Nelly Furtado feels "quite ancient".

At 33 the singer is hardly old, but looking back to the days when she first burst on to the music scene has made her realise how far she has come. It has been 12 years since she released her hit single I'm Like a Bird, which propelled her to fame. The song hit number one in Canada, number five in the UK and number nine in the US.

"I know, it's been a while. It makes me feel quite ancient," the Canadian singer told BBC 1 Radio.

"The time has flown by. It feels like just yesterday."

The Maneater singer has just released Big Hoops (Bigger the Better), the first single from her upcoming album The Spirit Indestructible. It will be her fourth English album, following the release of 2006's multi-platinum Loose. Nelly recorded with Nas, Salaam Remi and Tiesto for the album to be released in June.

The 33-year-old singer recently told fans to expect a lively dance release.

"This album is all about positivity, youth, good energy, and the relentlessness of the spirit. I want people to live this music the way we did when we wrote it," she said in the statement.

"I want them to jump, dance, scream, laugh, cry, love, and vibe to it, and to turn it up very loud everywhere."