The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Nelly Furtado On Breaking Back Into Music, Embracing Her ADHD, Timbaland History + More

Episode Date: September 20, 2024

The Breakfast Club Sits Down With Nelly Furtado To Discuss Breaking Back Into Music, Embracing Her ADHD, Timbaland History. Listen For More!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha Guy. We are The Breakfast Club. Jess is on maternity leave, so Lauren LaRosa's filling in. And we got a special guest in the building, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, indeed.

Nelly Furtado. Welcome. Hi. Thank you for having me. How are you? How you feeling? I'm good. How are you?

I'm blessed black and highly favored. New album, Seven, is out today. How does it feel to be back? Congratulations, by the way. On what? On your work you're doing for a community. That sounds very generic. I was on your Instagram.

Oh, thank you. It was inspiring. She did her homework a little bit to make sure. It was inspiring. She was talking to you this morning. Thank you very much. Yeah. How does it feel to be back making music?

Incredible. Yeah, I'm so happy. Thank you very much. How does it feel to be back making music? Incredible. Yeah, I'm so happy. Do you like this part, having to come to interviews and be interrogated? It's not as fun sometimes nowadays because everything's clickbait. And I'm like, ah, what? You know, sometimes that's challenging, but it's OK.

I still, like, kind of share my vibe, my positive energy. So why so long? It took a long time. Seven years. Just busy. I like to kind of keep one foot kind of like in the real world and then one foot entertainment

because entertainment's really fast paced. And you have to really be out there to be successful in my industry. And I've taken the approach for the last 25 years to kind of do it, go hard for a little bit,

but then for my own mental health, I kind of need to take breaks. What do you do during those breaks? Just get grounded? Just get your family. I see you going through your breathing exercises now. Yeah, I'm a mom. You having a little panic attack?

No, I'm a mom. And so yeah, just like doing the mom thing and kind of like normal normal life and then and then when i'm in the studio i get to really express myself and um write and produce and invite a lot of friends into the studio and have really late nights and fun it's probably the most fun part is making the music for me i enjoy concerts i've been out on stage again performing a lot that's been really

refreshing and good but like yeah you have to take care of yourself you know what part of mom life Nelly Furtado inspires music

Nelly Furtado this music ain't mom life this music I'm gonna say cause you said mom in Brazil I feel like you've always done that

this gives me spritzer vibes thank you summer day thank you I work hard nice cocktail okay you know

what what's that don't go ahead continue look at her face um okay so there's a pink post-it note over there nobody notices it. No, I do have a lot of energy. I mean, to be totally honest, my brain is like it's different. My brain's different. I have a lot of channels in my brain. I have inattentive ADHD. And this time

when I made this record, I was like, I'm just gonna lean into that. I'm gonna write 10 songs at once. I'm gonna invite 50 people at once to the studio. I am gonna stay up late till 8am. I'll see what this brain can do and so of course I like festive music I started to go out again a couple years ago

and I would hear my music everywhere DJ's would play it, people would dance to it I heard it at house parties Still slaps Thank you I'm like a bird at a house party it goes down too really well. You didn't work with Timbaland this time, right?

We have been in the studio, but for our own single we released last year. We talk all the time. We're, you know, we're, you know, family for life, I believe. I think we have very similar natures when it comes to creativity. I think that's why we make special music together and we will again for sure. But nothing made this album, right? There's no Timbo?

No, a lot of Timbaland adjacent. They said you made four or 500 songs. Yeah, it felt like Saving Your Breath feels like it sounded like Timbaland. I got the vocalist T-Minus. T-Minus is quite influenced by Timbaland. He's a big fan of Timbaland's work. I don't know, are you familiar with T-Minus' work? Heus is quite influenced by Timbaland. He's a big fan of Timbaland's work. I don't know.

Are you familiar with T-Minus' work? He does a lot for J. Cole. He produces most of J. Cole's stuff. And he's had some great records over the years. But what's great about him is he's passionate. I like to work with people who, sure, they're in the business, but it's more than business. It's family.

You know what I mean? It's like you're invested. He wanted to brand the best in me. So we do have some really, really good beats on this album. Really good, high quality production. Timbaland's favorite song, I've played him a lot of records. His favorite song is Floodgate, which was produced by FNZ. I don't know if you know their beats.

But Save Your Breath, actually, I co-produced and did a lot of vocal production. But T-Minus, I came with that rhythm. It was different before. And it's a lot of my friends on the song you said you recorded four to five hundred songs in the last four years i have that's a lot of music to narrow down to just a couple foot album so how did you narrow it down and why so many damn songs because i don't write like i can't i can write just on my own like with a guitar and do that i wrote i'm like i'm like a bird that way but uh when i'm in

the studio uh i like what i the approach that I took is I turn the microphones on and I make it sound like I'm at a show. So I put the speakers and everything really loud and then I have everybody with microphones, including me, everybody, and then I will only hear the music in the studio when Pro Tools is going and I can record everything I do because my lyrics and melodies come to me at the same time.

Whole entire songs come that way. It just kind of comes. Were you a talkative child? I did that when I was a kid. I didn't talk that much, but I would sing. Yeah, I would just sit there and just make up songs. And they made me feel emotional and cry. And I didn't quite understand it, but it is probably the only thing that i do well

i don't have an energy drink i don't have a booty line i don't got patience for that all i got patience for is music which one this energy you have is natural is that weird you're making me a little nervous why i don't know you just move in and you're talking fast and i'm like she says she's like me though right oh i didn't hear that part yeah i didn't hear that i'm sorry that's why she opened with commenting on your your mental health work because she says she deals with addd and her mental health stuff yeah i think it's because she was moving fast it might have have went over. No, for real. I only got diagnosed

a couple years ago, but as a child and growing up in my teens, I'd be that girl that my friends would be like, where did she go? Because I would just stare into space. And I thought,

oh, it's a scattered brain. All the things, you know, and would judge myself. Or I thought I was unorganized or lazy or procrastinate. But yeah, it's just that how did you do in school me sometimes so I ignore them what do you mean I'm just saying in general like these two I ignore them all the time like they talk it's just we ignore him too

we locked in over here ain't no switching up we don't know where he meet over there that's okay what was it when you when you were diagnosed how old were you? Sorry. Sorry. He asked something. No, it's okay. It's all right. It's okay. Sorry. All right, remember that. Let's go with it, Nelly. Let's go with it. It's a file cabinet in here.

