
Esthero ,born Jenny-Bea Englishman, is a Canadian singer-songwriter who currently lives in Los Angeles, California. The name Esthero refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of herself and producer Doc McKinney...
on the song titled "I Feel You".
In 2002, Furtado appeared on the song "Thin Line", on underground hip hop
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
group Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
's album Power in Numbers
Power in Numbers
Power in Numbers is the third studio album from the alternative hip-hop group Jurassic 5 .It picks up where their previous album, Quality Control left off, with a short double bass sample playing the same riff that the last song on Quality Control, "Swing Set", ended with.The album features a...
. The same year, Furtado provided her vocals to the Paul Oakenfold's song "The Harder They Come" from the album Bunkka and also made the song "These words are my own". She also had a collaboration with Colombian artist Juanes
Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez , better known as Juanes is a Colombian musician who was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. In 2000, his solo debut album Fíjate Bien won three Latin Grammy Awards.Juanes has sold more than 13 million albums...
, in the song "Fotografia" where she showed her diversity of yet another language. Furtado was also featured in "Breathe" from Swollen Members
Swollen Members
Swollen Members is a Canadian hip hop group from Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada consisting mainly of the duo Mad Child, and Prevail. Frequent collaborators include vocalist Moka Only and producer Rob the Viking, an official group member since 2002...
"Monsters in the Closet" release; the video for "Breathe," directed by Spawn
Spawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
creator Todd MacFarlane, won the 2003 Western Canadian Music Awards Outstanding Video and MuchVIBE Best Rap Video.
Furtado's second album, Folklore, was released in November 2003. The final track on the album, "Childhood Dreams", was dedicated to her daughter, Nevis. The album includes the single "Força
Força
"Força" is a pop folk song written by Portuguese-Canadian singer Nelly Furtado, and Gerald Eaton and Brian West for Furtado's second studio album Folklore. It is sung mainly in English, with the chorus completely in the Portuguese language. It was produced by Track & Field and received a positive...
" (meaning "strength"/ "power" or "you can do it!" in Portuguese), the official anthem of the 2004 European Football Championship. Furtado performed this song in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
at the championship's final, in which the Portugal national team played. The lead single is "Powerless (Say What You Want)
Powerless (Say What You Want)
"Powerless " is a pop song written by Nelly Furtado, Gerald Eaton and Brian West for Furtado's second studio album Folklore . It contains a sample of Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals" which was written by Anne Dudley, Trevor Horn and Malcolm McLaren...
" and the second single is the ballad "Try". The album was not as successful as her debut, partly due to the album's less "poppy" sound, as well as underpromotion from her label DreamWorks Records. DreamWorks had just been sold to Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. In 2005, DreamWorks Records, along with many of its artists including Furtado, was absorbed into Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
.
"Powerless (Say What You Want)" was later remixed, featuring Colombian rocker Juanes
Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez , better known as Juanes is a Colombian musician who was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. In 2000, his solo debut album Fíjate Bien won three Latin Grammy Awards.Juanes has sold more than 13 million albums...
, who had previously worked with Furtado on his track "Fotografía
Fotografía
"Fotografía" is a song recorded by Juanes and Nelly Furtado for Juanes' second studio album, Un Día Normal .The duet, which was followed by another , was extremely commercially successful: it reached number one on the U.S...
" ("Photograph"). The two would collaborate again on "Te Busqué
Te Busqué
"Te Busqué" is a song written by Canadian singer Nelly Furtado and Colombian musicians Juanes and Lester Mendez for Furtado's third album, Loose . It features Juanes and was released as the album's first single in Spain, and as the fourth in Latin America...
" ("I searched for you"), a single from Furtado's 2006 album Loose.
2006–08: Loose
Furtado's third album, named LooseLoose (Nelly Furtado album)
Loose is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was released in North America on June 20, 2006 by Geffen Records. Timbaland and his then-protégé Danja produced the bulk of the album, which incorporates influences of dance, R&B and hip hop...
, after the spontaneous, creative decisions she made while creating the album, was released in June 2006. In this album, primarily produced by Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Furtado experiments with sounds from R&B, hip hop, and 1980s music. Furtado herself describes the album's sound as punk-hop, described as "modern, poppy, spooky" and as having "a mysterious, after-midnight vibe... extremely visceral". She attributed the youthful sound of the album to the presence of her two-year-old daughter. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with some citing the "revitalising" effect of Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
on Furtado's music, and others calling it "slick, smart and surprising". Some have labeled her a "sellout" for seemingly abandoning her folk and rock roots in favour of hip hop and R&B, while others have accused her of attempting to "sex up" her music and appearance to sell more records.
