Nelly Furtado admits 'Gen Z singing' her songs was 'a big deal'

Nelly Furtado just developed new-found love for her older music.

In the recent years, the Grammy winning singer’s early hits have seen a surge of popularity via TikTok. In January 2023, the pop star performed live after a five-year long hiatus in Australia where “the Gen Z’s singing all the words blew my brain,” Furtado told PEOPLE magazine in an exclusive conversation.

The 45-year-old artist continued, "I went, 'Whoa, this is real. This is not just a fun app. This is my music reconnecting. This is a big deal.’”

Particularly her post-performance epiphany struck while she was working on her seventh album, 7, her first in seven years, released on September 20.

Her inspiration also came from what Furtado deemed as the "biggest heartbreak" she's faced, referring to her split from rapper Jerry, with whom she shares a daughter, 6, and son, 5.

“I was single again, so I was going to clubs, going to parties, and I’d hear my music everywhere. For the first time I wasn’t shy to hear it," the Maneater hitmaker told the outlet, adding, "It was inspiring. I was able to celebrate myself a little bit more. After all these years it started to feel like, ‘This is a real career you’ve created. It’s not just a temporary thing.’”