Yeah, let's go with it. Yeah. How old were you when you were diagnosed with ADHD? 43. 43. Okay, so what was that like actually having like a, okay, I know what this is now. I know how to work with it. I read a lot of books about, oh, particularly women with ADHD because the experience for women is a little different, I know what this is now. I know how to work with it. Oh, yeah, I read a lot of books about it. Oh, particularly women with ADHD

because the experience for women is a little different, you know, because, you know, there's more pressure, you know, especially moms, right? It's like, you know, you're supposed to have your house together, you know, in all the ways. And, yeah, so just self-acceptance, self-love. You got three kids, right? Three, yep.

Yes, I do. 21, 6, and 5. Oh, so the 6-year-old and 5-year-oldance, self-love. You got three kids, right? Three, yep. Yes, I do. 21, 6, and 5. Oh, so the 6-year-old and 5-year-old don't know nothing about music, Nelly Furtado. Sort of, a little bit. Okay. Only because I have a friend, Lido. She's another artist, Lido Pimienta. She's from Colombia.

And one day we were chilling because we're all friends. Like, the kids are friends with her kids. And she said, they don't even know what you do. Let's, like, you know, let's play them something and i said okay only if i could play your thing too so we kind of shared that that side that day what song are you playing what was the first song it was say it right okay i think it was a live performance in paris or something like that um yeah they liked it what vibe were you on when you wrote Promiscuous Girl back then? And what did your parents think of it? My parents?

I mean, I was already at the house at that time. I mean, I already had a daughter. I already kind of had my own house. But I don't know. I've never asked my mom. Ever? She's never, like, commented? Like, hey, hey, the song?

Because, I mean. No, I don't think so. Well, I mean, I remember being 14 in our house growing up. And Salt-N-Pepa had a song, Let's Talk About Sex. And it would come on the little radio in my kitchen. And my mom would be like, turn it off. So I grew up on like TLC, Salt-N-Pepa. Absolutely.

Very empowered, you know, in talking about sexuality and talking about choice. I believe Promiscuous is a song about choice. And what I like about it is the male voice and female voice are on it. Even playing feel in the song. But interestingly enough, people still call it Promiscuous. But the song is actually called promiscuous. It's not girl or boy. Oh, because of the hook, I think I always thought it was promiscuous girl.

No, it's just promiscuous. Wow. And this new album, Seven, what does the number seven mean to you? I know it's your seventh album. I know you put out an album seven years ago, but what does the number seven actually mean to you? To be honest, I kind of wanted a title that's really simple, almost like a fashion collection.

Fashion collection seven. And I love the song Seven by Prince. Prince is one of my favorite artists of all time. And I got to meet Prince a few times, and I opened for him before. And I don't know. His music just touches me in a way, so I think that's another sort of thread. I wonder, you know,

because you had so much success with Wold Nelly, how has your relationship with fame and success evolved over the years? Because there had to be a point where you felt like it was too much, right? Several times. Okay. Yeah, it's good that you mentioned the first time because the first time,

yeah, when I did my first album, I think a lot happened very quickly. Things like, you know, opportunities, great opportunities, you know. One of my first TV performances was SNL. Wow. Like, what the hell? I was a deer in the headlights, you know. Did you understand at that time, at just at 20 that how big it was? Or were you just like, I got to do this thing?

I signed my record deal when I was 20. I just loved music so much. I would do anything, you know? I love the music. So I was just happy to share the music because I write my music, you know i love the music so i was just happy to share the the music because i write my music you know so it was like the music nerd inside of me was oh actually to be totally honest i was competing with people that had been you know have been have been kind of grown they had grown up in the spotlight maybe through like you know the disney channel or anything like that right but i

i grew up singing in church or in school. I didn't have experience in front of the TV. I was very nervous singing on TV at first. My voice would shake. It wasn't until my third album, Loose, that I started more choreography and kind of coming to play a character. How difficult was it coming from Canada?

Kind of hard at the time. Because now it's acceptable, right? You see so many artists yeah whether it's the week yeah drake or whatever but back then it was like they looked at canada as a whole different world it was the best kept secret in the late 90s like when i first i moved there from the west coast from victoria really small town and i moved to toronto and i i was just 17 years old i had a trip-hop group called Nellstar. I worked at an alarm company during the day in customer service,

and the alarms broke a lot. They were wireless. It was not a good idea. And then I would sing and use the paycheck to pay for my recordings. And we had a burgeoning hip-hop, urban, electronic. It gave me goosebumps when I said that. I feel very, I have a lot of really nostalgic feelings for Toronto at the time.

And so to watch it grow has been really fun. Blame Drake for all the growth. And the weekend as well. And the weekend. Yeah. I love this new song. Bieber too. Bieber as well.

Yeah. At the time you had to go to the States and sign a record deal in the U.S. really to really cross over. But in Canada, the reason why you have so many amazing artists that come from Canada is because we actually, we promote our local music. In Canada, there's a rule,

you have to pay 30% local music. So if you're listening to the radio growing up or watching TV, you're going to see 30%. It's called CanCon con so you see Canadian yeah so Drake that's why he references so many Canadian things and you might be what's that you know it's because we're all you know grew up respecting and liking the things culturally that we grew up with watching which are very invested to it exactly and so the arts is a lot of arts grants and things like that to kind of develop artists, which is really nice.

And I think that's why it feels strong and healthy. And making this album, I made a lot of it in Toronto. It's so easy to find talent there, like any musician, anything. There's so much talent. It's crazy. You said something earlier. You said that you had to play a character. Oh, well, when you're on stage, yeah.

I think I started starting acting right before I made Loose. And, yeah, I learned how to kind of get into a character and what that means, you know? And so I think in a song, I started realizing that in a video, you can create a whole narrative in your mind the way an actor does. I got a couple of roles from that, I think. You know, people watch videos of mine and say, oh, I think you could do this, you know? And that's how I got a couple of roles from that, I think. People watch videos of mine and say, oh, I think you could do this.

