Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado has made a surprise return to music with a new single, months after announcing she would step away from the industry due to intense body shaming. The 47-year-old singer shared a snippet of 'Torture of the Heart', a collaboration with Canadian electronic duo DVBBS, on Instagram.
In the clip, Furtado wears a black tank top, a forest green beanie, gold hoop earrings and a gold chain. Fans flooded the comments with excitement, with one writing: 'I'm so happy you are still releasing music,' while another added: 'The queen has arrived.'
Furtado had declared her intention to step back from performance in early 2025, citing body shaming and a desire to pursue other creative projects. 'I have decided to step away from performance for the foreseeable future,' she wrote on Instagram. However, she continued to release music, and in March 2026 she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and received the Trailblazer award at a women’s health event in Toronto.
DVBBS told Billboard that Furtado sent them a demo idea months ago, and 'it was almost like she was in the room, singing straight into our soul.' They praised her authenticity and openness. Furtado has also spoken about body neutrality, writing on Instagram: 'Know that it's perfectly okay to be okay with what you see in the mirror.' She is a mother of two.
