IT’S THE YEAR 2000.

I’m 12 years old and sitting in my parents’ basement in London, Ont., watching the regular after-school programming on MuchMusic. The screen on our small, boxy TV cuts to the opening scene of a new video: a young woman lying in a green meadow. Soft strings play through the tinny speaker as Nelly Furtado’s distinctive voice fills the room with the opening lines of “I’m Like a Bird,” the Canadian artist’s lead single off her debut album, Whoa, Nelly! “You’re beautiful, that’s for sure,” she sings, and that’s exactly how I feel about her, seeing her dressed in low-rise baggy jeans, a red crop top and her soon-to-be-signature extra-large hoop earrings.

From that moment, I was hooked on Nelly—and so, it seemed, was everyone else. The song was everywhere (at the White Oaks Mall, where I hung out with friends, at the local car wash, at the Victoria Park outdoor skating rink and on repeat on my Sony Discman), and it would go on to become a massive worldwide hit that earned Furtado a number of accolades, including a Juno Award for Single of the Year and a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

“I’m Like a Bird” was just the start for Furtado, who is originally from Victoria and moved to Toronto after high school to pursue music. Over the next few years, she would establish herself as one of the most prominent artists in pop music with more hits (“Promiscuous,” “Maneater” and “Say It Right,” to name just a few) and a few high-profile collaborations, including one with producer Timbaland on her quintessential 2006 album, Loose. Timbaland signed Furtado to his label, and she worked on his own chart-topping album, 2007’s Shock Value, providing her pen and vocals for hit single “Give It to Me” alongside Justin Timberlake. To date, Furtado has been nominated for seven Grammys and 18 Junos (and hosted the latter event twice, including this year’s ceremony, which took place in March) and has sold over 40 million records, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists ever.

I first met Furtado in 2012, when she performed at the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto. I had started working as a Much VJ after winning VJ Search in 2009, but I still felt new to the industry and was star-struck by someone I had admired for so long. I was immediately impressed by how kind and down-to-earth Furtado was in person. She was so gentle and completely disarming. Over the next decade, our paths crossed occasionally (I work for Etalk and am now the Canadian entertainment show’s L.A.-based reporter), and I had the pleasure of getting to know her better each time. Like all her fans, I’ve been patiently awaiting new music, so I was thrilled to hear that she’s releasing an album later this year. It’s her first since 2017, although she did digitally reissue Loose with bonus tracks in 2021 to celebrate its 15th anniversary and reunite with Timbaland and Timberlake for the release of the song “Keep Going Up” in September last year. She took a break from music to raise her three children and embrace motherhood, but her creativity kept whirring. Having had my own child in 2023, I find myself in awe of Furtado and inspired by her nimble balancing of parenthood and work. Her eldest daughter, Nevis, who is now 20, even worked on this album with her. Now, Furtado feels like her life is full—she’s inspired by the younger generations (including her own children), she’s confident in her artistry and she’s embracing different ways to express herself. This vortex of creative energy has led to her new work.

Furtado walks a fine line of being both extraordinary and deliciously normal—in the best way imaginable. Her music is empowering. It’s bold and mould-shattering. And it’s everywhere—she’s had worldwide hits, performed on the biggest stages and been praised as a keystone artist in the music industry. And yet, even with all this success, Furtado remains inquisitive, soft-spoken, humble and Zen. She’s a loving parent who takes pleasure in the simple joys of raising her kids, a giving collaborator and a true artist. She is, quite simply, Nelly Furtado.