International superstar Nelly Furtado will play at the Spreckels Theatre this Saturday with opening band Citizen Cope. The tour supports the Grammy-nominated album “”Whoa Nelly!”” and single “”I’m Like a Bird.”” Furtado will compete for Grammies in four categories: best song, best new artist, best female pop vocal performance and best pop vocal album.

The Canada native’s fresh sound has flooded American airwaves with talent that is rarely seen from her early-20s demographic. The pop explosion spurred by Britney Spears and the gang has created scores of imitators trying to sell their music with their bodies. They rarely write their own music and their voices are so heavily altered in the studio that performing in concert becomes troublesome.

Furtado, however, creates outside the dizzying realm of the music industry. Her very album title, “”Whoa Nelly!”” is a good indication that she takes the industry with a grain of salt. Though Furtado was featured on a recent “”FHM”” magazine cover, a controversy brewed because her head was placed on another model’s body. This seems an appropriate metaphor for Furtado’s unwillingness to be part of the trend of using artists’ bodies to help sell their album.

Furtado’s genuine style comes through in the types of venues she chooses to play. The Spreckels Theatre hosts an intimate crowd that allows the audience to experience the music and the person, unlike large amphitheaters that allow a massive audience to merely experience sound.

Soaring vocals (“”I’m Like a Bird””) promise to prelude songs with a heart of hip-hop (“”Turn Off The Lights””) at a show that any music fan could enjoy. Saturday night is sure to offer a unique performance that, in keeping with Furtado’s style, will place the art before the artist.