TORONTO - Was it just me or did Nelly Furtado have a little extra skip in her step last night at the Air Canada Centre?

Canada's current musical "it girl," brought her Get Loose tour to her adopted hometown of Toronto for a sold-out show, fresh off her five-award Juno sweep in Saskatoon over the weekend.

That's bound to make any performer happy, right?

Or maybe the fact that she was shooting a DVD of her current show meant Furtado brought a little extra something to the proceedings just for the cameras.

Arriving via video on the Nelly Furtado chopper to the strains of Afraid, from her third album and 10-million-copy seller, Loose, the singer kicked off her hour-and-45-minute show with her last single, Say It Right.

Wisely ditching those unflattering MC Hammer-like pants that I witnessed during her Canadian tour launch in her actual hometown of Victoria a few weeks ago, Furtado was a slicker vision in a black sequined dress, black spandex pants and silver high-heeled ankle boots.

But much like the Victoria show, it took the fourth song, Powerless (Say What You Want) from her sophomore effort, 2003's Folklore, to really get the crowd involved in a massive clapping-singing-and-waving-arm-along.

Still, Furtado improved the timing of her crowd connection, venturing forwards during the earlier tune, Turn Off the Lights, from her 2000 debut, Whoa, Nelly!

She came down from atop her all-white stage, decorated with billowing curtains to reflect the Miami surroundings that Loose was recorded in, to perform on a tiny catwalk at the front.

Furtado even waved repeatedly to the audience during the moodier ballad, Wait For You, before leaving to change into a pink and black accented halter gown for another dramatic slow tune, Showtime, which showed off the talents of her four energetic dancers.

Backed by a six-piece band, including Toronto rapper Saukrates on percussion -- he also filled in nicely for Loose producer Timbaland, whistling on All Good Things (Come to An End), singing on Timbaland's own Give It to Me, and rapping on the duo's monster hit, Promiscuous -- Furtado just seemed more relaxed.

Perhaps the pressure-less aftermath of hosting the Juno Awards, in addition to performing and winning every trophy she was up for, does that to you.

Whatever the reason, it was a more cohesive, complete and energy-filled Furtado on the stage of the ACC than at her Victoria launch.

She even got the crowd to sing along on her acoustic version of Gnarls Barkley's Crazy, the ballads Try and All Good Things (Come to An End), a remixed version of her breakthrough hit, I'm Like a Bird, and Promiscuous, all which proved to be highlights.

And despite that much-discussed sexier image produced by Loose, Furtado never got racier than a snug-fitting white and gold top and tight pair of white pants during the third of four costume changes.

Standout songs in the dance-pop vein were the Madonna-like Do It to Me, Glow with a little infusion of Blondie's Heart of Glass, the triumphant soccer anthem Forca, which saw dozens of plastic soccer balls thrown off the stage, No Hay Igual and the show-ending Maneater, with Furtado briefly on electric guitar and drums.

SET LIST

- Afraid (On Video)

- Say It Right

- Turn Off the Light

- Powerless (Say What You Want)

- Do It

- Wait For You

- Showtime

- Crazy

- In God's Hands

- Try

- All Good Things (Come to An End)

- Sexyback (performed by her backup singer)

- Give It to Me

- I'm Like a Bird

- Glow/Heart of Glass

- Forca

- Promiscuous

ENCORE

- Party

- No Hay Igual

- Maneater