Her equipment—sculptural items from Vitaly and Alexis Bittar—caught the stage lights with each transfer, whereas shield-style Ray-Ban sun shades lent her a razor-sharp, cinematic edge. Even earlier than singing a word, she commanded consideration. Between songs, she leaned into the group, exchanging smiles and fast phrases with followers.

Later, she shared these moments on Instagram Stories, together with one repost from an attendee declaring, “They say don’t meet your heroes but @nellyfurtado is the loveliest queen.”

The set got here months after Furtado publicly addressed long-running hypothesis about her look. In January, she posted a photograph sporting an orange bikini, stating that she had by no means undergone cosmetic surgery or beauty injections, besides for brand spanking new veneers.

“This year I became aware of the aesthetic pressure of my work in a brand new way,” she wrote. “At the same time, I experienced new levels of self-love and confidence from within.”

Her message emphasised physique neutrality and authenticity. “Express yourself freely, celebrate your uniqueness, and know that it’s perfectly OK to be OK with what you see in the mirror,” she urged. “It’s also OK to want something different.”

Furtado has lengthy spoken concerning the challenges of illustration within the pop music trade. She’s recalled early-2000s magazines digitally lightening her pores and skin and narrowing her hips with out her consent.

“I have olive skin, and they’d lighten it a lot,” she advised People final yr. “They would take my hips down all the time.”

After a years-long break from the highlight to boost her three youngsters, she returned in 2024 with renewed artistic freedom. “I have a clear sense of detachment and boundaries now,” she advised NPR. “Conflict can make magic.”

At Boardmasters, that mix of confidence, resilience, and playful experimentation was on full show—reminding the group why Furtado stays one in every of pop’s most enduring voices.