Grammy-winning artist Nelly Furtado is calling it quits on her singing career after 25 years.
The Maneater songstress announced her decision in a heartfelt Instagram post on Friday, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!. “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 46-year-old wrote.
The decision comes amid a wave of vicious body-shaming comments directed at the singer, who returned to the spotlight in 2024 following a seven-year hiatus.
In January, Furtado posted a photo of herself in a bikini to Instagram and urged her followers to have a “body neutral 2025,” adding that since her return, she “became aware of the aesthetic pressure of my work in a brand new way, while simultaneously I experienced new levels of self-love and genuine confidence from within.”
Performing at the Manchester Pride concert in the UK in August, the singer appeared to mock body shamers by wearing an oversized t-shirt featuring a cartoon hourglass figure, following criticism of her previous on-stage looks.
In her latest post, Furtado thanked her fans and everyone who helped make her “pop dreams come true,” writing that “I’ll identify as a songwriter forever.”
Furtado’s representatives did not immediately respond to request for comment on her decision to end her career.
“I also wish, to the new generation of artists, many years of fruitful and passionate performance,” Furtado wrote in her Instagram post, saying that she “couldn’t be happier” that her music has reached a “new generation of fans.”
In recent years, her music has gained traction with a younger fanbase on TikTok. “I would say when my music first started trending on TikTok, my oldest daughter was only 16 or 17,” Furtado told E! News. “At the time, I was quite unfamiliar with it ‘cause I was home with the babies and stuff," she added.
Furtado is a mother of three children. Her oldest daughter is 22, and her youngest daughter and son are elementary school age, born 14 months apart. The singer revealed that the “chaos” of caring for children so close in age contributed to her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis.
The singer told People that her diagnosis led her to become more mindful. “It’s an everyday sort of study and focus, like, ‘How do we ground ourselves today?’” she said.
Furtado’s latest album, 7, was released in September 2024 after the singer took a break to focus on motherhood.
The Canadian singer-songwriter ends her career having sold more than 45 million records. “I’m grateful for all the years of fun, community, and wonder,” she wrote in her statement.
