Nelly Furtado - The Spirit Indestructible

Six years ago Nelly unleashed Loose, a bold album that sold more than 10 million copies on the strength of the monster hit singles “Maneater” and “Promiscuous.” Since then, Canada’s red-hot mama released a Spanish CD and married Cuban-born Demacio Castellon. She also spent time with her daughter, Nevis, now eight. This month, Furtado releases her most mature statement to date, an album she calls “an ode to the spirit which resides in all of us and triumphs over anything.”

Some songs, including the title track, arose from trips Furtado made to Kenya as ambassador of Free the Children. On the introspective “Thoughts,” the Kenyan Boys Choir joins her, while “The Most Beautiful Thing” is a moving duet with Portuguese singer Sara Tavares. The album also features harder beats, especially “Big Hoops (The Bigger the Better)” and “Parking Lot,” where Furtado revisits her uninhibited youth. Inspirational and hedonistic, Nelly’s latest has something for everyone.