Nelly Furtados Punk-hop sound is a worldwide smash

Nelly Kim Furtado is a singer and songwriter, best known for her hit singles, I’m Like a Bird, Turn off the Light, Maneater, and Promiscuous. A first-generation Candadia of Azorean-Portuguese descent, Furtado is widely known for her unique sound and innovative experimentation with diverse instruments, languages, genres, and vocal styles.

Furtado’s talents showcased at a talent show in Toronto were impressive enough to compel Gerald Eaton (aka Jarvis Church) and Brian West of The Philosopher Kings to record material with her. The material recorded during these sessions would lead to Furtado’s record deal with DreamWorks Records in 1999 and was the foundation of her breakthrough debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, which was released in October 2000 to much acclaimed success.

The album garnered four Grammy nominations in 2002 and would award Furtado’s debut single, I’m Like a Bird, the Grammy award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Furtado was the top draw for the Burn in the Spotlight tour and also appeared on Moby’s Area:One tour.

On September 20, 2003, before the release of Folklore, Furtado’s sophomore album, Furtado gave birth to her first child, Nevis. In November 2003, Folklore was released with singles Forca, Try, and Powerless (Say What You Want).

The album did not achieve the commercial success of her debut album, perhaps due to its less poppy sound and lack of promotion, as DreamWorks was sold to Universal Music Group during the album’s release. In 2005, when DreamWorks Records was shut down, Furtado was acquired by Geffen Records. In 2006, Furtado released her third album, Loose, which contains hit singles, No Hay Igual, Promiscuous, and Maneater.

Freelance writter covering the music industry