It’s been a busy, busy 10 years for Nelly Furtado. Once the family-friendly face behind folky pop-rock hits ‘I’m Like A Bird’ and ‘Turn Off The Light’, the 31-year-old ditched her clean-cut image around the mid-way point of the last decade, sassed up her act and once again dominated the charts with raunch-laden singles ‘Promiscuous’ and ‘Maneater’. Not enough for you? She’s also released and toured a Spanish album, appeared in a handful of Hollywood blockbusters and, only a matter of weeks ago, was inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame.
This month sees not only the release of her greatest hits compilation, but also her debut performance in the UAE, as she treats Yas Arena to a live highlights package from her back catalogue. ‘I’m super, super excited! From what I hear Abu Dhabi is a really, really gorgeous place. A concert there is just going to be so spectacular, so I can’t wait to see the fans and celebrate.’ Good news, Nelly! The feeling’s more than mutual.
Your music has crossed over a lot of genres. Are there any left you’d like to experiment with?
My template has always been ‘does it sound good acoustically?’ and if that song sounds good on acoustic guitar with vocals, that means it’s a good song and you can dress it up any way you like. I’m working on my new album at the moment, called Lifestyle. I’ve experimented a little more with alternative sounds, such as different types of keyboard sounds which are a bit more trippy and psychedelic than they’ve been in the past. I’ve found that, because I’ve experimented so much, now I have the maturity and the experience as a vocalist to tackle more conventional genres. It’s almost like convention is experimental for someone like me. It’s kind of weird; my idea of convention versus experimentalism really has changed a lot over the years.
Ever been tempted to go off on a real tangent and do a bit of metal or something?
Hey, that would be fun! That’s one thing I haven’t really done yet, I have to say. But I am a fan of some metal music. I went through a whole phase where I listened to a lot of Soulfly, System of a Down and Deftones. One of the first bands I was really passionate about was the Smashing Pumpkins.
Is there anyone you’re dying to collaborate with?
I think that it’d be really fun to collaborate with someone like Madonna. I feel like, at this point, it would be interesting. We have some mutual friends and colleagues, so maybe it’d be plausible. I’d like to work with our latest Canadian MC, Drake. I’d love to have him on a verse on my new album. I’ve got a song in my mind for him so let’s see if it turns out.
Any plans to get involved in any more movies?
Acting is really just a hobby for me, I don’t consider myself a professional actor at all, and I really respect professional actors because they put a lot of focus and intelligence into what they do. I get my jollies on stage. I let it all hang out! I’m able to access those emotions through song writing, which is satisfying for me. So I don’t really have that actor’s yearning to access those deep emotions through the craft of acting.
Has working on the greatest hits album brought back any weird memories from when you were working on them the first time round?
Yeah, it’s been a definite couple of months of reflection for me. Whoa, Nelly! came out almost 10 years ago to the date of the greatest hits album. I never thought I’d be doing this for 10 years. I always thought I’d put out an album and go back to university! You can never predict the future. I really like the track ‘Say It Right’ which was produced by Timbaland. We recorded that track together in Miami and it was a really special night for us. It was like our signature song, Tim and I.
Do you have any celebrity friends on Twitter? Do you compete with them for followers?
I dropped out of the competition. Once you hit a million and a half you’re like, okay, I’m good, I’ve got at least a million. I’m good. There are some great people out there. I follow Ricky Martin and we send each other messages once in a while. He’s really fantastic. He’s still recording and touring. He’s out there doing his thing.
You were involved with both Euro 2004 and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver earlier this year. Are you the sporty type?
I’m a spectator. I watched the figure skating and that was like a childhood dream of mine. I used to sit at home and do my own scorecards on the TV. It was really nice to be there and to include my daughter in the opening ceremony, and to sing with Bryan Adams, my fellow Canadian, was a lot of fun. I also sang at the Euro cup, so yeah I’ve been lucky that way. I’ve been part of some cool sporting events. It kind of just expands your knowledge and experience as a performer and an entertainer. It enhances what you do.
Did you see any of the World Cup this summer?
I saw two or three of Portugal’s games. They were fun. I saw the US too. It was fantastic. We have a few vuvuzelas at our house.
Will there be any on the new album?
Hahaha! Maybe! Listen out for it! Listen for the vuvuzela!
Nelly Furtado plays Yas Arena on Friday November 26. Tickets Dhs150 from www.timeouttickets.com. The Best Of Nelly Furtado is out now.
