Y2K pop star showcases major transformation after years away from the spotlight


The mother of three is an advocate for body positivity


nelly furtado © WireImage
Faye JamesSenior Editor
August 12, 2025
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Y2K pop star Nelly Furtado stunned the crowd at the Boardmasters Festival in the UK over the weekend, when she showcased her stunning curvy figure following a lengthy hiatus.

The singer was virtually unrecognizable until she performed her hit songs "Maneater", "I'm Like A Bird" and "Say It Right", which first put her on the map at the start of the new millennium.

Owning the stage

© Getty Images
Nelly looked stunning as she took to the stage

Nelly took to the stage in a jaw-dropping outfit complete with metallic green ruffled hotpants, a green mesh halter top and fluffy green sleeves.

She added silver chain necklaces, silver drop earrings, knee-high boots and black sunglasses to complete the futuristic look.

Fans went wild for her performance, with Nelly amassing a huge crowd that sang along to her greatest hits.

Taking a stand

© Getty Images
The crowd sang along as she performed her greatest hits

Nelly has been an outspoken advocate for body positivity, and got candid in January about learning to love herself in her 40's. 

"This year I 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," the 46-year-old wrote on social media

"For whoever cares, I have never had any face or body surgeries or augmentation, besides for veneers on the top row of my teeth, quite recently," she continued. "So far, I have not had any face or lip injections or fillers of any kind."

© Getty Images
The mother of three is a body positivity advocate

"I do have a loving, old school facialist who I purchase serums and creams from, and I started that when I was 20," Nelly added. "The day before photo shoots and red carpets, I drink a lot of water and sleep on my back."

She went on to encourage her fans to embrace their natural bodies and accept themselves as they are. 

© FilmMagic, Inc
She dominated the pop charts in the '00s

"My New Year's message for 2025 is express yourself freely, celebrate your individuality and know that it's perfectly OK to be OK with what you see in the mirror, and it's also OK to want something different. We are all cute little humans just bouncing around the earth looking for hugs," she said. 

"HAVE A BODY NEUTRAL 2025, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LOVE WITH EVERY INCH OF YOUR HEART." 

Comeback queen 

© Crave
She took time off from the music industry to raise her kids

Nelly took a hiatus from the music industry to focus on motherhood and raising her three children. 

She shares her eldest daughter, Nevis, with her ex Jasper Gahunia, and her two younger kids with her ex Hodgy. 

The singer opened up about returning to the music scene after her time away, revealing that she felt more confident than ever. 

© Samir Hussein/WireImage
Nelly revealed that she feels more confident than ever in her 40's

"I think I'm more confident because as a sort of more mature woman coming back to the studio, I just have a clear sense of detachment and boundaries, and I'm really able to kind of say, no, let's try this," she explained on NPR

"And I love kind of things that make me feel uncomfortable in the studio, like bringing perhaps two people together that I think might not get along, argue in the studio. I find that fun." 

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