Whatever happened to Nelly Furtado?

Back in 2000, Nelly Furtado burst onto the music scene, quickly becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

Her hit singles were consistently number one on the NZ Music Charts, including Turn Off The Light, Promiscuous, and Say It Right.

But then everything changed.

Furtado has since revealed she suffered a breakdown.

"I had a nervous breakdown on stage. I was on the Loose tour and my daughter was with me - I was being a mum and a singer on the road.

I was exhausted," she later revealed to the Mail on Sunday.

"Then one night I went on stage and I suddenly realised how stressed-out I was. I actually cried my way through the first two songs.

"I took a break from music and went home. And I realised that being at home and having the whole family experience was what I was seeking."

"Fame took me by surprise and I ended up having a breakdown," she admitted.

"It was too much too soon. After two years of intense touring and partying I'd spend hours alone in my LA home, just staring at the floor. I felt like a fraud, believing that people liked me for my image and not my music."

Furtado took years out from the music business, and instead focused on working with non-profit organisation Free The Children in Kenya.

"I took some time to pursue some personal passions. I did everything from pottery classes to sewing classes. I took a playwriting class at the University of Toronto to pursue a few ideas I had. It was a time of self-development," she told Billboard this year.

Now a mother to a teenage daughter, the 38-year-old is prepping her sixth studio album The Ride, due for release tomorrow.

And we can't wait to hear her new music!