OTTAWA - Nelly Furtado is anything but Loose.

"What's goin' on Ottawa?" yelled Furtado last night, as she performed in front of 5,800 adoring fans at Scotiabank Place on the last stop of her Canadian tour.

Furtado was fresh off her duties hosting the Juno Awards in Saskatoon, where she picked up five awards, one in every category in which she was nominated.

Loose is her third album, the best-selling one in all of Canada last year, and there's no denying the music is infectious and expertly crafted, with the help of beatmaker Timbaland.

Her set last night was heavy on Loose tunes, and as the show opened, Furtado was seen only on video, her techno-tune Afraid playing as a posse assembled on stage. It moved onto the real thing with her catchy hit Say It Right, Furtado positioned atop a staircase, on a riser at the back of the stage.

Older songs, such as Turn Off the Light from her 2000 debut Whoa, Nelly! and the stirring rocker Powerless (Say What You Want) got slight but effective reworkings.

Furtado got into full swing when she performed her ballad-style cover of the Gnarls Barkley hit Crazy to the pure delight -- and vocal accompaniment -- of her fans.

The 28-year-old Victoria, B.C., native has finally got all the concert bells and whistles going on -- including four backup dancers, a six-piece band, video screens and an elaborate set and light show -- but nothing can disguise her stilted and ill-at-ease performing style.

It's not her personality, sweet and unassuming as it comes off, even in the midst of all the hoochy mama image transformation that is Loose. Or her voice, either, because it's pure, strong and rarely falters.

It's just that when it comes to performing, Furtado is handicapped by her physical repertoire: The odd amount of booty-shaking, swaying seductively from side to side, and striding purposely across the stage. And back. It all just comes across as awkward. And repetitive.

As she descended a staircase, clad in tights, sparkly black dress and silver boots, I couldn't help but wish she'd lose the heels and don some flats. At least until she could move naturally in front of a crowd.

Despite all that, Furtado is clearly a crowd favourite.

The evening itself was capable and worthy of the ticket price; tightly choreographed, expertly timed, just enough high points and enough to look at when Furtado was backstage changing outfits.

It was a little spotlight-on-Nelly ballad heavy too, though Try and All Good Things (Come to An End) provided a beautiful interlude.

It's just that when someone is as hot as Furtado has been over the past year and has been performing this long, one would expect a little more pizzazz.