Nelly Furtado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nelly Furtado ComIH
Furtado in 2017
Born	Nelly Kim Furtado (1978-12-02) December 2, 1978 (age 46) Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation	Singer songwriter actress
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Demacio Castellon ​ ​ (m. 2008; sep. 2016)​
Children	3
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Pop worldbeat
Labels	DreamWorks Geffen Mosley Nelstar (current) Universal Music Latin Interscope 21
Associated acts	Timbaland Juanes Justin Timberlake

Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is known for her amazing musical talent and trying out different styles of music. She has sold over 45 million records around the world. This makes her one of the most successful Canadian artists ever!

Nelly Furtado became famous with her first album, Whoa, Nelly! (2000). This album was a big hit with both critics and fans. It included two popular songs, "I'm Like a Bird" and "Turn Off the Light". "I'm Like a Bird" even won her a Grammy Award! Her second album, Folklore (2003), explored her Portuguese background.

Her third album, Loose (2006), was a massive success. It sold over 10 million copies worldwide, becoming her best-selling album. This album had many number-one songs like "Maneater", "Say It Right", and "All Good Things (Come to an End)". She also sang on Timbaland's hit song "Give It to Me" in 2007.

In 2009, Nelly released her first album in Spanish, Mi Plan. It won her a Latin Grammy Award. She later released The Spirit Indestructible in 2012 and The Ride in 2017. Her newest album, 7, came out on September 20, 2024. Nelly has won many awards throughout her career. She even has a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Nelly Furtado was born on December 2, 1978, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Her parents, António and Maria Furtado, came from the Azores islands in Portugal. They moved to Canada in the late 1960s. Nelly was named after a Soviet gymnast named Nellie Kim.

Nelly started performing and singing in Portuguese when she was just four years old. Her first public performance was a duet with her mother at a church. By age nine, she was learning to play instruments like the trombone and ukulele. Later, she learned guitar and keyboards. When she was 12, she began writing her own songs. As a teenager, she performed in a Portuguese marching band. Nelly learned a strong work ethic from her family. She spent eight summers working as a chambermaid with her mother.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Her Journey (1996–1999)

In 1995, Nelly Furtado met Tallis Newkirk in Toronto. She sang on a song for his hip hop group, Plains of Fascination. After finishing high school in 1996, she moved to Toronto. The next year, she formed a duo called Nelstar with Newkirk. However, Nelly felt the group's style didn't let her show her full singing talent. So, she left the group.

In 1997, Nelly performed at a talent show called Honey Jam. Her performance caught the eye of Gerald Eaton, a singer from The Philosopher Kings. He and Brian West helped Nelly create a demo. This led to her signing a record deal with DreamWorks Records in 1999. Her first single, "Party's Just Begun (Again)", was released that year on a movie soundtrack.

Whoa, Nelly! and Folklore (2000–2005)

Nelly worked with Eaton and West again for her first album, Whoa, Nelly!, released in October 2000. This album was a big hit worldwide. It featured popular songs like "I'm Like a Bird", "Turn Off the Light", and "...On the Radio (Remember the Days)". In 2002, the album received four Grammy nominations. Her song "I'm Like a Bird" won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Critics praised the album for mixing different music styles. Parts of her song "Scared of You" are in Portuguese, and "Onde Estás" is entirely in Portuguese. This showed her Portuguese heritage.

In 2002, Nelly sang on songs for other artists, including Jurassic 5 and Paul Oakenfold. She also collaborated with Colombian artist Juanes on the Spanish song "Fotografía". This showed her ability to sing in different languages.

Her second album, Folklore, came out in November 2003. One song, "Childhood Dreams", was for her daughter, Nevis. The album also included "Força", which was the official song for the UEFA Euro 2004 soccer tournament. Nelly performed this song at the tournament's final in Lisbon. The album was not as successful as her first one. This was partly because her record label, DreamWorks Records, was being sold at the time.

Loose and Global Success (2006–2008)

Nelly Furtado performing in 2007

Nelly Furtado's third album, Loose, was released in June 2006. She named it Loose because she made many spontaneous choices while creating it. This album was mainly produced by Timbaland. Nelly experimented with R&B, hip hop, and 1980s music sounds. She called the album's sound "punk-hop," describing it as "modern, poppy, spooky." She felt her young daughter's presence helped make the album sound youthful. Critics generally liked the album, saying Timbaland had a "revitalizing" effect on her music.

Loose became Nelly's most successful album. It reached number one in Canada, the United States, and many other countries. It gave her first number-one hit in the U.S., "Maneater". The song "Say It Right" became her most successful song worldwide. "All Good Things (Come to an End)" was her biggest hit in Europe. In 2007, Nelly started her "Get Loose Tour." She won five Juno Awards in 2007, including Album of the Year. She also performed at the Concert for Diana in London.

In 2007, Nelly and Justin Timberlake were featured on Timbaland's song "Give It to Me". This song became her third number-one hit in the U.S. In 2008, she sang with James Morrison on the song "Broken Strings". This song was very popular in Europe. Nelly married sound engineer Demacio "Demo" Castellón on July 19, 2008.

Spanish Album and Greatest Hits (2009–2011)

Nelly Furtado performing in 2009

Nelly Furtado's first Spanish album, Mi Plan, was released in 2009. The first single was "Manos Al Aire" ("Hands in the Air"). She also started her own record label, Nelstar. Mi Plan won her a Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. She was the first Portuguese-Canadian to win this award.