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. The album produced her first number-one hit in the United States, "Promiscuous
Promiscuous (song)
"Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song...
", as well as her first number-one hit in the United Kingdom, "Maneater
Maneater (Nelly Furtado song)
"Maneater" is a song written by Nelly Furtado, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jim Beanz and Nate "Danja" Hills for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and includes influences of 1980s music by artists such as Eurythmics and Hall & Oates...
". The single "Say It Right
Say It Right
"Say It Right" is a song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from her third studio album, Loose . Written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley and Nate "Danja" Hills, the song was inspired by, as Furtado described it, the "spooky, keyboard-driven pop sound" of the band Eurythmics,...
" eventually became Furtado's most successful song worldwide, due to its huge success in Europe and in the United States, where it became her second number-one hit. "All Good Things (Come to an End)
All Good Things (Come to an End)
"All Good Things " is a pop song written by singer Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Danja and Chris Martin for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and released as the album's third European single in November 2006 . It was released as the fourth single in the United...
" became her most successful song in Europe, topping single charts in numerous countries there.
On February 16, 2007, Furtado embarked on the "Get Loose Tour". She returned in March 2007 to her hometown of Victoria to perform a concert at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. In honour of her visit, local leaders officially proclaimed March 21, 2007, the first day of spring, as Nelly Furtado Day. After the tour, she released her first live DVD/CD named Loose the Concert. On April 1, 2007, Furtado was a performer and host of the 2007 Juno Awards
Juno Awards of 2007
The Juno Awards of 2007 were hosted in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on the weekend ending 1 April 2007. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada during most of 2006...
in Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Saskatchewan. She won all five awards for which she was nominated, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year. She also appeared on stage at the Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London on July 1, 2007, where she performed "Say It Right", "Maneater", and "I'm like a Bird
I'm like a Bird
"I'm Like a Bird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, as the first single from her first album Whoa, Nelly!. It was one of the year's critically acclaimed songs and widely considered as Furtado's signature song...
".
In 2007, Furtado and Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
were featured on Timbaland's single "Give It to Me
Give It to Me (Timbaland song)
"Give It to Me" is a song recorded by Timbaland, with featured artists Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, for Timbaland's second solo album, Shock Value . It was released as the album's first single...
", which became her third number-one single in the U.S. and second in the UK. In late 2008, Furtado collaborated with James Morrison
James Morrison (singer)
James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...
on a song called "Broken Strings
Broken Strings
"Broken Strings" is the third single by James Morrison from his second studio album Songs for You, Truths for Me. It was released in November 2008. The song is a duet with Canadian pop/R&B singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado...
" for his album Songs for You, Truths for Me
Songs for You, Truths for Me
Songs for You, Truths for Me is the second album by English singer, songwriter and guitarist James Morrison, released on 26 September 2008. The album was a commercial success in the UK where it entered the album charts at number three and in Ireland where it topped the charts...
. The single was released on December 8 and peaked at No.2 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in early January.
In 2007, Furtado leaked plans to Flare
Flare (magazine)
Flare is a Canadian fashion magazine. It is owned by Rogers Communications.Flare magazine was created in 1979, as a rebranding of Miss Chatelaine magazine. Flare promotes itself as "Canada's Fashion magazine"...
regarding a song she was set to duet for Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
's return. However, the song was not featured on her album X
X (Kylie Minogue album)
X is the tenth studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It is her first release since the greatest hits compilation Ultimate Kylie , and her first studio album since Body Language . X was preceded by lead single "2 Hearts" and released worldwide in November 2007...
, though Minogue says the aforementioned song "is still outstanding" and has plans to pursue it. She said, "I am looking forward to getting in the studio and doing it because I know Nelly and I would have a great time together". The track has not appeared on Minogue's 2010 album Aphrodite
Aphrodite (album)
Aphrodite is the eleventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was her first studio album in the three years following her 2007 release X. Aphrodite was released worldwide in July 2010, and was preceded by the release of the lead single, "All the Lovers"...
either. In 2008, she sang with the Italian group "Zero Assoluto" the ballad Win or Lose – Appena prima di partire
Win or Lose
"Win or Lose" is single by Zero Assoluto featuring the Canadian pop singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado.-Song release:The song has been released on May 11, 2008 in Germany, but in Italy this track has been released in 2007 with the title "Appena Prima Di Partire".-Formats and track listings:German CD...
