Nelly Furtado on Her Sexy SKIMS Spot, Skincare Routine and 'Leaning In a Lot More' to Her Career (Exclusive)

Furtado tells PEOPLE she felt empowered stripping down to her shapewear for SKIMS' latest campaign

Nelly Furtado is flying into her icon era.

The singer stripped down to some sexy shapewear for SKIMS' new "Best of SKIMS" campaign. Kim Kardashian's brand tapped her as one of its celebrity "Icon" models, and she tells PEOPLE the "empowering" moment was not only flattering, but the "most fun" she's ever had at a photo shoot.

"I was so happy they asked me and it felt like the perfect timing," she says. "It was a great experience being on set. It's a very female-forward, female-led energy. Vanessa Beecroft is an incredible photographer and incredible artist. I felt really ready for it and really pumped."

For the campaign, shot by longtime Kardashian collaborator Beecroft, Furtado wears pieces from the brand's viral collections, including the Fits Everybody T-Shirt Bra, Fits Everybody Full Brief, Nude Support Tights and Fits Everybody Bodysuit.

"I've been wearing SKIMS for about a year and a half now, especially because I've been wearing more form-fitting costumes on stage, and it's really such an important part of the whole process of getting ready for anything, not just concerts, but basically events and promotion, photo shoots, everything," she shares.

Describing her SKIMS as an instant "mood-lifter," Furtado, 44, credits the fabrics and fit for giving her an instant confidence boost.

"You put it on and you just already feel better," she says. "It cinches everything, gives you a little bit of oomph."

When the campaign dropped, thousands of fans flooded Furtado's comments section with praise for the photos, calling the moment a "major flex" and "iconic." They also praised her glow, which Furtado attributes to drinking an "insane amount of water" and getting plenty of sleep.

"I don't drink a lot of alcohol. I treat alcohol as a festive thing, maybe for a birthday or something like that, but I don't make it part of my regular routine because I find it really dehydrates me and makes me tired," she tells PEOPLE, adding of her skincare routine, "I've had pretty much the same skincare routine since I was 20 years old, which is just clean your face and then you exfoliate your face. "

Her campaign comes hot on the heels of a mega return to the spotlight, from debuting new music with longtime friends and collaborators Justin Timberlake and Timbaland to her MTV VMAs return (in one of the sexiest red carpet looks we've seen in a long time) to a jaunt at Paris Fashion Week.

To hear Furtado tell it, she's busier than ever, but humbled by all the support. She's also all about immersing herself in the moment.

"I'm just leaning in a lot more. I'm leaning into what I do for a living and I'm finally realizing 23 years later, I'm really good at this. I love being on stage. I love writing songs. I love spreading joy. And I just think the more work that I put into it, the more satisfying it is."

Furtado makes sure to prioritize dance, fitness and a healthy lifestyle so she can show up on stage.

"I know that if I haven't gone to dance rehearsal, if I haven't put in 100% at my band rehearsals at pre-production in the days leading up to the concert, I know that my concert won't be as good. So when I walk onto the stage, the work is already done."

The mom of three says that's she's learned to prioritize the joy she gets from making music and performing.

"I've made that connection that I'm really doing this for me. I'm competing with myself, and that's why I'm so happy because I've really fallen in love with the craft again. I've fallen in love with the craft of recording, the craft of concerts, all those things. The entertainment business should be about community and always collaboration."

Related: Nelly Furtado FaceTimes into Studio with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland as Producer Teases New Collab

Furtado has also been "leaning in" more to social media, and loves to have another avenue to connect with fans.

"Social media makes it much easier to connect. I'm embracing TikTok, and it's been a whole lot of fun and I do genuinely love it."

A recent pinch-me moment came for the star during a show at the Portola Music Festival in San Francisco, when she was so overcome with emotion on stage, she cried.

"I was singing 'I’m Like a Bird.' My two youngest children were on FaceTime watching me from home. My 20-year-old daughter was there watching me, and I was singing to the crowd. And by the end of the song, when every person there had their hands in the air singing, clapping, I was overwhelmed with emotion, that I started to cry at the very end. And I ended the song with an ad lib of, "Love, love, love, love." Because at the end of the day, it's all love. Music is love. Family is love. Creativity is love. Anything we put our hearts to is love. I feel just a positive vibration."

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