Anitta, the Brazilian pop sensation, graces the cover of NOIR Magazine's December 2024 issue, embodying her journey from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to international acclaim.
Growing up in the favelas is no easy feat, especially for a girl whose dreams—whether because of stigma or lack of structure, tools, and opportunities—seemed unattainable. But Larissa de Macedo Machado made it happen: from singing in the church choir to becoming Anitta, Brazil’s most important artist of recent years. “I never stopped believing. I always wanted to be an artist, but where I came from, that seemed impossible.”
Like most girls from the same background, she always had a particular fondness for funk, a musical genre influenced by hip hop, reggae, and disco music that emerged among the vibrant streets of urban communities in Rio de Janeiro. These energetic rhythms sparked everything: “One day I shared a video on YouTube singing funk. A person who worked at a record label approached me for an audition, and I passed. From that point on, I never stopped fighting to make my career a reality.”
Behind her current success are years of hard work. She started with small concerts in various Brazilian cities until her songs were recognized in every corner of the planet. Today, she has positioned Brazil on the musical map like no one had done before, becoming a bridge to global recognition for her country and its people in pop culture.
Kisses, Versions of Me, and Funk Generation are her three most recent albums—projects released in three different languages: Portuguese, English, and Spanish. With these, Anitta significantly expanded her reach and brought a significant change to the music industry, proving that through lyrics and melodies, borders can be broken.
“Bridging cultures is a huge challenge, but not impossible. Everyone consumes products from different cultures. However, I come from the only country in the Americas that speaks Portuguese. Very few countries speak it worldwide. It was extremely necessary for me to learn other languages so that people could understand the lyrics and melodies of my songs. That is why I believe rhythm and music are capable of breaking borders. My goal in releasing albums with different languages was to broaden my audience and make everyone feel represented with them.”
Anitta has earned the title of being “the first Brazilian” in numerous feats: from topping global music charts and participating in international festivals like Coachella, to being nominated in prestigious award ceremonies. She was even instrumental in the creation of new award categories, such as Best Urban Performance in Portuguese.
“I am very proud of myself, of my story, of where I come from, and of my work. I feel that I inspire other women and artists. In addition, I have opened doors for the next generations. That is very significant for me.”
Achieving all this at her age, as a woman and as a Brazilian, is easy to say but has required perseverance, resilience, and dedication. Like every success story, it wasn't enough to just dream about it; it had to be worked for. “I think the hardest thing was getting people to believe in my talent and my choices, to invest in me and my opinions. For a long time, I had to bet on myself and invest financially in my own career.”
There is no one who doesn't have "Anitta's step" engraved in their head, but if she could leave “Anitta's advice” imprinted in the pages of NOIR, these would be her chosen words for her followers:
"Viva sua vida com equilíbrio. Nossa vida não é uma corrida", which translates from Portuguese to Spanish as: "Live your life with balance. Our life is not a race."
For an exclusive glimpse into Anitta’s story and stunning photos, the December 2024 issue of NOIR Magazine is available now.
COMMENTS