Details About International Star Anitta That Will Make You A Fan
International superstar Anitta effortlessly glided onto the Coachella stage in 2022 on the backside of a motorcycle, becoming the first female Brazilian solo artist to ever perform at the festival. It was a far cry from the singer that was once knocking on doors to sing at prohibited parties in the slums of Rio De Janeiro. The artist, whose real name is Larissa de Macedo Machado, has reached global fame since then, and her list of accolades speaks for itself. She's the first Brazilian artist to ever take home an award at the VMA's and AMA's, and she set the record for the first solo Latin artist to have a number-one hit on Spotify. This is just the beginning for the singer, who told Billboard that her 2023 Grammy nomination for "Best New Artist" hardly scratches the surface of where she plans to take her career.
Though she began her career over a decade ago in Brazil, conquering the United States market means starting all over again. It presents all new challenges, but ones that the star is intent on surpassing to introduce her culture to the world. At the same time, she seeks to break the stereotypes surrounding funk, a genre of rhythmic rap music that originated in African American communities and one that's proudly blasted throughout Brazil's poorer neighborhoods, or favelas. If her provocative outfits and hypnotizing dancing have got your attention — so be it — she's got a lot to say. We've compiled all the details about Anitta that will make you a fan.
Anitta's humble beginnings
"Did you think I wasn't going to shake my a** tonight?" was the question Anitta asked fans during her historic performance at the 2022 VMA's. It's hard to imagine it's the same artist who first fell in love with music while singing in a catholic church choir at just eight years old. Her success seems unimaginable given her early years growing up in Brazil. Her hometown, Honório Gurgel, is a neighborhood on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, far from the ritzy beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. The singer recalled to Nylon sleeping in the same room as her mother and brother just to enjoy the air conditioning — which was only allowed to run for a few minutes each night in her childhood home.
"I grew up in a place that was really humble and if you didn't have money it was really hard for you to learn things, be it music or English," the singer told Vice, "The church was like school for me. Everything I know about music I learned there." Anitta studied business administration to appease her father but ultimately dropped out to pursue her career in music. The superstar first got the attention of a Brazilian record label after uploading a Youtube video of herself singing into a deodorant can. From there she traveled to different favelas, performing at prohibited parties until her hit track "Show das Poderosas" launched her career. The hit track topped the Brazilian iTunes charts and became the most-watched music video in Brazil.
She speaks and sings in multiple languages
Becoming an international star comes with its challenges, including being able to make an impact regardless of cultural and language barriers. But in Anitta's case — she has little to none — given the singer has already learned five languages. "You need to give up all the things that you have in Brazil to go to another market and learn Spanish, then learn English — I did also in Italian and French. So it's a completely different world," she told NPR. The singer, who learned English at 10 years old, took phonetic classes for years to improve her accent. "I realized that if I spoke slower in meetings or with an accent, people would respect me less," Anitta told The New York Times. But it wasn't enough for her to tap into the United States market, so she set her sights on Europe as well. Anitta was featured on the Italian track "Paloma" with rapper Fred De Palma as well as on the single "Mon soleil" with popular French artist Dadju.
Anitta released her fifth studio album "Versions of Me" in 2022, with a majority of songs recorded in English, a couple in Spanish, and one in her native language of Portuguese. The deluxe version of the album featured collaborations with Spanish mega-star Maluma, as well as with the famous American rapper Missy Elliott. But it isn't the first time the singer dropped music in three languages. Her 2019 album "Kisses" was also trilingual — earning her a Latin Grammy nomination.
Anitta defends her culture
The funk beats that bump in the background to Anitta's hit tracks are the same melodies that many Brazilians have sought to criminalize. In 2017, a bill was introduced in Brazil that likened the rhythmic rap-driven music to a "Public health crime of this 'false culture' called funk," as per BBC News Brasil. Anitta, who started her career in the funk dances that dominate the favelas, says the music genre is inherently a part of Brazilians' everyday reality. "If you want to change funk or what is being talked about or the way it enters society, then you have to change the root, the educational issues, the issues that make up funk," she shared.
Popular Brazilian artists, like L7nnon and Filipe Ret, who have both collaborated with the "Envolver" singer, built successful careers rapping about their rags-to-riches stories. Funk music, though largely marginalized, was the music genre available to kids growing up in Brazil's poorer areas. "People were just singing their reality. So, for you to change whatever we were singing... you need to change our reality first," the singer told NPR.
Anitta has embraced her funk background, infusing it with pop to make it more mainstream. Her hit track "Girl from Rio," celebrates her Brazilian heritage with the lyrics, "Where I'm from, we don't look like models / Tan lines, big curves and the energy glows." Anitta took it even further when she brought the Brazilian favela to the Coachella desert, complete with a stage set showcasing the same ghettos in which the star got her start.
Anitta is an open book
Brazilian superstar Anitta has been keeping it real with her fanbase ever since she started her career. The Latin singer has been honest about her many plastic surgeries, telling Culture Trip, "I've changed myself a lot. I've done a lot of plastic surgery because I've felt ugly." She's admitted to undergoing jaw-reshaping, a nose job, as well as breast augmentation throughout her years in the spotlight. But instead of shying from the topic, the singer champions it, even displaying her evolving looks proudly as the cover artwork for her 2022 album "Versions of Me."