And that's how I got a role in Max Payne. I have a small scene with Mark Wahlberg because the director said, I saw Say It Right and I feel like you could pull off this role. But I remember creating a whole narrative in that video because I don't ride around in a helicopter. I sit right in a video, I'm in a helicopter. So in my head, I say, okay,

who am I? Am I from a wealthy family or something? I'm in a helicopter. Where am I going? am I? Who am I? Am I like, you know, from a wealthy family or something? Why do I have a helicopter? Where am I going? Am I going to a party? Am I a spy? You know? So you create something in your mind so that the performance looks and feels a certain way.

Did you ever get lost in character so much just getting lost in the whole, not like for Taro, the performer of it all, that you had, that's another reason why you had to step away? Because you might have been losing yourself a little bit? Oh, let me think. i'm trying to think i mean i think again it's a fast-paced business you know what i mean it's fast-paced and so you don't have a lot of time to to ground or balance or that's the nature of travel right if you're flying around the world doing concerts like you don't really have a lot of time to sleep or you know so of

course you're gonna get burnt out to answer your question yeah you're gonna get burnt out um so yeah and then the added bonus of when you live real life you write really good songs like if you just like live it out it's like okay you're you got a lot of content you know whereas right imagine if you're just like on the road i mean there are people who write really good albums on the road. Timbaland used to have a bus on, I don't know which tour it was, but he had a whole studio bus. He recorded an entire album every night after he got off stage. So depending on what kind of music you make and what inspires you, anything is possible.

Did you party a lot? Because this is a party album. In this album? Yes. Very up-tempo party like i feel like i went out and celebrated a lot yeah i was like in my element and i think that there might have been other people around that were like kind of maybe like i get some tequila or something like that but i i don't really drink in the studio i don't i don't i don't do drugs or drink um i don't do any drugs but i i drink tequila once in a while but not in the studio i like i'm a totally sober every song i've ever written i've been 100 sober i'm actually proud tequila's plant-based tequila's plant-based no i know tequila is nice i i don't i don't i

don't actually i don't write or record under the influence and i've never done a like oh one time i had like a couple sips alcohol before a show but it was like just a couple songs and i was like i'm never doing this again i felt so dizzy oh wow yeah i thought i was gonna like i had felt flushed and so yeah music is subjective though because it's all about perspective right like envy said he feel like he get the party vibe but then some people can say they feel like you're healing from a heartbreak on though, because it's all about perspective, right? Like, Envy said he feel like he get the party vibe, but then some people can say they feel like you're healing from a heartbreak on this album because it sounds like love bites and ready for myself and save your breath.

So what was your, and I can't even say what was your mental state when you were doing this album because you did 500 songs. What's your vibe, I guess? Okay, so I had a breakup, and then I was, like, hurting the day one. Dude, it started off so sad. Like, the B-sides are like a whole other record they're like a really sad emo folk album because I got there and I was like

wow I haven't been here in five years I haven't been to the studio in five years I took a break I had my two babies back to back 14 months apart I kind of took I took them off to be like a stay-at-home mom which I also love but it was time to get back in and kind of find myself again

because I think we can all relate. After a breakup, you're sometimes lost. You're like, whoa, who am I, you know? Why did y'all break up, if you don't mind us asking? Life. Oh, y'all, that's you. You asked that question. Life.

We're vibing over here because I was committed to ask that because some of the songs are love bites, ready for myself, which I guess ready for myself is that you finding yourself again? Oh, that's a fun one. Yeah, I think, okay, the truth is I did a lot of self-work. I started this album four years ago, and I was doing a lot of journaling, a lot of, like, you know. Therapy. Yeah, just, like, really kind of getting to know myself, which is another added bonus of not being on the wheel all the time.

But save your breath kind of gives like, you know, you're in a good space now, like you're kind of forward, whatever. But thank you so much. Thank you. That means a lot to me. I'm proud of that one. It's actually probably the one I'm proudest of. Kind of on my whole career, actually. Yeah. My friends are on it. Your whole career? Yeah. Whole career is a... Wow. Wow. I don't know. But I brought that one up because it's like, to Envy's question, what were you moving on

from? What was the... You said it was life, but what is life? Things happen in relationships. What are those things for you that you're like, this is a no for me. It's time for me to be ready for myself. Just like, you got to reinvent yourself, I think. I thrive off that though.

I like that space. You know, I like that space of like, it's just me. Cause I don't know, I'm pretty good at being single. I'm good at it, man. So is Lauren. So is Lauren. Lauren LaRosa is too. She's really good at it.

First of all, this is my first first time being single ever in my adult life yeah so you know it's fun me too really 40s yeah 40s after three kids yeah so it was back to back to back for you yeah a lot of back to back and then um yeah yeah it's like kind of like you know suddenly single and you're like just taking a breath and really knowing yourself is kind of a gift yeah do you at this point in your life, like what is getting back to a relationship at some point look like for you?

Because, I mean, you've been in relationships 43, three kids. Like, are you looking to like marriage next

or do you just want to have fun? Like, what is next for you? Just dating. No. I'm on like fun dates. Yeah. You know,

let's go eat, whatever, have fun. That's it. I'm here for it. Period. Now, this is switching gears. I was going to say, well, I see have fun. That's it. I'm here for it. Period. Now, this is switching gears.

I was going to say, I see Kamala Harris used your record. I was going there next, Envy. You guys were so funny. So how did that feel when you heard her using your record? Did you hear that she used your record, Manita, or no? Of course. Okay. Did they ask you to clear it, or did they just use it?

No, it's TikTok. I don't know. It's just like, it's what it is i i'm i'm honored yeah you think that song scares men away from you oh wait i think i was asked that before like um wait are you really a man eater bye bye guy um but no i don't think it shouldn't it's just a song should it i don't know i don't think i think it's your world i think whatever you want to do you can do ma'am groundwork of what he should feel when he is in your vicinity you're interesting to me because i just like the space you're in because you are in your own world.

