Nelly Furtado announces a break from the stage

Nelly Furtado has announced she is “stepping away from performing for the foreseeable future.”

The singer, 46, made the announcement on Friday via Instagram, saying the decision comes so she can focus on “other creative and personal endeavors” that better align with the next phase of her life.

Furtado paired the announcement with a two-photo post—one showing her at age 20 before her first professional show at Lilith Fair, and another being a video of her performing in Berlin this past summer.

“Twenty-five years later, my music has reached a whole new generation of fans, and I couldn’t be happier about that,” she said in a lengthy note, celebrating the 25th anniversary of her debut album Whoa, Nelly!

Reflecting on her early dreams, she added, “Back then, I just hoped some kid would dust off the Whoa, Nelly! vinyl one day and find it cool or inspiring. I never could have guessed there’d be so many new ways to discover ‘old’ music in 2025.”

“I’ll identify as a songwriter forever,” she affirmed.

Furtado, who released her seventh studio album 7 in September 2024 – her first in seven years – said the project was especially meaningful as she collaborated with her daughter, Nevis Gahunia, 22.

“It felt like the greatest gift,” Furtado told People Magazine earlier this year. “What a blessing.”