Canadian singer and songwriter Nelly Furtado took to Instagram on Friday to post an emotional message to her fans: she would not be performing again — at least not anytime soon.
“I have decided to step away from performance for the foreseeable future and pursue some other creative and personal endeavors that I feel would better suit this next phase of my life,” the “Promiscuous Girl” singer wrote.
“I have enjoyed my career immensely, and I still love writing music as I have always seen it as a hobby I was lucky enough to make into a career,” she continued. “I’ll identify as a songwriter forever. I’m grateful for all the years of fun, community and wonder.”
Furtado’s Instagram post features a photo of the artist at 20 years old after she had just shopped at a Toronto shop called “Original” for a pink dress and some sparkly platform shoes to perform during her first show as a professional artist.
“It was so meaningful and my artist self felt so actualized,” Furtado wrote of the moment. “25 years later, my music has reached a whole new generation of fans and I couldn’t be happier about that.”
Furtado went on to thank her fans, collaborators and wish the next generation of songwriters well.
Also included in the post is a short video of a large crowd cheering for her at Berlin over the summer, where she said she was “finally understanding what receiving flowers means.”
The announcement notably comes on the 25th anniversary of her first album, “Whoa, Nelly!”
Other performers and personalities were quick to support Furtado.
Canadian co-host of “Breakfast Television” Dina Pugliese wrote: “Your music makes the world a better place. A more joyful place. Love you Nelly. On top of it all, you have a heart of gold and manage to stay humble and true despite your international superstardom. You are a unicorn and we love you!”
Singer Josh Michaels, who was just 10 when Furtado released “Whoa Nelly,” responded “awesome.”
The duo Nina Sky, consisting of identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino, congratulated Furtado on her career.
“25 years later and you are STILL as ICONIC as Ever,” they wrote.
Another commenter, who described themselves as “Canada proud,” wrote: “You have been such a joy to follow all these years! I look forward to seeing what you will do next.”
The instagram account for Apple Music, with its 5.3 million follows responded simply: “Legend.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