Like you have your own energy. Thank you. And I think that's probably why. You got to preserve your energy, right? Absolutely. Yeah. And not let anybody else shift who you are. Like the whole time we're talking to you,

I'm like, oh, there's nothing that's going to shift who she is. She's comfortable with who she is. Thank you. I've worked really hard at that. It doesn't come overnight. She's comfortable with who she is. Thank you. I've worked really hard at that. It doesn't come overnight, that's for sure. And I think that's why sort of my ability as a producer

and musician has gotten better and greater because now I think when I'm in the studio, I was always confident. I mean, for sure, you know, I was an individual, but now I'm, I just, I don't know, I have such healthy sense of detachment and boundaries. I'm not trying to feel everybody's feelings, you know? With the empathy, that could be hard, you know?

And I get the sense that you're just having fun now because you realize this shit ain't really about nothing. You got your kids, you can go home, be a mother when you want. Yeah, I do have a lot of other interests like outside of music. I mean, they're not that exciting, but I mean, dancing. I like dancing. That's what TikTok

is fun. You can go to the dance studio. It helps me, my state of mind, the choreographies, the discipline. But yes, to answer your question, I did use it as almost like to get through the last few years. I was like, okay, well, identity, right?

I was talking about identity. It's like, okay, well, what am I good at? I forgot that, how good I was at music. I was like, wow. Yeah, man, I got to this year and I was like, wait, I'm really good. And then my songs kept getting played again by DJs and on social media.

And it was like, I felt called back to it. I felt like, okay, it's easy to like second guess yourself when you have like maybe one hit and you're like 25, you know? And you can maybe have a lot of feelings of, you know, like you're not sure. But when you're 25 years into a career and then your songs are still touching people, you're reaching brand new audiences, you're reaching kids that weren't even born when the music came out. That starts to feel very real, very authentic, and something you can maybe lean into a little bit more with a little more confidence. And so that's what's happened to me the last few years. I found my identity again with my craft of like,

I'm good at this. I've always been good at this. It's about the music, you know? That's interesting because your lyrics always have explored like themes of identity and love and self-discovery. So now these new personal experiences are influencing, I guess, this new messaging, so to speak. Yes, I would say so.

I would say so. It's just beginning and kind of, you know, I mean, you got to stay in there to be good, you know, to be a good, like you got to be in the studio a lot, you know what I mean? If you want to stay like on top of your game, you can't really rest even. You have to kind of keep going and i found lately yeah i'm gonna it's all about the the flow that you're in and bless you and and access to that originality of sorts you know i always wanted to know how did you and timberland meet like how did that relationship come so strong

and then justin timberlake later on like you guys were strong trio people thought you was gonna trio yeah people thought y'all were gonna do an album with each other so how did y'all initially meet it's a really special chemistry between the three of us um so the really cool my little origin story with timbaland we'd like to hear is that um in 2001 actually no i put out my first album woe nelly in 2000 and one song called Baby Girl it's kind of like it's like a vocal arrangement we did Timbaland heard the song

and someone from my record company said hey Timbaland Timbaland's a fan of yours he wants to sample this song but he'd also like to meet you and like to come to the studio so right away I was a huge fan already you know i missed the albums and everything so i went to the studio and we hit it off from the jump like right away it was like i had to get in the booth and i started singing over the song i mean he didn't even hadn't invited me to sing at that

point i just was like i need a thing turn the mic. And then I was on the song, and it was a sample for Miss Jade, an artist he had at the time. Miss Jade. I did not know that that was in it. So that was a sample of your original song? It was. I did not know that. He sampled me.

And then the story doesn't end there. I ended up touring with Miss Jade. I had her opening for me on tour in the U.S., and then Timbaland came for a little run, too. He did a Turn Off the Light remix. But in addition, that very first day, he goes um I want you to hear something sit down so he said and like I sat in a good spot right in front of the speakers and he played me Get Your Freak On by Missy Elliott and no one had heard it I was probably one of the first people to hear it

and he goes Missy wants you on the remix can you you go to, I'm sorry, but I don't remember the state we went. It was probably Virginia where we went to record it. Can you fly to Virginia next week or whatever? And I said, yes. And I'm literally 22. And I remember I went with one of my best friends. I just flew there on my own. And I get to the studio and Missy's like, hey, what's up?

You know, I saw your video. I'm like a bird. Andy's like hey what's up uh you know I saw your video I'm like a bird and I was like who's this girl in shell toes and like the princess leia buns like this is this is so cool you're like I like your energy I feel like you started doing her sound effects to her like beep beep you do stuff like that well she just left me with the engineer she's like okay I'm gonna sit out here engineer, you know, Brian. I don't remember his name. I'm sorry, Brian. But then I sat in the studio and I was like, okay, it's game time. I got to hit this verse out of the park. And when I was coming up in Toronto, I would do this thing where I had too many lyrics

and I had to try to fit them all in the bars. So I had to come up with a way to sing rap them, you know? And so that's the style you hear on that record that get a freaking remix so i'm in there and i'm like i gotta get another part she's gonna love it okay and i was just like yeah i just went for it and then she did love it so she was first verse you laid she was like yeah that's it done deal records yeah wow and justin timberlake how did y'all meet justin uh met um so timbaland and i flew you know, make good on the promise of all our earlier remixes. Jimmy Iovine from my label said,

you got to go work with him again and fulfill the promise of that chemistry you got, you know? So I was like, yeah. And we were in the same state of mind musically. We were listening to a lot of, like, really cool stuff, like kind of rock and, like, just interesting mix of things. We were on the same wavelength i flew to miami started cutting loose with timbaland we finished loose justin heard it and you know kept

going with tim and finished future sex love sounds and so while i was finishing my record justin was starting that and he came through the studio and um yeah he's so impressive he's he's a real deal really talented and he was like right there when we wanted him to be on this this new song we put out last year called keep going up and uh I don't know it just feels you know I think actions speak louder than words in a way you know with that with family and the idea of supporting you know artists because you know how it is it's business right so it's cool when people can you know deliver that way so you know how it is. It's business, right? So it's cool when people can, you know, deliver that way so quickly. It was a quick turnaround.