, released in Italy, France and Germany and whose video was shot in Barcelona. On December 31, 2008, El Diario La Prensa
El Diario La Prensa
El Diario la Prensa is the largest and oldest Spanish-language daily newspaper in New York City, and the oldest Spanish-language daily in the United States. Published by ImpreMedia, the paper covers local, national and international news with an emphasis on Latin America, as well as human-interest...
posted an article that Furtado is planning on recording songs in English and Spanish for her upcoming album and that it is "expected to launch on September 15, 2009".
2009–2010: Mi Plan and compilation albums
Furtado made a guest appearance on Flo RidaFlo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
's new album, R.O.O.T.S.
R.O.O.T.S.
R.O.O.T.S. is the second studio album by American rapper, Flo Rida. The album was released on March 31, 2009.-Background:...
, which was released on March 31, 2009. The track is titled "Jump
Jump (Flo Rida song)
"Jump" is the third official single taken from Flo Rida's second album R.O.O.T.S. Nelly Furtado makes an appearance on the song with an upbeat hook. Flo-Rida said: "I used a whole different delivery on this one. We're talking about different situations to get people hype in the club. 'Jump!'...
". Furtado has also made a guest appearance on Divine Brown
Divine Brown (singer)
Divine Brown , previously known as Divine Earth Essence, is a Canadian rhythm and blues and soul singer and theatre performer....
's Love Chronicles
The Love Chronicles
The Love Chronicles is the second album by Canadian R&B singer Divine Brown.-Track listing:# Lay It On The Line - 3:41# Bebe - 3:14# Meet Me At the Roxy - 3:32# I Need Your Love - 3:14# Sweet Surrender - 3:38# Next Best Thing - 3:30# Boogie Slide - 4:48...
, co-writing and singing on the background of the song "Sunglasses".
In early March, a song called "Gotta Know" leaked onto the Internet and was said to be Nelly's. In response, on March 4, 2009, Furtado stated on her MySpace blog that the song is not hers and that she is recording two new albums: one in Spanish, and the other in Portuguese. Nelly Furtado announced via the Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
blog, that the Spanish album would be titled Mi Plan
Mi Plan
Mi Plan is the fourth studio album by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado and the first she has released in Spanish. It was first released on September 11, 2009 by Furtado's own record label, Nelstar Entertainment...
and the first single titled "Manos Al Aire
Manos al Aire
"Manos al Aire" is a Latin pop song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado. Written by Furtado, Alex Cuba and James Bryan, it was produced by Furtado and Bryan for the former's fourth studio album, Mi Plan...
" (in English, meaning "Hands in the Air").
The album will have twelve new songs, all in Spanish, as stated by Nelly in a message left in her official website.
The second single "Más
Más (Nelly Furtado song)
"Más" is a single released by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was the first of four songs to be released during an iTunes promotion counting down the release to her fourth studio album, Mi Plan...
" was released on July 21, as it was announced on Nelly's official MySpace. The third single "Mi Plan" (ft. Alex Cuba
Alex Cuba
Alexis Puentes , better known by his stage name Alex Cuba, is a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter who sings in Spanish and English. He has won two Juno Awards for World Music Album of the Year: in 2006 for Humo De Tabaco, and in 2008 for his second album, Agua Del Pozo...
) was released on iTunes on August 11, 2009 and "Bajo Otra Luz
Bajo Otra Luz
"Bajo Otra Luz" is the third single released by Nelly Furtado during a special iTunes promotion counting down to the release of her fourth studio album, Mi Plan. The song features Julieta Venegas and La Mala Rodríguez vocals and was written entirely by Venegas...
" (ft. Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
and La Mala Rodriguez
La Mala Rodríguez
María Rodríguez, also known as La Mala, La Mala María, or Mala Rodríguez , is a Latin Grammy Award-Winning Spanish hip hop singer.-Early life:...
) is the fourth and final countdown single and it was released on September 1, 2009. She also invited the Mexican star Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...
to sing a duet song named "Sueños" ("Dreams"). The video for "Manos al Aire" premiered on July 29 on It's On with Alexa Chung
It's On with Alexa Chung
It's On with Alexa Chung was an American live interactive talk and variety program that aired weekdays on MTV from June 15 to December 17, 2009...
