Drake kicked off his OVO Fest in Toronto on July 29 by bringing out fellow Canadian artist Nelly Furtado as a surprise guest to sing her 2000 hit “I’m Like A Bird.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Before Furtado came on stage, Drake told the crowd that her music “changed my life so much” and asked the audience to sing as loud as they could for her.
The pair opened on Furtado’s 2006 Timbaland co-written and produced “Promiscuous,” off her third album Loose, before moving into “I’m Like a Bird,” both directing the crowd to sing along to the chorus I’m like a bird, I only fly away.
Released on Furtado’s debut album Whoa, Nelly! the song earned the singer a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
The fest, founded in 2012 by Drake, producer 40, and Oliver El-Khatib, also featured a collection of Canadian hip-hop and R&B artists like Kardinal Offishall, Choclair, Jully Black, Rascalz, Keshia Chante, and Shawn Desman.
“This is one of the best moments of my entire life,” he told the audience, referring to the artists performing at OVO. “The streets that we walked, the restaurants we eat at, the clubs that we go to, the way that we speak, the aspirations and dreams that we have, were shaped by each and every one of these individuals for me.”
Following their performance, Furtado posted a video of their duet on Instagram with the caption “homie pigeons.” Drake also posted several images from the set with lyrics to “I’m Like a Bird” in his caption, writing “And though my love is rare. And though my love is true.”
Furtado released her sixth album The Ride in 2017, while Drake dropped his seventh Honestly, Nevermind in June of 2022.
The OVO festival, featuring a collection of Canadian artists over the three-day event, will conclude on Aug. 1 with a Young Money reunion featuring Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne.
(Photo: Chris McKay / Republic Records)
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