Nelly Furtado posted a long reflection on the 25th anniversary of her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, earlier today on her social media, but it wasn’t until half-way through that she dropped a bombshell: she will be stepping away from the stage to pursue other ventures.

“I have decided to step away from performance for the foreseeable future and pursue some other creative and personal endeavours that I feel would better suit this next phase of my life,” wrote the 46-year-old mother of three on Instagram.

It is not the first time the Toronto-based, Victoria-born singer-songwriter, who has sold over 45 million albums worldwide, has stepped away from the spotlight. She did so after the release of her 2017 album, The Ride, until Drake brought her out as a surprise guest at Toronto’s HISTORY for his All Canadian North Stars concert, to perform her breakthrough single, “I’m Like A Bird,” and 2006’s smash “Promiscuous.” It was the encouragement she needed to write and record her next album, 7, which she dropped last year and has been touring globally.

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Furtado was essentially discovered at Toronto’s Honey Jam all-female showcase by The Philosopher Kings frontman Gerald Eaton whose manager Chris Smith added her to his roster. Along with fellow P-Kings member Brian West, they created the demo that then-lawyer Chris Taylor would shop and land a deal with DreamWorks. 

FANS REACT

Online, fans of the beloved pop singer are reacting to the news with shock and admiration.

“Whoa Nelly is so special to me it’s so creative and inspiring. It’s one of my favorite albums and have listened to it probably thousands of times 🩵💛 such a goodie for a road trip tooo!” one Instagram user said.

“Sad to see you won’t be performing in the foreseeable future, but I’ll patiently wait for your return to the stage as you have given me some of the best concerts in my life,” another said.

“Can’t wait to see what you do! Your music will always be part of my formative experiences! Thanks for showing us how to grow up, and show up!” one fan shared.

“Take your time and come back often because we will always love you and appreciate your art!” another fan said.