It’s a bright sunny afternoon when I walk into the Universal head office to chat with Nelly Furtado. Just two months ago, my friends and I had been commiserating with each other about failing to get tickets to see her sellout headline set at Mighty Hoopla, so now my group chat is popping off with excited notifications at the mention I’m going to be interviewing her. 

Because, let’s face it: Nelly Furtado is a star on so many levels: not only is she reviving Y2k music, she’s also staging a comeback for Y2K fashion, and it’s something that everyone wants to be a part of.

But it’s not only a Y2K revival Nelly Furtado is all about. Some stars are happy capitalising on their chart-topping hits from the era, but this is a musician, woman and mother who wants more. The announcement of her first album in seven years, aptly named 7, has sent fans into a frenzy. “It’s coming back to what I do best, which is bringing people together with music,” Nelly enthuses. “It’s about making music that people can celebrate to.”

So, what’s she most excited about on the new album? And, how does she feel about hits like Maneater and Promiscuous being rediscovered on social media platforms such as TikTok? If there’s one thing the singer is with her conversation, it’s generous. Whether it’s shouting out the fashion designers who create her incredible outfits for her shows and music videos or talking candidly about how her ADHD diagnosis has impacted her music, here, Furtado reflects on what she’s grateful for now – and what we can get excited for in the future.

Fans are so excited about your new album 7 (released on 2o September). Can you tell us a bit about how you made the album?

It’s about coming back to what I do best, which is music. It’s about bringing people together and making something they can celebrate to, and that all just came together in a really lovely way. I kind of felt called back to the business after my music started trending on TikTok, as that really piqued my interest. I wanted to get back to the studio after taking a break and raising my kids, who were born a year apart, so I was really a stay-at-home mum for about three years. And by the time I got back to performing, I felt so rejuvenated. I thought, what kind of mum do I want to be and what kind of artist do I want to be? From there, I’d go to the studio and have microphones recording the whole time while I worked on melodies and lyrics and I’d just jam, it was very much not pre-meditated.

That sounds like a real process. Last year, you opened up about the ADHD diagnosis you received as an adult. Do you think that impacted the album in any way?

I really embraced my ADHD in the studio. I’d write three songs at a time, go back to different beats and get the right energy in the studio by bringing in my friends. And I’d experiment: what if I keep recording and I don’t call it a night? What if I stay until 6am? What if I come home at crack of dawn and don’t sleep because I’m so full of inspiration and then I just write some more songs when I get to my hotel room? 

I’d let myself go wild a bit. But that was so helpful, as I’d moved so far away from my songwriter and creator self while I’d spent time at home, so this allowed me to jump in and get fully wet, not just dip my toes in the water. I decided to try every idea in my head, to be totally free and unhinged with no rules. And that’s how I managed to make something more potent. It was inspiring – I feel really called back to music.

Talking about feeling called back, let’s talk about the appeal of your earlier songs. You can be in a club and when Promiscuous comes on, women from all generations are singing along. How does that feel?

It’s surreal. It’s a pinch-me moment that’s taken me by surprise. Lately, I’ve been playing shows again, some in countries I haven’t been to in over a decade. Recently, when I went back to Sweden, I got on stage at a festival and the front row was all 16-year-olds. They all have my name written on their foreheads and they’re singing all the songs that came out before they were born! And that part is really surreal, it feels a bit like The Matrix. Especially given I have a 20-year-old daughter.

As you say, your music has been rediscovered by a new generation. What’s it like connecting with them on TikTok?

I love TikTok – I enjoy it so much. I love finding new sounds and I love coming up with different ways to present my new music online. I also like tapping into different sections of songs as I find it fascinating to see what people gravitate to and what songs, words and hooks they enjoy – it makes you deconstruct music in a cool way and think about it differently. I see TikTok as the appetiser that brings you to the full song, and then when you stream it, you’re getting the meal, but the preview has made you hungry for more.

I’d love to chat about the communities you’ve built around your music, too. You recently played a sellout headline set at Mighty Hoopla in London. Was that an amazing experience?

I’m so glad people enjoyed the show, it was such a great way to kick off Pride month. My outfit was designed by Bang London, who also did an outfit for me to wear at Isle of MTV Malta. But in terms of the outfit inspiration, I’ve always loved drag. And I’m inspired by my friends like Tynomi Banks, who tours with me, and Queen Kong, who I’ve performed on stage with. 

Outside of that, though, speaking of the queer community, I couldn’t be more honoured to be a part of it through my music; I just feel so grateful. From the beginning, my queer fans have been showing up for me. Since day one, they’ve always recognised the sense of individuality in my music and the idea of staying true to yourself. And that’s just been so rewarding.

With so many different groups of fans, I think it’s safe to say many will see you as a role model. How does that feel?

It’s a role I take seriously. I met Raye two days ago when we both played Isle of MTV Malta, and she told me that when she was younger she would listen to my first two albums in her room with the door closed. And she was eight or nine years old then, and I take that stuff really seriously. I have to walk the walk, I can’t just talk the talk. I told her what she is doing is amazing and her voice and message are so important and empowering, and it makes me super-happy to see girls like her doing so well with that. And it all makes me think, I really do have to be conscious of what message I put into the world at all times. I need to remember why I’m here, embrace everything and stay open. 

Nelly Furtado’s new single Corazón (feat. Bomba Estéreo) is out now. Her seventh studio album, 7, is out on 20 September.

Images: Valentin Herfray; Sammy Rawal