. On November 11, 2010 Furtado won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album for Mi Plan. She is the first Canadian to win a Latin Grammy award.
Furtado made a guest appearance on Canadian singer k-os
K-os
Kevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
's new album Yes!, collaborating alongside Saukrates on the song "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman," released in early July 2009. Nelly Furtado will make a guest appearance on Tiësto
Tiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
's single "Who Wants to Be Alone
Who Wants to Be Alone
"Who Wants to Be Alone" is a song by Dutch DJ Tiësto from his album Kaleidoscope. It features vocals by Portuguese-Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado...
" on his new album Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope (Tiësto album)
Kaleidoscope is the fourth studio album by Dutch trance artist Tiësto, released on 6 October 2009 on Musical Freedom, Tiësto's new label in association with PIAS Recordings...
which was released on October 6, 2009. Furtado also recorded "Manos al Aire" in Simlish for the new Sims 3 expansion, World Adventures.
On February 12, 2010, Nelly Furtado sang in a duet with Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games
2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics was held on February 12, 2010 beginning at 6:00 pm PST at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This was the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held indoors...
. The song was called "Bang The Drum" released on EMI album Sounds Of Vancouver 2010 (a commemorative album). On February 14, 2010, she appeared again at the Winter Olympic Victory Ceremony after the awarding of the medals for the athletes. On April 13, 2010, Nelly announced on her Twitter account that Lifestyle, her fourth English studio album, would not be released during the summer of 2010 and that she will go on a second leg of her Mi Plan Tour where she will get more inspiration for her upcoming album Lifestyle. Nelly Furtado is featured in a new song by N.E.R.D. called "Hot N Fun". She also participated in the Young Artists for Haiti
Young Artists for Haiti
Young Artists for Haiti is a movement to engage Canada's young musicians to continue to inspire an ongoing effort and contribution to Canadian charities for their work to help the people of Haiti overcome the devastation from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that rocked the country on January 12, 2010...
song, in which many Canadian artists came together and sang K'naan
K'naan
K'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most...
's inspirational song "Wavin' Flag
Wavin' Flag
"Wavin' Flag" is a song by Somali-Canadian artist K'naan from his album Troubadour. The song was a global hit, reaching the top ten in 19 charts around the world and was chosen as Coca-Cola's promotional anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, hosted by South Africa. The English version was released as...
" to raise money for the victims of the Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
Earthquake.
To promote the tour in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, on March 24, 2010, Furtado made a "VIP Pocket Show" in reality show program Big Brother Brasil 10
Big Brother Brasil 10
Big Brother Brasil 10 was the tenth season of Big Brother Brasil which premiered January 12, 2010 with the season finale airing March 30, 2010 on the Rede Globo television network....
from Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
, the country's leading channel. She performed 5 songs from the tour in acoustic versions ("Maneater", "I'm Like A Bird", "Try", "Say It Right" and "Turn Off The Light"). Nelly Furtado participated in the live DVD recording of the Brazilian singer Ivete Sangalo
Ivete Sangalo
Ivete Maria Dias de Sangalo is a Latin Grammy Award-winning Brazilian Axé and MPB singer, songwriter, and occasional actress and television show host...
in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on September 4, 2010. Nelly Furtado sang two new songs: "Girlfriend in the City" and "Night Is Young
Night Is Young
"Night Is Young" is an electropop song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado. It was written by Furtado, Salaam Remi and Staybent Krunk-A-Delic, and produced by the latter pair for Furtado's greatest hits compilation album, The Best of Nelly Furtado...
" on her concert in Warsaw, Poland.
Furtado was honoured with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
in October 2010. On October 26, 2010, Furtado released Mi Plan Remixes featuring 12 tracks of remixed hits from "Mi Plan." This album included the Original Spanglish Version of "Fuerte", her final release from Mi Plan.
Furtado released her first greatest hits album entitled The Best of Nelly Furtado
The Best of Nelly Furtado
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album a four out of five star rating, noting the variety on the album and commended that "Not one of Nelly Furtado’s albums sounds like the one that came before", calling it an "admirable trait"...
on November 16, 2010. The album's first single, "Night Is Young" premiered on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
on October 3, 2010. The song was first released for digital download on October 12, 2010 in Australia. Three new songs will be on the greatest hits album, including "Night Is Young", another collaboration Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
entitled "Girlfriend in the City", and the Lester Mendez
Lester Mendez
Lester Mendez is an American record producer and songwriter. His production/writing credits include a multitude of successful hits including Shakira's "Underneath Your Clothes" and "La Tortura", Jessica Simpson's "A Public Affair", and Nelly Furtado's "Te Busqué".Mendez worked with Carlos Santana...
produced track, left over from the Loose sessions, "Stars".
