Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado is hotly tipped to become one of the biggest pop sensations of the year. In part this is due to her looks (she bears an uncanny resemblance to Courteney Cox) but in fairness her debut album goes a long towards justifying the hype. This old-fashioned mix of folk, soul and lounge pop is distinguished by cheerful, assertive lyrics and echoes of artists as diverse as Macy Gray and Beck. If she can keep this standard up, Nelly is set to become the thinking man's answer to Britney Spears. We live in hope.
