Nelly Furtado is back in the limelight after a lengthy break from the music scene. The Canadian-born singer was recently spotted enjoying some downtime in London's trendy Soho area in the run up to the release of her upcoming album Let Loose next month.
Stepping out in a black mini skirt, knee-high boots and velvet jacket, the stunning 27-year-old attracted plenty of attention as she shopped in the capital, stopping to sign autographs for fans. Known for hit singles I'm Like A Bird and Turn Off The Light, Nelly is now back to doing what she does best after a five year hiatus.
She credits her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter Nevis with giving her the motivation to get back to work, as well as living her own childhood again by seeing the world through her daughter's eyes. "This album wouldn't have existed if I wasn't a mother," she said. "That's why I called it Loose. It has this really youthful energy."
The single mum's view of the music industry has also changed since Nevis' arrival and she's now more determined than ever to carve a successful career. Speaking of motherhood, she said: "It really made me take my job more seriously. It made me think about providing (for Nevis) and her future." Things are already looking good for her latest album, with the single Promiscuous already climbing up the American charts and gaining publicity with its sexy video.
The accompanying music video shows her rapping and getting groovy on the dancefloor, thanks to some help from a choreographer and her Miami friends who taught her "how to shake my booty properly". Although Nelly grew up dancing she has never been properly trained and felt there was a gap between her skills and those of Justin Timberlake, who features in a cameo role on the single.
"When I came into the pop business I was intimidated," admitted the star in a recent interview with MTV. "I have to compete with all these people who've been in 'The Mickey Mouse Club' since they were two! And Justin, the fact he's a schooled dancer, he's just a triple threat. It's amazing when you have that skill."
Photo: Alphapress.com