We just made the record and we put it out. Were there any, because those are like historical, like you listened to Missy Elliott's song before anybody heard it, and that song, you know what I mean? It's huge. Were there any songs that you got to hear first and you were like, oh, maybe it's not for me, and then it like became a staple icon like that song?

Yeah. We thought Promiscuous was just going to be like a club record just for the clubs we thought it would just kind of just come out people dance to it for a bit and then we just shot to number one it was number one for weeks and weeks and weeks i think you're talking about people that like your artist yeah like where they bring you on because i feel like you you had such a way yeah pop and roll songs. Yeah, oh my God, Jurassic 5. Jurassic 5 used to record in their house in LA. And I'm on a song called Thin Line. The Roots, Phrenology.

I was listening to Cody Chestnut before because I heard Cody Chestnut's whole thing before he came out with that album because he would be hanging in Philly with the Roots. Shout out Questlove. Still friends with Questlove after all these years. I used to sing You Got Me on the Area 1 one tour that outcast was on with the roots and um so that he's he's the realist one of the realists in the business i think and um basically yeah the

phrenology album i'm on that album too i I don't know. So Cody Chestnut, pretty legendary. He'd be hanging around in Philly and we heard all his songs. Shoot. Now I'm like, I like this type of conversation. I'm thinking about good times. Yeah. And it's like, just cool records. Just cool

stuff. Before it got... I keep thinking. The good question. Before it got too businessy before the business took over that's what it feels like when you just like you mean now

the business now versus how the business used to be yeah like it seems like back then when you were talking it was just creative and it was fun it was art

you were doing it for the love but then you blew up I mean well I mean it was I mean I don't know because I felt like I kind of blew up with my first album

because I was already like on pretty big tours and doing – but it was a different type of thing, I guess, than Loose because then Loose was, I guess, even bigger than that album. So, yeah. But I'm trying to think. I'm trying to – Oh, man. I'm trying to think of some other songs like that.

Yeah. Oh, there's a Lil Wayne remix. And he recorded it in Miami. Do you know when we saw Man Eater? Is he rapping about eating men? No. We never heard that though, right? Huh?

We never heard that remix, did we? I think someone leaked it recently. Not that. I feel like you could probably find it on on the internet but um because um the uh his his studio was was right right beside where jimbo and woodwork right there at the hit factory and um and uh he he came through and did like he did a really amazing verse and we had a remix i thought music, music's totally different. I performed that remix before, but not with Lil Wayne's verse, but cool little things like that, you know?

Can I ask you about motherhood? Can I ask you about motherhood? Sure. How has motherhood influenced your perspective on life? And isn't your daughter- I have three kids. Involved in this album too? Yeah, actually, yeah, she's turning 21 tomorrow.

Same day my album comes out. Wow. And she's credited as one of the A&Rs on the album, actually, and she works in the music business. She's working already at the second record company she's worked at, and she's in marketing, A&R. She goes to NYU, and she's really smart. Is she like the person that you're afraid

to play your music for? Yeah. There's some songs like, I've got a crazy song with my friend, and my friend played it for her, and I'm like, ah, you played her that one? It's just like, you know. Good critiques though. What does she normally sing back to the music she doesn't like?

What does she say? Yeah, like when she doesn't like something, what does she say? She'd be like, your mom is white. Yeah, of course. Yeah, she's very opinionated. And she's talented. So she has some co-writes too. She wrote some stuff on the album too with me.

But it was like super low key, you know. No big deal. Because she has a little-writes too she wrote some stuff on the album too with me but it was like super low key you know like no big deal because she has a little other administrative side as well so anyways

yeah it's a process she reminded me actually to kind of be real with my sound and she kept saying this one thing she said mom

there's two you know you need to make the music three dimensional you know this beat isn't three-dimensional enough. It's like too basic or like your vocals or like we need to round out the sound.

Like real kind of, I guess, I feel like she was thinking about everything. Kind of like, like she and our, well, and our kind of creative director, like Tiny Desk I did recently. Yeah. She was very involved and was like, you gotta do this she is the one who told me to do the get your freak on remake she said you must do that one she's your most most honest anr ever like your most honest critic yes wow it's kind of like it's cool having kids especially become adults because it's the closest thing to having like a second brain you know and

you're like i wish i had two people so i could get more done, you know? So she'll like come in, like in those moments, you know, where I'm like, I need help, you know, finishing this artwork or like, what do you think? Like, you know? Yeah. It's really, really, it's been a blessing. Did you want her to be in the music industry? No, I didn't. I probably kept her away from the spotlight. Yeah. Yeah. I protected it. I tried my best to protect her privacy um because you know i like you know i think that's important and um the crazy yeah yeah yeah i mean how are you gonna you know you gotta you gotta know who you are you're gonna become you i think that's important and And yeah, so music business.

Do I want my kids to be? You can't fight it if they're talented. I don't think. You know what I mean? Look at somebody like Justin Bieber. It's clear he wanted to be there singing. Some music was coming out of him at a young age as a kid. And I was singing at a young age,

but I didn't get to do it professionally until later. But I'm grateful because I got to go to college for a bit. I got to backpack in Europe. I got to go'm grateful because I got to go to college for a bit. I got to backpack in Europe. I got to go to prom. I got to work at the alarm company. It's got to be tough when you're disconnecting from the industry and your daughter wants to be in it. Oh, I don't mind.

It's two different facets too. I don't mind because she's more on the marketing and the business side. You know what I mean? So I'm just always like, was that her choice or did you encourage her to go in from that side and just do the creative stuff with you became natural it was natural she she actually didn't go into the studio with me besides for like maybe as a kid a baby once in a while she didn't go into the studio with me until she was 16 and she discovered she loved it so yeah and you know you have reinvented yourself

a bunch of times across a bunch of different albums. So what makes you want to explore new sounds and themes and new creative directions, besides your daughter? What makes you want to do it? Oh me, oh, I'm a curious mind. I just have a curious mind. I mean, I have an entire album in Spanish

I put out in 2009. My parents are Portuguese, they're from the Azores Islands. And I don't know, I just grew up with a lot of eclectic music. I was in the Portuguese marching band like my grandfather was a marching band composer I you know would just hang out and um record dance music with my DJ friends or or more like hip-hop with with my friends that had hip-hop groups or whatnot over the years so I I I don't think I I see music in terms of genre.