There are few artists as unapologetic as Anitta. The outspoken singer aspires to be the multiple versions of herself that her album promotes regardless of society's standards. "And it's crazy how people need to describe [women like], 'This is a woman to marry; this is a woman to party [with].' F*** that," she told Nylon, adding "Girls don't need men for s***. We got vibrators, we got friends. We got gay friends, which is way better than any other f***ing husband."
It's that same honesty that led her to open up about being sexually assaulted in her Netflix docuseries, "Anitta: Made In Honório," an incident that gave her strength and her chosen stage name. "For all of you asking yourselves how Anitta was born, that's how. She was born out of my desire and need to be a brave woman, who no one could ever harm. That's how," she told Nylon of the incident.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
She has a tireless work ethic
You would be hard-pressed to find an artist who works harder than Anitta. Such is the sentiment for many of those in the music industry who have collaborated with the "Boys Don't Cry" singer and have attested to her impressive work ethic. "She's easily the hardest working person I've ever worked with," said Ryan Tedder, the lead singer for the band OneRepublic to The New York Times. "She does not have an off switch." From Alesso to Missy Elliott, to "The Queen of Pop" Madonna, one thing is consistent — they all have echoed her praise.
Beyond her non-stop work schedule, the Latin singer has the drive and determination to become one of the few Brazilian artists to make a worldwide name for themselves. "Anitta has what it takes to be a global superstar," said Tom Corson, co-chairman and chief operating officer at Warner Records. She thinks so too, especially when she released her smash hit "Envolver" as a solo artist, ignoring the advice of her record label that believed it should be a duet. "I was so sure that it was going to be big," she told The Wall Street Journal. It was big alright, surmounting her expectations thanks in part to an innovative plank dance move, a butt-shaking trend that went viral on TikTok.
The vision behind it all was none other than the often-underestimated Anitta. The artist directed the music video to the hit track that generated 400 million views on YouTube and 19.3 billion views on TikTok.
Her collaborations with the industry's best artists
The list of artists Anitta has collaborated with goes on and on. Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, J Balvin, Maluma, Madonna, Quavo, Major Lazer, DaBaby, and Alesso, are just some of the chart-topping singers that the Brazilian artist has shared a track with. In order to pursue her collaborations with various international artists, it meant sacrificing touring in her home country. As per her interview with The Wall Street Journal, she admitted to doing just that in the hopes to form the kinds of relationships that would continue to grow her music career.
Anitta's relationship with other Latin artists has not only granted her chart-topping hits but real-life friendships. Her close relationship with J. Balvin goes beyond just the hit tracks that they share together. The Colombian singer met the Brazilian singer on Instagram, but the two have remained good friends that share similar success stories. "I always knew Brazil had a queen in Anitta," he admitted to Hola! "We have a lot in common — like me, she's self-made." Their duet "Downtown" was an instant hit, even being nominated for a Latin Grammy.
The "Vai Malandra" singer has a similar relationship with international star Maluma, as well, with whom she's collaborated on several tracks. The Colombian artist collaborated with Anitta on their hit song "Sí o No," marking her debut singing Spanish. The two Latin stars generate plenty of buzz with their fanbases, and their collaborations have even led to a fan-made hashtag, "Malunitta."
She's open about her bisexuality
International superstar Anitta is openly bisexual — and not afraid to talk about it. She wasn't always transparent about her sexuality, however. At the start of her career, Anitta kept her personal life private in order to save face in the press. The singer, whose country's most popular religion is Catholicism, has seen her fair share of prejudice against those in the LGBTQ community growing up in Brazil. Take for example the Latin American country's last president, Jair Bolsonaro, who has heavily touted his conservative agenda and dislike of gay individuals. "It was complicated because it was all very taboo at the time," she told The New York Times. "Lots of singers weren't out, and I don't judge them because I know people really came after me."
The "Love Me" singer decided enough was enough after a bodyguard chased down someone who had taken a picture of Anitta kissing another woman at a party. "My mom has known that I kiss girls since I was 13, why should I care what other people think?" While the Brazilian star has never dated a woman seriously, she doesn't believe in the rigidness of labeling someone as "bisexual" or "straight." She told Gay Times, "So people will sometimes say, 'Oh so you're not really bisexual — you only date guys.' I don't think that it means that I'm not ... we should just respect each other's way of finding themselves. We should be free to do whatever we want to do."
She's not afraid to speak out about politics
Anitta is using her platform and voice for the greater good — at least, that's how she sees it. The global star got intertwined in Brazil's politics in 2018 when she received backlash for not condemning Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. At the time, she was secluded from the public due to a religious ceremony she underwent for her Afro-religion Candomblé. Since then, the singer resolved to educate herself on the ins and outs of Brazilian politics, something she says many individuals in her country have no knowledge about. As per The New York Times, she began broadcasting political education classes to help others educate themselves.
