LISTEN: 'Brutal' Tanya Tagaq tribute to Nelly Furtado at Junos draws online ridicule

WARNING: Listening to this music may make your ears bleed. CALGARY — Canadian pop singer Nelly Furtado was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame on Sunday night at the Juno Awards, in a ceremony that featured tributes from some of the country’s biggest artists — and sparked controversy online over one of the performers.Among the most notable moments of the evening was a video message from hip-hop artist Drake, who honoured Furtado for helping to show what Canadian artists could achieve on the world stage.“You showed us what was possible and what a Canadian artist could be,” he said, acknowledging the respect she had earned from her peers.The induction comes months after Furtado raised questions about her future in music, saying last fall she planned to step away from performing “for the foreseeable future” to focus on other artistic pursuits.She has since suggested that new music may be forthcoming.The ceremony also featured performances in tribute to Furtado from a lineup of Canadian artists, including Jully Black, Shawn Desman, and Tanya Tagaq..During the tribute, Tagaq, an Inuk throat singer from Nunavut known for her activism and advocating for traditional Inuit sealing, performed a rendition of Furtado’s 2003 hit Powerless (Say What You Want), which drew a large reaction online, with many viewers criticizing the interpretation.Commentary on social media ranged from mockery to broader criticism of the Junos broadcast..Jonathan Kay, editor of Quillette, joked on X that the Junos were “a hallowed annual Canadian ritual where government-subsidized Canadians pretend that ordinary Canadians enjoy listening to whatever this is supposed to be.”Tamara Lich, co-organizer of the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests, described the performance in a single word: “Brutal.”One X user asked, “Did they pay the audience to attend?”“This isn’t about left or right or conservative versus liberal,” wrote another commentator.“This is just objectively bad and embarrassing.”Tagaq has also previously attracted controversy for her 2022 song Colonizer, which features repeated references to colonial guilt..The song’s lyrics predominantly consist of “Oh you’re guilty (oh, you’re guilty) Colonizer. Oh you’re guilty. Oh you’re guilty. Colonizer.”The track appeared on her album Tongues, which was nominated for Alternative Album of the Year at the 2023 Junos but lost to indie pop band Alvvays for their album Blue Rev..The song’s music video also drew attention at the time for imagery that included a burning church.“In Canada, we call this musical genre 'reconciliation,'” Kay tweeted.

LISTEN: 'Brutal' Tanya Tagaq tribute to Nelly Furtado at Junos draws online ridicule

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