Nelly Furtado opened up about her incredible transformation over the years in an emotional post while announcing her retirement from music after more than two decades in the industry. The 46-year-old took to Instagram to share insight into her 25-year journey, complete with a throwback photo of herself at the beginning of her career. In the snap, Nelly was standing in a grassy area, clad in a head-turning pink dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline and a fitted bodice. She added a pink choker necklace and wore her short brown locks behind her ears.
© InstagramBack to the beginning
Nelly accompanied the picture with a video of her performance in Berlin in front of thousands of screaming fans, grinning ear to ear as she waved at the crowd. The mother of three wore a black bodysuit with black pantyhose and combat boots in the clip, and glowed with confidence in the special moment.
"25 years ago today my first album Whoa, Nelly! was released," she began in the caption. "In the first slide I am 20 years old, about to play my first show as a professional artist at Lilith Fair. I went down to a store called 'Original' on Queen West in Toronto and shopped for that pink dress and some sparkly platform shoes to perform in. It was so meaningful and my artist self felt so actualized."
© RedfernsStage siren
"25 years later, my music has reached a whole new generation of fans and I couldn't be happier about that," she continued. "In the year 2000 I remember feeling purpose in hoping some kid would dust off the Whoa, Nelly! vinyl one day in a record shop and think it was cool or inspiring, so I never could have guessed that there would be so many new ways to discover 'old' music in 2025!"
"To have so many people rediscovering my music has been surreal and joyful. It's been so fun embracing this opportunity, getting out on stages again and seeing up close the true lasting power of good music. It's made me really believe in magic." Nelly then announced her plans to step away from music to pursue "other creative and personal endeavors" for the "next phase of my life".
© WireImageEnd of an era
She concluded: "I'm grateful for all the years of fun, community and wonder. Endless gratitude to anyone who has ever listened and vibrated with my music and attended any of my shows. I love you and your open hearts. The second slide is me in Berlin this summer finally understanding what receiving flowers means. Thank you and goodnight!"
Nelly's fans took to the comment section to share their praise for the "Maneater" singer, as well as their dismay over her retirement. "Why do all good things come to an end?!" wrote one, while another added, "25 Years later and you are STILL as ICONIC as Ever." A third chimed in, "Is this a retirement speech??? Noooooo!!!!!" while another said, "First and last concert...in just two pictures we can see you for who you are. Beautiful soul and talented artist. We loved this journey with you."
© InstagramLearning self-love
Nelly has been open about her transformation in recent years, after she took time away from performing to raise her children. "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," she wrote on Instagram.
"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. So far, I have not had any face or lip injections or fillers of any kind."
She added: "Know that it's perfectly okay to be okay with what you see in the mirror, and it's also okay to want something different. We are all cute little humans just bouncing around the earth looking for hugs. HAVE A BODY NEUTRAL 2025, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LOVE WITH EVERY INCH OF YOUR HEART."