The "Girl From Rio" took it even further when she offered to pay the fines of Brazilian artists who were being ordered to stop making political demonstrations against then-President Bolsonaro during their performances. Anitta and the conservative former President are often at odds with each other on social media, which the singer likens to a political strategy by Bolsonaro. "He knows his conservative supporters don't like me, so he uses my name to draw attention to himself," she told The New York Times.
Anitta endorsed left-wing candidate Lula Da Silva, who won the 2022 election. "So if I need to fight with the president, I will fight ... I've gotten myself in a little trouble, but I care about protecting the environment, Indigenous people, and society," she told Interview Magazine.
Anitta is a seasoned businesswoman
Anitta has taken matters into her own hands — literally. The Rio de Janeiro native is not only self-made but self-managed. The "Gimme Your Number" singer co-manages her career alongside her brother under the joint company Rodamoinho. But it's not just her own singing career that Anitta has a stake in, the star is a businesswoman, and is involved in several different brands and economic ventures — including the ones she owns herself. The singer created her own fragrance brand "Puzzy By Anitta," an intimate perfume to spray on one's genital area. The innovative perfume is available not just for Brazilians, but it's sold in the United States, as well.
The pop star also joined the Latin American plant-based mega-brand "Fazenda Futuro" as a brand awareness partner to assist in the company's marketing projects. She is a global ambassador for the international bank "Nubank," where she plans to advocate for issues close to home — like Brazilians' access to credit. She is also the head of creativity and innovation for SkolBeats, a brand of alcoholic beverages in Brazil. The international artist offers business advice regularly when she gets invited to give speeches at trade shows and expos. "I make more money right now from these speeches than even from concerts," she confessed to Billboard, quipping, "When I go to these panels, of course, I'm fully clothed."
She's passionate about the environment
Anitta's home country of Brazil boasts the Amazon Rainforest — the world's largest tropical rainforest that is home to more than a million species yet to be discovered. But for Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former far-right President, it's where trees disappear and magically turn into cash. Satellite imaging surveys conducted by Mongabay show his four-year term ended with a nearly 60 percent uptick in Amazon deforestation rates, the highest of any President since 1988.
Anitta, with the help of her global platform, sought to bring awareness to the destruction of her native country's biodiverse backyard. The artist openly advocated against the former President as he sought re-election, and even joined forces with fellow celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio. The "Titanic" actor and the singer tweeted each other in Portuguese after meeting at the 2022 Met Gala. "[Anitta's] commitment to democracy is inspiring. Talking to talented artists committed to helping save the planet gives me hope for a better future." DiCaprio wrote. The singer responded in her own tweet, writing, "Yesterday I spent hours with @LeoDiCaprio talking about the importance of young people getting their voter registration card. It's on the final stretch. Did you know that he knows more about the importance of our Amazon rainforest than the president of Brazil?"
Anitta was also one of many artists like Camila Cabello, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, and Billie Eilish to sign a letter in 2021 urging entertainment companies to demand legislative action on climate change.
Anitta does her own research
International star Anitta is innovative in a way that most artists in the industry aren't. Not only is she self-made and self-managed, but the "Envolver" singer isn't afraid to do her own market research. She told Billboard that in the earlier years of her career, she took a flight to Mexico in order to get a better understanding of the Latin music scene. The singer took a taxi, asking the driver to take her to a "rich people's club," where she didn't hear the reggaetón she had been told was popular. "I got another taxi and told him, 'I want to go to the cheapest club here, where the poor people go,'" Anitta said. "He looked at me confused, but that's where I saw people [dirty dancing], and I was like, 'Okay.'" The Brazilian native took notes on the songs playing, writing down what got the crowd dancing.
Her research was well worth it, and she eventually signed a contract with Shots Studio in 2017 that led to her collaborations with J Balvin, Rita Ora, and Alesso. "I was used to being No. 1 [in Brazil] every single time, and I knew that as soon as I would leave the country for half of the year, I couldn't make No. 1 again. I would lose exposure and money because I needed to cancel concerts back home. I knew it was a moment of going down a bit so I could eventually go up again," Anitta said at the time.
Her breakthrough into the US market
Anitta had already arrived on the international stage when she performed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It set the tone for her international career, and she released the single "Switch" in English the following year alongside Iggy Azalea. That same year, she released "Paradinha," a Spanish single that took her even further than the Latin market. As she told Her Campus, it was a "song that everyone thought would not work [that] opened the doors of the international market for me."
The singer continued to collaborate with international artists and take on musical projects in foreign languages until her hit "Girl From Rio" earned her a Top 40 spot on North American radio. "The Girl From Rio" had arrived in the United States — bringing with Anitta her own personal twist on the classic song "Girl From Ipanema."
In January of 2022, nearly a decade after her hit song "Show das Poderosas" put her on the map, Anitta signed a global record deal with Sony Music Publishing. Her hit tracks like "Faking Love" featuring American rapper Saweetie, "Me Gusta" with Cardi B and Myke Towers, and "Fuego" with DJ Snake and Sean Paul have all been chart-topping successes. The superstar, who is arguably the biggest international star to come out of her country to date, doesn't take her platform lightly. "I'm not trying to do this just to be in the market. I'm trying to make some history to achieve my country's history somehow," she declared to Rolling Stone.