Nelly Furtado pauses live performances to pursue other projects

Nelly Furtado announced on Friday that she will step away from live performance for the foreseeable future, saying in an Instagram post that she plans to pursue other creative and personal endeavors. The 46-year-old Canadian singer made the announcement on the 25th anniversary of her debut album Whoa, Nelly!, which launched her career with hits such as I’m Like a Bird and Turn Off the Light.

“To have so many people rediscovering my music has been surreal and joyful,” Furtado wrote, reflecting on a recent resurgence in interest in her catalog. “All this aside, 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.” She added that she will continue to write music and “identify as a songwriter forever,” and thanked fans and collaborators for their support.

Furtado’s announcement follows a busy period of activity. She released her seventh studio album, 7, in September last year and promoted it with a European summer tour that concluded in Germany in August. This year she also played major festivals and events, including appearances in Berlin and at Pride...