MANILA, Philippines – “My daughter is quarter Filipino. I always said that her most beautiful features come from the Philippines,” reveals a very bubbly Nelly Furtado at her press conference in Edsa Shangri-la Hotel, one day before she co-headlined a concert with rap rock group Gym Class Heroes on August 16.

The unexpected connection to the Philippines doesn’t end there: Nelly says she loves eating puto, lumpia and pancit as well. “There’s no party without Filipino food!” 

Those deep, chiseled cheeks, caramel skin, intense grey eyes and distinctly high-pitched voice are just some of the things that make Nelly, well, Nelly.

She sky-rocketed to fame when her single “I’m Like a Bird” became the mantra of girls everywhere and won her the 2002 Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Back then, she was a personification of the hip, free — even bohemian — spirit.

Since then, we’ve seen her many evolutions. 

Her 3rd album, “Loose,” brought out a more aggressive, danceable Nelly with songs like “Promiscuous” and “Maneater.” But this album, her most successful one to date having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, also includes the soulful, bittersweet track, “All Good Things (Come to an End).”

Along with “Broken Strings” (a duet with James Morrison), “All Good Things (Come to an End)” shows us a more serious and reflective Nelly. 

So where is she now? What kind of Nelly are we going to hear in her latest album set to be released in September?

Only Nelly can answer.

Her latest album

“I call (my new album) a friendly punch in the face. It’s aggressive, loud, fast and impactful. Its message is positive.”

The album, “The Spirit Indestructible,” took her 3 years to put together and is only her 4rth English album.

The creative process it involved was a strange one for Nelly. “I felt like I was going through a highway and I saw an exit and I wanted to take that musical exit,” she says.

“I didn’t feel like I should limit myself to the North American audience. I even did a duet with Andrea Bocelli in Portuguese. The album has a lot of rock, pop, even reggae.” 

Like all of her past albums, this new one is just as personal and close to her heart. “The title, ‘The Spirit Indestructible,’ is a sort of mantra for me and my fans,” Nelly says.

According to her, out of all her albums, this one is the most exciting.

“This album is all about positivity, youth, energy and the relentlessness of the spirit,” she posits. “I want (people) to jump, dance, scream, laugh, cry, love, vibe to it and turn it up very loud everywhere.” 

On the spirit

Woven into the creative threads that eventually formed Nelly’s album are the many events in her life that have inspired many of the songs.

She counts motherhood as one of them, as well as her experiences as a Free the Children ambassador. Nelly’s role took her to Africa where she has helped build schools and hospitals for underprivileged kids. The positivity in her album comes largely from the inspiring stories of the children she has helped.

One of them is Spencer West. Nelly shares, “He lost his legs but just climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. He’s an author now, too.” 

Nelly says she is “humbled” to be able to perform in the Philippines despite the recent calamity. “The Philippines is said to have a water-proof spirit. My album is called ‘The Spirit Indestructible’ so I do believe in the power of the spirit,” she says.

What do you get when you bring together a singer with an indestructible spirit and a population with a water-proof one?

Something close to soul-mates. – Rappler.com