Nelly Furtado Takes the Reins, Debuts With Talent, Versatility

Unlike a lot of aspiring modern divas clogging pop’s kitchen sink with their good looks and passable voices, Canadian newcomer Nelly Furtado displayed some real talent, not to mention a genuine connection to her music, during her Conga Room debut on Monday.

The glitter-coated 21-year-old’s hour set included songs from her absurdly titled debut album, “Whoa, Nelly!” (due next month on DreamWorks Records). Multi-textured tunes reflected the wide range of sounds she has absorbed throughout her life, including styles from her parents’ Portuguese homeland, hip-hop, R&B;, Indian raga and mainstream pop.

As performed by her backing septet, the mixture made for some intriguing grooves on Monday, but even such celebratory numbers as ‘Party’s Just Begun” proved short on memorable hooks.

An energetic performer who had her stadium-ready stage moves down, Furtado impressed with her rapid-fire, precise rapping and versatile singing. Her lyrics often had a breezy, self-assured appeal that revealed a thoughtful yet fun-loving young woman, but she projected less actual personality than one expected in this intimate setting.

For all her attempts to seem larger-than-life, Furtado made a stronger impression when focusing on smaller emotional moments. She was particularly adept at expressing the conflicting complexities of love, from the intoxicating terror of the spare ballad “Scared of You” to the funky ambivalence of “My Love Grows Deeper (Every Day).”