2011–2012 present: Lifestyle and other projects
On July 2, 2011, Furtado preformed a new track from her upcoming studio album. The acoustic ballad was entitled "Mystery". The proposed album is targeted for a Spring 2012 release and has attracted producers such as The NeptunesThe Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, Tiësto
Tiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
and Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
. At a concert in Lisbon,'Delta Tejo Festival', Furtado covered Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
's 2011 hit single "On the Floor
On the Floor
"On the Floor" is a song by American recording artist and actress Jennifer Lopez, featuring Latin American rapper Pitbull. It was released by Island Records on February 11, 2011, as the lead single from Lopez's seventh studio album, Love?...
" which incorporates Kaoma
Kaoma
Kaoma was a pop group made up in France of former members of the band Touré Kunda: Chyco Dru , Jacky Arconte , Jean-Claude Bonaventure , Michel Abihssira , Fania , and Loalwa Braz , Chico and Roberta...
's 1989 single "Lambada
Lambada
Lambada is a dance from Pará, Brazil. The dance became internationally popular in the 1980s, especially in Latin America and Caribbean countries...
". Furtado announced that she would include rapper Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
on her upcoming lead single, amongst others to be featured on the album. Another album feature surfaced is Passion Pit
Passion Pit
Passion Pit is an American electropop band from Cambridge, Massachusetts. The group, which formed in 2007, consists of Michael Angelakos , Ian Hultquist , Ayad Al Adhamy , Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer...
's lead singer Mike Angelakos on a track entitled "The Edge", while Furtado also expressed interest to work once again with rapper Missy Elliot. Furtado continued to collaborate with hip-hop producer Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
, who previously worked on the 2010 single Night Is Young
Night Is Young
"Night Is Young" is an electropop song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado. It was written by Furtado, Salaam Remi and Staybent Krunk-A-Delic, and produced by the latter pair for Furtado's greatest hits compilation album, The Best of Nelly Furtado...
, on "The Edge". The lyrics for the Salaam Remi produced track are reported to be influenced by the Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
cheating scandal, in which was originally referred to as "Elin
Elin Nordegren
Elin Maria Pernilla Nordegren is a former Swedish model and the ex-wife of professional golfer Tiger Woods.- Early life :Nordegren was born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother, Barbro Holmberg, is a politician and the former Swedish migration and asylum policy minister, and the current Governor of...
's Song". Furtado proclaims that Lifestyle would be most like her 2000 debut Whoa, Nelly!
Whoa, Nelly!
Whoa, Nelly! was well received by critics for its eccentric, yet intriguing instrumentations as well as Furtado's vocals. It currently holds a score of 79 from Metacritic...
, but containing elements from urban
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
, alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. In addition is the first of Furtado's album to be completely in English. The influences for the album range from Janelle Monae
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe is an American R&B/soul musician signed to Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records.Monáe debuted with a conceptual EP, Metropolis: Suite I ...
, The xx
The xx
The xx are an English indie pop band, formed in London in 2005. The band's members met while studying at Elliott School, the same school that produced Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet. They became a trio when their second guitarist and keyboardist, Baria Qureshi, departed in late 2009. In September...
, to Florence + the Machine.
Aside from Lifestyle, Furtado was featured on one of the Game's The R.E.D. Album
The R.E.D. Album
The R.E.D. Album is the fourth studio album by American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist Game, which was released on August 23, 2011 through DGC Records and Interscope Records after almost two years of delays since late 2009 and being rescheduled a total of 10 times...
tracks, entitled "Mamma Knows" (produced by The Neptunes).
For the Canadian film The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom
The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom is a 2011 Canadian coming-of-age movie written and directed by Tara Johns. Dolly Parton provides a voice cameo.-References:Reviews* by Dan McPeake. The Vancouver Observer. April 12th, 2011...