I see it as a language. So that's really what inspired me. Because I think more than anything, I like people. I like people. So that's what the curiosities were. Like on Save Your Breath, actually, that artist is from Haiti, Willianne Wanaway. She's my friend, my collaborator's mother.

And she's actually a TikTok star. She has a motivational sort of TikTok she does. And she's a great artist. She's probably 55, I think she is. And then my friend's mother, Tabora, she's 77. She's on that record, too. She used to sing with Rick James. Wow.

Yeah. And then Tynomi Banks, who's a very successful drag queen and a good friend of mine, is on there record too. She used to sing with Rick James. Wow. Yeah. And then Tynomi Banks who's a very successful drag queen and a good friend of mine is on there too. And that's why I say this is a community recording because it's just, I love bringing people together.

Did you ask her about Rick James? Did you be like, hey, what old Chappelle episode's real? I don't know. Any good cocaine stories with Rick James? It sounds colorful, yes. It sounds colorful. Yes. It sounds colorful.

But yeah, we, geez. I just, I love that you asked me that. What about cocaine? No, about having an interest in like eclectic, like, you know, like how I'm interested in so many styles of music and why, like why, what's the reason? And I think at the end of the day, I have a curious mind mind and i just want to challenge myself all the time and i get bored very easily and i just want to check i got a song with andrea bocelli and the game you know it's

like there's no thread you know that's dope i was gonna ask when you see other artists like kind of getting like bash for doing that being able to switch in and out of genres and different types of music yes how do you feel about that because you've done it very well and it's like kind of getting like bashed for doing that, being able to switch in and out of genres and different types of music. How do you feel about that? Because you've done it very well and it's been accepted across very different genres and ethnicities. Like, how does that make you feel?

Yeah, I feel you on that. I guess, I think, I mean, I get the same thing too, cause people don't under, I'm hard to market. It's hard to market my music. You know what I mean? Why? Cause I'm not a brand. You think you get that?

I feel like people have accepted. Like what brand am I don't even know yeah you you've always what's the aesthetic I have no clue I think Nelly Furtado is just Nelly Furtado like you're one of those people like like Nelly Furtado put out an album I'm listening I got introduced to you I knew about the old Nelly album but I really got introduced to you when you started working with Timbaland okay but so from that moment on it seems like I'm always checking for Nelly Furtado just because of the connection with Timbaland. That's my personal experience with Timbaland.

You're right, yeah. There's always different avenues for people to come find you. You feel like you got back, you feel like you didn't get accepted in certain genres and stuff? I'm not going to say that.

I'm just going to say that I think every artist, when they try to change their sound or style, you'll definitely get, like for instance, right? My second album was called Folklore. Mm-hmm was called folklore and you know when i first came out my image on wonelli was more like oh look she's like eclectic but like she's portuguese but she has

a little bit of hip-hop influence she has this and that so it's sort of like oh wow you know like you know look at the fun ethnic girl do fun music, you know what I mean? And then when I came with Folklore, it was a little more like emo and singer-songwriter.

So it was like, oh, I don't get it. You know, why is she sad? Feel me? Like you're not allowed to be sad.

Yeah. I get what you're saying. That vibe. But some people really mess with it and it's your favorite album ever. Folklore, you know? I feel like that's what

artists should do. I don't like when artists stay just consistent on one thing. The reason I love Kendrick Lamar is because Good Kid, Mad City sounds totally different than the Pimple Butterfly.

Pimple Butterfly sounds totally different than Damn. Damn sounds totally different than Mr. Morale and the Big Step. I love that. But it's also the influences, right? Her influences are

De La Soul but also Madonna. They go from so many are De La Soul, but also Madonna. Like, they go from so many different ranges. Yeah, they really do. Yeah, I grew up on kind of 80s too. Like, you know, like my dad had like a record player in the living room,

so I was listening to also like Abba or Lionel Richie or like everything just meshed together. And then I will say being 14 or 15 in the late 90s was a gift amazing time the best R&B and urban like it gave me I got goosebumps again I got goosebumps twice on the show today um so like I'm just lucky you know that I got to grow up with the influences I had um but I think artists should take more risks I love when artists because what people don't realize is like they're

just kind of like, you got to deconstruct to construct again. How are you going to like grow or get better if you don't deconstruct, right? It's like anything, like a garden, right? A garden like the flowers wilt in the winter. But when you do an album, or you step outside of the box, quote unquote box,

and you don't get recognized, how does that feel? And the reason we say that is, everybody's been talking about Beyonce, who did the country album and not nominated. So how would that make you feel as an artist? You put this album out. It was number one on the charts.

Your record was spinning number one. Yeah. But that genre doesn't recognize you. Yeah. Jeez. I think that, hmm, that's a good question, too. How do I feel? I had an answer.

You were going and I was going. Feel your feels, Nelly. Feel your feels. Nelly, you're not in a rush. Feel your feels. Okay, okay, okay. I tend to do that in interviews. I talk really fast.

We know. We know. Yeah, I'm going through the... I mean, I got lucky with the Spanish album probably because I had a history. I had done a song with Juanes. I'd done a song with Callanez i'd done a song with calle trece i had i'd done some stuff you know in spanish um and by the time that that album

came around i spent a lot of time curating it you know what i mean like i worked very closely with um my really good friend uh who a and r did andres and and we we we reached out to the community got a lot of different voices involved everybody from juan luis guerra to um we even have like alejandro fernandez on the album julietta venegas so we have like a lot of you have to just be mindful you know what i mean and do it try to do it with as much grace as you can right or be just like um i don't know for me i always um do you remember his original question no i was gonna make you rock girl because you cute you look so good answering it though keep the glasses it's a look is it. The glasses is a look.

Is it? Yes, it's a look. I do that all the time. I look at it and they look like they glazed over. I'm like, what the fuck? I'm like, where she going? I'm so confused. Originally he basically said Beyonce wasn't accepted.

