Nelly Furtado Shares Her Pearls Of Wisdom

She shattered the pop princess mold, repped Toronto before it was “the 6,” and made anthems for the maneaters of the world. Now, with her sixth album on the way, the multi-platinumselling artist shares her pearls of wisdom.

- Sydney Gore

The Boom Boom Room is packed. Only a select few have been clued in to Nelly Furtado’s surprise performance at the ornate club on top of Manhattan’s Standard Hotel, but the dance floor is so crowded that it’s unclear whether I’ve underestimated just how secret her appearance is, or the willingness of New Yorkers to rage on a Wednesday night.

I’m giddy at the prospect of being in such close proximity to Furtado. The endless champagne is partly to blame, but I’ve been an avid fan of hers since her debut, Whoa, Nelly!, dropped in 2000. Seven-year-old me was completely enamored by how she broke the pop princess mold: She was a tomboy with not-blonde hair and made Top 40-worthy songs that boomed with hip-hop beats. In 2006, my obsession deepened with the release of her album Loose, a beacon for women’s sexuality that would sell 12 million copies worldwide. Just when I had begrudgingly accepted her retreat from the spotlight in recent years, her publicist tipped me to this performance, and her sixth album, The Ride, due out this month.

Suddenly, the lights dim and silence sweeps the room. Furtado emerges from the darkness and opens with her Grammy Award-winning debut single, “I’m Like a Bird.” My body is buzzing.

The feeling returns a few months later, when we’re face-to-face on set for Furtado’s NYLON photo shoot in Brooklyn. Munching on tortilla chips, the 38-year-old reflects on her career and upbringing in Victoria, British Columbia, by Portuguese parents. From the religious ceremonies at her Catholic church to her school’s marching band, she was surrounded by music, and she started writing songs at age 12. But it was Nelstar, her trip-hop group that formed in 1995, that established her unique medley of pop, hip-hop, and R&B, and would propel her to pop-star status.