Nelly also collaborated with other artists during this time. She sang with Canadian singer k-os and on Tiësto's song "Who Wants to Be Alone". She performed a duet with Bryan Adams at the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Vancouver. Nelly was also part of the Young Artists for Haiti song, "Wavin' Flag", to help earthquake victims. In October 2010, she received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

Nelly released her first greatest hits album, The Best of Nelly Furtado, on November 16, 2010. It included three new songs.

The Spirit Indestructible (2012–2013)

Nelly Furtado in Malta, June 2012

Nelly Furtado worked with artists like Alex Cuba and K'naan again. Her duet with K'naan, "Is Anybody Out There", was a hit in New Zealand and Europe. Her fifth album, The Spirit Indestructible, was released in September 2012. Nelly said this album was similar to her first one, Whoa, Nelly!, but with new sounds. The album featured producers like The Neptunes and Timbaland.

The first single from the album, "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)", came out in April 2012. It did well in the United Kingdom and some European countries. Other songs from the album also charted in Canada and Europe. Nelly promoted the album on her The Spirit Indestructible Tour.

Becoming Independent and The Ride (2014–2019)

Nelly Furtado in 2014

In February 2015, Nelly performed on the Art on Ice tour in Switzerland. In 2016, she had a small role in the movie A Date with Miss Fortune.

On February 14, 2016, Nelly sang the Canadian national anthem at the 2016 NBA All-Star Game in Toronto. She also started hinting at new music on social media. In July 2016, she released "Behind Your Back" on Spotify. Nelly confirmed her sixth album, The Ride, would be released in March 2017. She recorded 16 songs for the album, but only 12 were included. The album's first song, "Pipe Dreams", was released in November 2016.

Recent Music and Collaborations (2020–Present)

Nelly Furtado during Beyond The Valley on December 31, 2022

In October 2020, Nelly Furtado celebrated 20 years of her first album, Whoa, Nelly!. She released an expanded version with 22 songs. In June 2021, she did the same for her Loose album, releasing an expanded version with 32 songs.

In July 2022, Nelly performed live for the first time in five years. She joined Drake on stage in Toronto. She also shared on Instagram that she was working on new music. In May 2023, she said she had recorded over a hundred songs in the past 18 months! She also mentioned collaborations with artists like Charlotte Day Wilson and Bomba Estéreo. On December 31, 2022, Nelly performed at the Beyond The Valley Festival in Australia.

Nelly continued performing in 2023. She sang a part of a new song called "Corazón" at Machaca Fest in Mexico. She also collaborated with Australian DJ Dom Dolla on the song "Eat Your Man", released in June 2023. On September 1, 2023, she released a new song with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake called "Keep Going Up". This was 16 years after their hit "Give It to Me". Nelly also reunited with Juanes for a song called "Gala y Dalí", released in March 2024.

In March 2024, Nelly shared that she had recorded over 200 songs for her upcoming seventh album. She said it would include club songs and ballads, with some songs in Spanish. On May 8, 2024, she announced a new single, "Love Bites", with Tove Lo and SG Lewis. "Corazón" was released as a single on July 12, 2024, featuring Bomba Estéreo. Nelly's seventh album, 7, was released on September 20, 2024.

Other Activities

Nelly Furtado has appeared on the covers of many international magazines. These include Flare, Elle, and Vogue. In October 2023, she was part of a campaign for Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand, Skims.

Personal Life

Nelly Furtado has three children. Her first daughter was born in September 2003. She later revealed in 2021 that she has two more children, a girl and a boy.

Nelly learned Portuguese until she was 12 years old. She also studied Spanish in high school. In 2009, she estimated she knew about fifty to sixty percent of Spanish. As of 2017, Nelly lives in Toronto and New York City.

Helping Others

Nelly Furtado at her Canada's Walk of Fame induction ceremony in October 2010

Nelly Furtado hosted an MTV program about AIDS. On September 27, 2011, she announced she was donating CDN$1,000,000 to Free the Children. This money helped build schools for girls in Kenya. Nelly is also a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism.

Musical Style

Nelly Furtado has a mezzo-soprano voice. When she was growing up, she listened to many different types of music. These included rock, R&B, hip hop, and world music. Her biggest influence was Ani DiFranco. Nelly said she never wanted to be part of "corporate music." She has been inspired by many artists, including Madonna, Mariah Carey, Prince, and Juanes.

Nelly Furtado's music has also inspired other artists like Lorde, Dua Lipa, and Billie Eilish.

Discography

• Whoa, Nelly! (2000)
• Folklore (2003)
• Loose (2006)
• Mi Plan (2009)
• The Spirit Indestructible (2012)
• The Ride (2017)
• 7 (2024)

Tours

Headlining

• Burn in the Spotlight Tour (2001–2002)
• Come as You Are Tour (2004)
• Get Loose Tour (2007–2008)
• Mi Plan Tour (2010)
• The Spirit Indestructible Tour (2013)
• Summer Tour (2017)

Co-headlining

• Area Festival (2001)
• Art on Ice (2015)

Opening act

• Elevation Tour (2001)
• Musicology Live 2004ever (2004)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

• List of awards and nominations received by Nelly Furtado

See also

In Spanish: Nelly Furtado para niños