How did you feel? I was talking about Beyonce not being accepted. Oh my God, good question. Outside the box. See, I thought I respect her. It was too much going on in the beginning of it anyway. And he took a long time to ask and I think you drifted off and we were here for you. She drifted off.

We were here for you. That's the peak artistry when you can shift the cultural needle. You know what I'm saying? And the political needle. Like, that's incredible. The respect is huge. And I also was lucky enough to kind of come up. Well, no, Destiny's Child was already out, but like, you know, I crossed paths with Beyonce

a couple of times briefly. And I love her, obviously, her's Child was already out, but like, you know, I crossed paths with Beyonce a couple times briefly. And I love her, obviously, her energy and her light. And I think that that is like the peak of what you could achieve as an artist is do something like that. That's absolutely peak, you know? How do you feel about you? So being accepted doesn't really matter at all. You know what? I'll tell you this.

You got it. You answered it. You'll tell you this. You got it. You answered it. You did it. Yes. Go girl. There you go. Because there are sometimes. Sometimes.

I got that girl. There are songs. Sometimes there are songs where you might think no one was listening. No one was paying attention. But I'm telling you like years later, a DJ might remix it. Yeah. This happened to a song I put out. Rodney Jerkins produced it.

It's called Big Coops. Super cool track. I put it out. Yeah. This happened on a song I put out. Rodney Jerkins produced it. It was called Big Coops. Super cool track. I put it out. Yeah. 2013. So on the Spirit of Indestructible album I did. Jamming. Literally, if you played it right now,

I'd be like, see? But like, it was fine. It didn't really make any waves or anything. But 10 years later, these DJs from the UK, they remixed it. And it was top 40. It was like was like you know I played at my shows and I'm like see real recognizes real at the end of the day someone will find it same happened with my track powerless which was successful in certain places but not globally years later I'm you know

I I'm I'm you know halfway across the world and and you know I'm at a school. I was doing some nonprofit work and teaching girls songwriting and things like that. And they say to me, wait, that's the one we want to sing. That's our theme song for this school. You know what I mean? All the way in Kenya. And I go, see, that's why. That's why I make this.

Eventually, if you write a song from your heart, somebody's going to find it someday. Even this new stuff, I'm putting it out tomorrow. It's like I go away for a long time, you know. I don't have like that type of cycle in my albums where my fans are like right there with me. And it's like I treat it kind of different. So I don't know who the music will get to or when or how fast. But I do know that whoever does listen to it, you know what I mean? Eventually, it'll get its own love or whatever.

You know, whatever love it deserves. Because the pressure isn't there as much. You know, you're good with what happens and you know how to grow. I appreciate the little things. That's right. Like my record with Dom Dala. Really amazing tech house DJ. It's called Eat Your Man.

It just went gold in Canada. And we didn't expect it. It was again, oh, let's make a club record for the rapes. You know, we've since performed it at Lollapalooza, Coachella. Like it's like, it's a proper like, you know, it's in the dance canon now. You're like eating men so much. My friend wrote that with me. She's like, you should reference yourself. My really good friend Anjali from another great writer from Toronto. And she's like, why not? And so it would take like a friend to convince you to reference yourself. You know, you're not going to do that on your own. Not me.

That's not my personality. But I was like, sure. Like, that's cute. Like, I love remix culture. I think the idea, like, it's very meta, you know, very unique, actually. I liked it. You know? You did 4 million, 4.4 million views for your Tiny Desk.

So I think people love. Is that good? Yeah, that's great. But it's the live performance, Nelly, that people love. And I know that you talked a little bit sometimes about Vegas. Is that something that you would do? Is that coming? That's an idea I've been cooking up lately.

Yeah, I really love the culture around Loose as an album and the culture around Timbaland and I's connection and just like the idea of it's a very it's a very clear picture. It's those late nights in Miami. It's like those palm trees and the red and white cover and the whole. I met somebody recently who does a whole club night called Loose in LA and I couldn't believe it. It was like, no, this is the hottest party. It's called Loose. And I was like, oh, that's crazy because I want to do a vegas show called loose and it all made sense like i just think vegas would be the great outlet for

recreating loose uh in a cool environment and being creative with it of course so you want to do a residency there uh ultimately i feel like that would be on my bucket list yeah no deals have come your way with that yet because this is not your first time mentioning it they haven't grasped that yet like they haven't no it's it's it. They haven't grasped that yet? No, it's in the works. Yeah. It's a bubbling. Oh, that's dope. Yeah.

Okay. When, next year, 2025? That remains to be seen because the 25th, Luce will be 25 years old in 2025. Or, I'm sorry, 2026. You really a legacy artist now, Nelly Patano. Isn't that funny? Wow.

It don't feel like 25 years, but I guess time flies, huh? I know. What do you think about social media, right? How do you view its impact on artists and their relationship with fans compared to when you first started your career? Because it's like a real direct connection and they want so much of you. I like social media. Okay.

I don't know. It vibes with my mind. I really like TikTok. I love and they want so much i like social media okay i don't know i like it vibes with my mind like i really like tiktok i love that it's so immediate i love you know d i mean like djs or they dm me and like i do this remix or artists and it's so it's so direct it's so instantaneous and i do like that about it um so you answer your ds and everything. Some of them, yeah. Oh, they're going to be in there like crazy today. Hey. At Nelly Furtado. Yeah. So I think social media is actually pretty amazing when it comes to music business stuff.

At the same time, I don't always love when I thought I knew a song, but then I hear the whole song and it's totally different. You know, like you said, TikTok sounding like, oh, this song's actually really good when I heard the whole song, you know? But I mean, whatever, I can deal with that too. It's fun. It's all fun.

How do you balance the vulnerability that's required, you know, not just in songwriting, but nowadays just as a talent period, because people want so much of you. Vulnerability, right? Yeah, how do you balance being vulnerable but also having boundaries in your personal life? That's such a tough one, man.

