Nelly Furtado is proof we’re still missing the point so here's another reminder
Newsflash: she's not 22 anymore, so the internet needs to stop expecting her to look it.
“Promiscuous Girl” was probably not the most appropriate soundtrack of my youth, but who can deny it’s catchy?
Her voice was everywhere in the early 00s, from my car speakers to school discos.
As clip after clip popped up on TikTok, I watched her performances at the Boardmasters Festival this weekend.
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Aging like fine wine. Criticised like sour grapes
The nostalgia hit me like a 90s kid sucker punch. Seeing her still happily singing the words to the same beloved songs to a crowd of adoring fans was nothing short of healing.
But then, I opened the comment section.
Video after video, I encountered fat-shaming, body-shaming, and cruel comments about her appearance.
It was everywhere on TikTok. The app that’s supposed to be the kingdom of positive, progressive Gen Zers.
The very same woman who had inspired so many of us, who had provided the soundtrack to our youth, was now being publicly torn down for her body.
At 46 years old. With three kids. Why is this the narrative we continue to push?
Why do we hold the unattainable expectation that, more than 20 years later, Nelly should still have the same figure as that young woman who once sang “I’m like a bird?”
Simply search it on TikTok. ‘Broadmasters 2025 Nelly Furtado’ and the first video is hundreds of horrific comments that I wouldn’t want any young girl reading.
“Did she take her maneater song literally?” writes one commenter.
“Wasn’t expecting that build,” another said.
A third wrote: “I’m like a bird… yeah big bird.”
Stop trying to drown mums in the fountain of youth
What does this teach our kids about aging? What does it say to women who have aged, who have sacrificed their bodies to have kids?
Are we really still spouting the narrative that women are only worthy when they look a certain way? That mentality is so 2002, guys.
We tell our kids not to judge others for things beyond their control, but in the same breath write something hateful in a comment section.
It’s not an isolated incident. Just last month, similar comments were being made about Jennifer Love Hewitt’s body.
It seeps into the everyday lives of ordinary women who are constantly bombarded with the same impossible standards.
This isn’t just about Nelly Furtado or Jennifer Love Hewitt. It’s about all of us.
We should be honoring Nelly for getting on that stage, for giving us the songs that have helped shape the soundtrack of our lives, for being a mother, for growing older with grace and continuing to pursue her passion.
Instead of focusing on how women look, let’s talk about what they’re doing.
Let's celebrate how far they’ve come. Let's cheer for the 46-year-old mum who gets on stage and shows up for herself and her fans.
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Growing up, I watched a media landscape where women starved themselves, squeezed into dresses that didn’t fit, and worked tirelessly to sell a Barbie-esque figure as the ultimate pedestal of success.
If we keep perpetuating harmful narratives, we’re only reinforcing the cycle. How about we welcome a new age.
One where our kids grow up with different body types celebrated and platformed, regardless of how they’re packaged.
So, you know what? I’m going to go pop Nelly on repeat. She’s earned every single one of my streams.
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Originally published as Nelly Furtado is proof we’re still missing the point so here's another reminder
