Grammy Award-winning artist Nelly Furtado has announced that she is stepping away from live performances indefinitely, marking a reflective pause in her celebrated 25-year music career.
The I’m Like a Bird singer shared the news with fans via Instagram, saying, “I have decided to step away from performance for the foreseeable future. I plan to pursue other creative and personal endeavours that I feel would better suit this next phase of my life.”
The announcement coincides with the 25th anniversary of her breakout debut album, Whoa, Nelly!—the 2000 release that catapulted her to international fame and earned her a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 2002.
Furtado’s decision follows the completion of her Better Than Ever summer tour in August 2024, which saw the Portuguese-Canadian star perform across major festivals and venues worldwide. In her statement, she reflected fondly on the experience, saying it was “so fun” to return to the stage and witness “the true lasting power of good music.”
Her career resurgence over the past year had been fuelled by the release of 7, her seventh studio album and first in seven years. Speaking to Grammy.com in 2024, Furtado revealed that her comeback was inspired by DJs reviving her early hits at events and clubs. “I really feel like I was called back to the industry by the industry,” she said. “There was a sense of joy and celebration in hearing my songs played again.”
Since her 2000 debut, Furtado has built an impressive catalogue that spans genres and languages, including Folklore (2003), Loose (2006), Mi Plan (2009), The Spirit Indestructible (2012), and The Ride (2017). Her global hits—such as Maneater, Say It Right, Promiscuous, and Turn Off the Light—cemented her as one of the defining pop voices of the early 2000s.
While stepping back from the stage, Furtado reassured fans that her love for music remains undiminished. “I have enjoyed my career immensely,” she wrote. “I will always identify as a songwriter forever.”
For now, the singer-songwriter appears ready to close one chapter of her artistic journey—on her own terms.