, Furtado lent her vocals for the Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
gospel cover "The Seeker" featured during the credits of the film.. Furtado has simultaneously begun work on a full-length Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
album, as a followup to her Spanish effort, Mi Plan. On October 17, 2011, Furtado made announced that she would be collaborating with recording artist Alex Cuba
Alex Cuba
Alexis Puentes , better known by his stage name Alex Cuba, is a Cuban-Canadian singer-songwriter who sings in Spanish and English. He has won two Juno Awards for World Music Album of the Year: in 2006 for Humo De Tabaco, and in 2008 for his second album, Agua Del Pozo...
once again.
Record label
She has formed her own record label, Nelstar, in conjunction with Canadian independent label group Last Gang Labels. The first act signed to Nelstar is Fritz Helder & the Phantoms. Furtado released her first Spanish single "Manos al AireManos al Aire
"Manos al Aire" is a Latin pop song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado. Written by Furtado, Alex Cuba and James Bryan, it was produced by Furtado and Bryan for the former's fourth studio album, Mi Plan...
" on the new label.
Philanthropy
For World AIDS Day in 2006, Furtado took part in an AIDS awareness concert in South Africa hosted by MTV, BETBlack Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
, and Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
; fellow performers included Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Kelly Rowland
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
and Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
. Furtado also hosted a program about AIDS on MTV, which also featured guests Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
and Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
. On September 27, 2011, Furtado announced during Free the Children's WeDay Toronto, that she was giving $1,000,000 to Free the Children's effort to build girls' schools in the Maasai region of Kenya.
Music influences
During her pre-teenage to teenage years, Furtado embraced many musical genres, listening heavily to mainstream R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
, drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
, trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
(including Portuguese fado
Fado
Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best...
, Brazilian bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
and Indian music
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
), and a variety of others. She cites diverse influences, which include soul-trip/hip hop artists such as De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
, world music artists Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Amalia Rodrigues
Amália Rodrigues
Amália da Piedade Rodrigues, GCSE, GCIH, , also known as Amália Rodrigues was a Portuguese singer and actress.She was known as the "Rainha do Fado" and was most influential in popularizing the fado worldwide. She was one of the most important figures in the genre's development, and enjoyed a...
, as well as Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
, Juanes
Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez , better known as Juanes is a Colombian musician who was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. In 2000, his solo debut album Fíjate Bien won three Latin Grammy Awards.Juanes has sold more than 13 million albums...
, Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
, Esthero
Esthero
Esthero ,born Jenny-Bea Englishman, is a Canadian singer-songwriter who currently lives in Los Angeles, California. The name Esthero refers both to the singer and formerly to the two-person team of herself and producer Doc McKinney...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, Cornershop
Cornershop
Cornershop are a British indie rock band formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991...
, Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
and Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
.
Furtado's music has also been influenced by her current residence, Toronto, which she calls "the most multicultural city in the entire world" and a place where she "can be any culture". Regarding Toronto's cultural diversity, she has said that she did not have to wait for the Internet revolution to learn about world music; she began listening to it at the age of five and continues to discover new genres.
Her biggest influence when growing up was Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco
Ani DiFranco is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, guitarist, poet, and songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums, and is widely considered a feminist icon.-Biography:...
:
"When I was a teenager, I wanted to be (the feminist punk-folk singer) Ani DiFranco. I never wanted to be part of corporate music."
Personal life
On September 20, 2003, in Toronto, Furtado gave birth to a daughter, Nevis, whose father is Jasper Gahunia [AKA DJ Lil' Jazz, Canadian DMC Champion 1998]. Furtado and Gahunia, who had been good friends for several years, remained together for four years until their breakup in 2005. Furtado told BlenderBlender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
magazine that they continue to be good friends and jointly share responsibility of raising Nevis.
In June 2006, in an interview with Genre
Genre (magazine)
Genre magazine was a New York city-based monthly periodical written for gay men. It was owned by gay press publisher Window Media.-History:...
magazine, when asked if she had "ever felt an attraction to women", Furtado replied "Absolutely. Women are beautiful and sexy". Some considered this an announcement of bisexuality
Bisexuality
Bisexuality is sexual behavior or an orientation involving physical or romantic attraction to both males and females, especially with regard to men and women. It is one of the three main classifications of sexual orientation, along with a heterosexual and a homosexual orientation, all a part of the...
, but in August 2006, she stated that she was "straight, but very open-minded". In November 2006, Furtado revealed that she once turned down $500,000 to pose fully clothed in Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
.
Furtado married Cuban sound engineer Demacio "Demo" Castellón, with whom she had worked on the Loose album, on July 19, 2008.
