(Rio de Janeiro) Anitta, the first Brazilian singer to top the Spotify charts, told AFP that the success of her sultry reggaeton Envelop was the result of a “many job” to launch his international career.
Posted at 12:22 p.m.
This title sung in Spanish exploded thanks to its clip with a strong sexual charge, where we see her wiggling with a partner, often in a lying position.
A choreography imitated galore on TikTok, with 1.4 million videos, published by celebrities, but also young children or the elderly, in sometimes unusual settings, under water or in the middle of the street.
Envelopwhich also peaked at No. 5 on Billboard’s global chart, surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify on Wednesday.
“Our culture is attracting more and more attention. Latin American women are also capable of reaching heights,” the 29-year-old pop star told AFP in an email interview, between rehearsals for the Coachella festival in California, where she will perform in April.
Anitta, who grew up in a popular district of Rio de Janeiro, established herself on the Brazilian scene with her first album in Portuguese, in 2013.
With a well-oiled marketing strategy, she then seduced fans around the world by singing in English and Spanish, in duets with stars like Snoop Dogg, Cardi B, Maluma or French rapper Dadju.
Q: How does it feel to see Envelop at the top of the world charts? Did you expect such success?
ANSWER: “I am satisfied. You always have to have hope, right? I believed in this song from the start, I saw that it had great potential”.
Q: How did you build your international career?
A: “It was really painstaking work. And it’s not over. We have been working for years to achieve our goals little by little. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since my beginnings”.
Q: Do you think thatEnvelop could have achieved the same success in Portuguese?
A: “Of course in the music industry, it makes a difference to be able to sing in English or in Spanish. My Brazilian fans love seeing me sing in other languages, so I don’t think that’s a problem. I even sang in French (in My sun, with Dadju) or in Italian. I intend to continue releasing titles for different audiences, but I’m certainly not going to stop singing in Portuguese.
Q: Since 2018, you have been increasingly politically engaged, voicing much criticism of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro. What meaning do you give to this commitment?
A: “I take a stand as a citizen and as an artist. And I will continue to do so, regardless of the government in place. In the current conjuncture, Brazil needs a lot of changes, and first of all a change of government”.
Q: How do you see the rest of your career?
A: “I haven’t had time to think about the long term yet. In April, I will launch my album (Girl From Rio) and I’m going to sing at the Coachella festival. I prefer to focus on that”.