4 Brazilian Singers to Help You Turn Your Living Room into a Dancefloor
Here is a shortlist with some Brazilian new singers you should definitely add to your quarantine dance parties’ playlist.
I’ve always considered myself a socially active person. Even though I love staying home, watching Netflix and eating junk food, sometimes a sudden feeling of inquietude would catch me by surprise and almost force me to go out. Besides going to parties, concerts or festivals, the thing I appreciated the most was getting together with my closest friends at someone’s home, drink some wine and watch some random music videos on YouTube.
By now, if you have been following my previous posts, you probably saw how hard it was for me to be away from my friends and our traditional meetings and how we managed to adapt it into the online environment.
However, what I didn’t mention is that you don’t necessarily need your friends to turn your home — more specifically the largest room you can find — into a dancefloor.
Let’s be honest… you don’t need a blog post to teach you how to turn the music on and dance — especially considering the terrible dancer who is writing. Instead, I wanted to provide some new experiences through music you probably haven’t heard before, sharing some of my favourite pop Brazilian singers that are on everyone’s ears in Brazil.
1. Duda Beat
Also known as “Queen of Broken Hearts”, Duda Beat was born in Recife — my hometown — in 1987. As a child, she always loved singing in church choirs but never thought about pursuing singing as a career. After graduating from high school and turning 18 years old, Duda moved to Rio de Janeiro, where she started studying to become a doctor.
Duda was always very attracted to meditation, and it was actually in one zen retreat where she realized music was her passion and that she had to, at least, give it a try. In 2018, her starting album was considered by Rolling Stones as one of the TOP 10 releases in Brazil.
In general, her music talks about ex-boyfriends and how she was able to overcome toxic relationships. The difference here is that she does that while still keeping a dancing and catchy rhythm.
WHY/WHEN TO LISTEN?
- The perfect combination of sad lyrics with exciting rhythms. Ideal for someone willing to enjoy a broken heart, or a love delusion, without giving in entirely to sadness.
- With its dancing yet balanced rhythms, Duda’s songs are a good option for giving you that extra encouragement when doing house tasks, like cleaning, without being so loud and annoying.
BEST TRACKS:
Meu Pisêro
Bixinho (Lux & Tróia Remix)
Chega
2. Pabllo Vittar
Pabllo Vittar is a Brazilian drag queen that is captivating fans around the globe. Starting from a humble beginning, Pabllo was a huge fan of Whitney Houston and used to record herself singing her songs. One day, she and her friends got together and recorded a Brazilian version of the song “Lean On” by Diplo. The video went viral, and the DJ ended up reaching out to her. From that day on, Pabllo’s career kept growing, allowing her to record some of her music with multiple worldwide singers, like Charlie XCX, Marina and the Diamonds, Diplo, Lauren Jauregui and more. One of the highest points in her career was when, in 2019, she performed as a lead attraction in some of the biggest pride parades across The United States — including New York and San Francisco.
Besides being a stylish singer, Pabllo also plays a major role in standing up for LGBTQ rights. These positionings can also be seen in her performances, which are always very strong and political.
WHY/WHEN TO LISTEN?
- Whenever you feel like dancing until your feet hurt. Her music is known for being very dancing and exciting. Definitely not recommended for when you want to relax.
- Perfect extra encouragement for your indoor workout.
BEST TRACKS:
Entao Vai
Flash Pose
Rajadao
3. Gilsons
Gilsons is an MPB — Brazilian’s Popular Music — group, integrated by Jose Gil, Francisco Gil and Joao Gil. Their last name gives them a considerable responsibility since one of them is the son, and the other two are grandsons of one of the most acclaimed Brazilian singers alive, called Gilberto Gil — see why they are called GIL-SONS?
They released their first EP in 2019, called “Varias Queixas”. Their music mixes multiple Brazilian rhythms, like samba, rap, funk and pop. Through their songs, they evoke their roots and ancestry.
WHY/WHEN TO LISTEN?
- Don’t go expecting a conventional type of pop here. They have a different approach to compose songs that are both relaxing and dancing at the same time.
- If you are under lockdown with your loved one, this is the perfect option to dance together.
BEST TRACKS:
Varias Queixas
Love Love
Devagarinho
4. IZA
Iza is a 31 years old Brazilian singer, songwriter and dancer. Before pursuing a music career, Iza got a degree in advertising — I guess her knowledge in advertising and marketing helped her with the creation of her YouTube channel. Currently, Iza is one of the Judges of the Brazilian version of the North-American TV show, The Voice. Besides, she’s also one of the
Her music style can be classified mostly as pop and R&B, with some notes that bring a little bit of reggae and soul. In general, her lyrics talk about women empowerment, sorority and love. She also has done so collaborations with foreign singers, like Ciara and Major Lazer — apparently, Diplo wants to work with all Brazilian singers.
WHY/WHEN TO LISTEN?
- If you like the great divas — Beyonce, Mariah, Britney and Madonna — there is a big chance you will like Iza. She has songs with different melodies to fit your mood of the day.
- Another option to dance like there is no tomorrow.
BEST TRACKS:
Meu Talisma
Evapora feat Ciara and Major Lazer
Pesadao
Dona de Mim
