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It’s been a long, wonderful and sometimes challenging ride for Nelly Furtado since the multiple Grammy-winning singer arrived on the wings of her first hit, “I’m Like a Bird.” Her career has seen her top the charts numerous times with subsequent hits like “Promiscuous” and “Maneater,” while selling over 16 million records worldwide. Along the way, the native of Victoria, B.C. formed her own company, had a daughter, Nevis, recorded a Grammy-winning Spanish language album and devoted herself to her favorite charity, Free the People. But after her 2012 album, The Spirit Indestructible, Nelly wanted off the rollercoaster and took a five-year break. Now she’s back with a new album, The Ride, and ...

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 movin...