By now, Nelly Furtado has plenty of hits to her name, so it's not surprising to learn that she hears her own songs in everyday situations. Sometimes it's fun, other times it's ... a bit awkward.
She recently attended a party where the DJ played a 10-minute remix of her 2006 song "Promiscuous," featuring Timbaland. It's been over a decade since that track ruled the airwaves, and when she heard it recently, Furtado, 38, says she could pinpoint why the pop song resonated at that time.
"I was like, 'I get why people like this so much.' It's really good to dance to," the Canadian native told The Huffington Post on Build Series. "It's a really good quality record I think, just like the way it's recorded, probably the themes, the vocal performances."
Furtado says she thinks themes and vocals are key to a great song, as well as the ability for an artist to "believe" in the track. For her, "Promiscuous" hit all those notes.
"That song was about the body-positive women that I grew up with," she said, citing Mary J. Blige, Salt-N-Pepa and Queen Latifah. "These women were tête-à-tête, par-on-par with the men. So I liked that energy and that conversation in 'Promiscuous.'"
Furtado says she also still loves singing her 2000 hit, "I'm Like a Bird" ― though she admits it's sometimes strange when she hears the song in public places.
"It's a little weird when you hear it at the grocery store, and I'm checking out my groceries," she said. "I just don't know what to do with myself ... It's weird."
Furtado recently completed her new studio album, "The Ride," which hits shelves on March 31. It marks her first new studio effort in five years.
"People ask me, 'Where have you been? I never see you,'" Furtado said.
We can assure you, she's been busy.
In addition to writing new music, Furtado has spent her time taking care of her daughter, who's now 13 years old. And she dabbled in some new projects, taking a playwriting college course, along with sewing and pottery classes. Furtado, who has been writing songs since she was 3 years old, also spent time working at a friend's record store recently.
"I feel like as a songwriter if I don't live like a normal life, how am I supposed to write a song and connect? To me, if I can't write a song I would be so sad because it's a part of my happiness," Furtado said.
Hit Backspace for a regular dose of pop culture nostalgia, and check out Furtado's entire Build interview below.