That's a tough one because my songs are so personal. They're almost like sometimes I'm like just draining blood from my heart into the song actually. So it's like, they're really personal. So, some songs are more personal than others, but it's hard, because if people ask me about it, like I don't wanna necessarily go into detail, I'll be more like, well, you listen to the song,

and you feel what it makes you feel, you know what I mean? Do you not go into detail, because it like rehashes that pulling blood situation? Or it's like, you don't wanna be sad, you wanna like just be like just negative i like to kind of like stick in the positive energy you know what i mean i find like it's more tracked it attract it's more magnetic yeah you know what i mean like because i think i've been caught out there before in the past over the years you know whatever careers highs and lows

where you kind of like you focus like you're too like you get too caught up in the wrong things or like the wrong way to express yourself or like you're not you know what i mean like you got to focus on the positive and they just keep that joyful energy i think that's important that makes all the sense in the world it was serious but joyful like what if you come in the studio you're positive but then somebody brings up one of your songs that might trigger you still but it's your song so oh that's a good question too um yeah that'll be interesting i think i'll just start that journey tomorrow when the album comes Oh, that's a good question too. Yeah, that'll be interesting. I think I'll just start that journey tomorrow when the album comes out

because yeah, I'm going to get asked. They're going to ask me. Who's idea was it? Whether it's a fan or, you know, I got to pick and choose what I want to talk about, I think. Who's idea was it to go more urban in hip hop? For the album? No, no, no, just what you're doing.

Oh, my whole life. Your influences have been De La Soul. You talk about, you know, Tim album no no no just what you're doing because your influences have been de la soul you talk about you know uh timberland you talk about it but now it's like you're doing more of that you're doing more interviews you're doing more why is that it's because it is an influential thing or you think that some of your records have crossed over before yeah i mean i always felt like you just like the blacks. It's been natural. You know what I mean? It's been a natural thing. It's just like people, you know, you don't chase anything.

You know what I mean? My manager always would say that, you know, you let people come to you, you know, and it's like, and that's organic, you know? And so that's it, you know, just like whatever energy comes my way, people want to work with me. But yeah, it's true. Yeah. Early in my career. Yeah.

A lot of, a lot of urban artists wanted to work with me. You know what I mean? And it was just natural. It wasn't something I sought out, you know, it was just organic, you know, it's kind of what I think that was a good answer. Yeah. I think dope recognizes dope. Yep. You know what I mean?

Like there's certain people you can smell it on, and you'd be like, okay, that's not authentic. But, like, I think, like, you, Amy Winehouse, like, to me, y'all got the right energy. Thank you. Because I don't take that lightly, you know? I don't want to, you know. Offend the blacks.

Well, no, I also feel just privileged to be making music. You know, and obviously it's the influences, you know what I mean? The history. I'm just happy to be sort of accepted, I guess, by a lot of different genres. Even Latin, Spanish music. My parents are Portuguese. But if you do it with sincerity,

and you're coming from a place of learning and sincerity it's like no one can fault you for that right and if you try to do it well right and that's because i feel like i'm just still that person that just really believes music is the only kind of proof of life and proof of God in terms of people you can get together people that don't even like each other I've experimented with that before in a art like art setting not too far at MoMA PS1 I was invited to just at the fundraiser to own a room and do whatever art performance art I wanted to do and I chose to teach people how to write songs but a bunch of people would just come in the room and some of them weren't songwriters

and we would just make a song out of thin air together. And to me, it was asking the question, like why do you feel connected to somebody you walk by on the sidewalk? You know what I mean? Why do you feel connected to a stranger you walk by? Like, what is that? It's a collective, you know, a collective unconscious.

And so music is proof of that, man. It's proof of that. You know, seven is God's number. Oh,'s proof of that you know seven is god's number goosebump seven is god seven is god's number yes i didn't know that tell me more about that seven is god's number i'm about to google it don't worry tell me more i do have one last question i know i need to leave i have the answer to the second answer the question um it is it's in the second team. I know, I need to leave. I have the answer to the second question. Go ahead, answer the question. It's in the Bible. The number seven is quite significant in the Bible,

appearing over 700 times throughout both the Old and the New Testaments. In biblical numerology, seven symbolizes completion or perfection. It is said that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day. Completion and perfection. My grandma would have been mad I had to Google that because I knew that. It's good angel numbers, too, if you see 777. Let me find it. Yeah, and 7-Eleven as well. 7-Eleven?

You like 7-Eleven? No numbers. Yeah, 7-Eleven I love. It means the numbers, not the store, guys. Not the store. 11 is my favorite number. 11? And 22, just because they're like.

I like three. Do you know your life path number? I'm kind of into life path numbers. My favorite is three. Mine's three. Do you know your life path number? No'm kind of into life path numbers. My favorite is three. Mine's three. Do you know your life path number? No. I used to.

I'm going to count your date. Oh, no. I was just going to tell you my last question. She looked at the paper like, what's the last question? No, no, no. Who is Nelly Furtado right now? I'm a work in progress. Yeah.

I'm just a work in progress. I'm just taking it day by day just kind of trying to like just accept myself and love myself as much as i can and and uh you know not take my craft for granted and my talents for granted and just be grateful so you'll be back this isn't a one and done like you're not gonna go back i know disappear for another seven years what's your sign we still don't trust me pardon what's your sign a sagittarius i was gonna call the album sagittarius oh really oh yeah i'm november 22nd 22nd oh you're just barely a sagittarius yeah i'm cuss they think i'm crazy when i say that, though. No, you're still Sagittarius. Definitely.

So, yeah, that's who I am right now. I'm just, like, taking it day by day. I'm figuring it out. Trying to accept my flaws. But then I think the key, too, is, like, accept my light as well. We all have to accept the light we have. And just, like, and that's a lifelong journey. That's the beauty of life.

It is a journey. Yeah. And you should just appreciate and respect the process. We appreciate you for joining us this morning. You were really amazing. I got goosebumps four times. And you were nervous when you came in here or something. You were. You were like, what are you gonna ask? What are you gonna ask? I'm glad. Yep. I'm sorry. We could have asked you Kendrick or Drake. Pick one, but we didn't, so.

The weekend. The weekend. I'm sorry we could have asked you Kendrick or Drake pick one but we didn't so we didn't the weekend the weekend alright it's Nelly Furtado it's the breakfast club good morning wake that ass up early in the morning

the breakfast club