Furtado is one of several celebrities who have come under fire recently after 2011 reports from the New York Times and a WikiLeaks document revealed several entertainers had received extravagant sums to perform for the family of Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
. She promised to donate to charity the $1 million she received for a 2007 concert, which ended up going to Free the Children
Free The Children
Free The Children is an international charity and youth movement founded in 1995 by children's rights advocate Craig Kielburger. The organization is largely youth-funded, based on the concept of "children helping children." It specializes in sustainable development in countries of Kenya, Ecuador,...
.
Furtado publicly endorsed Green Party
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
leader Elizabeth May
Elizabeth May
Elizabeth Evans May, OC, MP is an American-born Canadian Member of Parliament, environmentalist, writer, activist, lawyer, and the leader of the Green Party of Canada. She was the executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada from 1989 to 2006. She became a Canadian citizen in 1978.May's...
in Saanich-Gulf Islands during the Federal election in 2011.
Discography
- Whoa, Nelly!Whoa, Nelly!Whoa, Nelly! was well received by critics for its eccentric, yet intriguing instrumentations as well as Furtado's vocals. It currently holds a score of 79 from Metacritic...
(2000) - Folklore (2003)
- LooseLoose (Nelly Furtado album)Loose is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was released in North America on June 20, 2006 by Geffen Records. Timbaland and his then-protégé Danja produced the bulk of the album, which incorporates influences of dance, R&B and hip hop...
(2006) - Mi PlanMi PlanMi Plan is the fourth studio album by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado and the first she has released in Spanish. It was first released on September 11, 2009 by Furtado's own record label, Nelstar Entertainment...
(2009)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Roswell Roswell (TV series) Roswell is an American science fiction television series developed, produced, and co-written by Jason Katims. The series debuted on October 6, 1999 on The WB and moved to UPN for the third season. The last episode aired May 14, 2002... |
Herself | American Science fiction Television series | Performed "I'm like a Bird I'm like a Bird "I'm Like a Bird" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado, and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West, as the first single from her first album Whoa, Nelly!. It was one of the year's critically acclaimed songs and widely considered as Furtado's signature song... " |
| 2006 | Floribella Floribella Floribella is a telenovela that was produced in Brazil, Portugal and Chile. Each of those countries had their own cast, but the show had exactly the same name... |
Herself | Portuguese Soap Opera | Performed "Maneater Maneater (Nelly Furtado song) "Maneater" is a song written by Nelly Furtado, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jim Beanz and Nate "Danja" Hills for Furtado's third album, Loose . It was co-produced by Timbaland and Danja and includes influences of 1980s music by artists such as Eurythmics and Hall & Oates... " |
| 2007 | One Life to Live One Life to Live One Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social... |
Herself | American Soap Opera | Performed "Say It Right Say It Right "Say It Right" is a song recorded by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from her third studio album, Loose . Written by Furtado, Tim "Timbaland" Mosley and Nate "Danja" Hills, the song was inspired by, as Furtado described it, the "spooky, keyboard-driven pop sound" of the band Eurythmics,... " and "Promiscuous Promiscuous (song) "Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song... " |
| 2007 | CSI: NY CSI: NY CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes... |
Ava Brandt | American police procedural Police procedural The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several... television series |
Played Ava, a professional criminal accused of murder. |
| 2007 | Punk'd Punk'd Punk'd is an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003 and was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, produced and hosted by Ashton Kutcher. It bore a resemblance to both the classic hidden camera show Candid Camera and to TV's Bloopers... |
Herself | American hidden camera Hidden camera A hidden camera is a still or video camera used to film people without their knowledge. The camera is "hidden" because it is either not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another object... practical joke Practical joke A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or... television series |
A victim of a bomb scare |
| 2008 | Max Payne Max Payne (film) Max Payne is a 2008 noir action film based on the 2001 video game of the same name by Remedy Entertainment. It was written by Beau Thorne and was directed by John Moore. The film stars Mark Wahlberg in the title role as Max Payne, Mila Kunis as Mona Sax, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Jim Bravura and... |
Christa Balder | Video game adaptation | The wife of Max Payne's slain ex-partner |
| 2010 | Big Brother Brasil | Herself | Brazilian reality show | Live performance |
| 2010 | Score : A Hockey Musical | An Ardent Hockey Fan | Canadian Film | www.scoreahockeymusical.com |
See also
- List of awards and nominations received by Nelly Furtado