Amid a battle-like dance-off and a full embrace of Brazilian culture, Anitta delivered her Baile Funk Experience at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York City on Sunday (June 2). It was the first of two consecutive shows, with its opening night successfully selling out at the recently opened venue.
Produced by Live Nation, Anitta’s Baile Funk Experience trek includes stops in Latin America, the U.S. and Europe. The 20-date tour is in support of Funk Generation, the sixth studio album from the trilingual singer, which highlights the favela funk that has influenced her career. Kicking off her show at 8:30pm, she ran through her biggest hits in nearly two hours, including “Funk Rave,” “Envolver,” “Vai Malandra,” “Bellakeo,” “Downtown” and “Girl From Rio.”
“I’m so happy. I’m so thankful to be here, showing Brazilian funk to the world,” she said in English before thanking her fans in Brazilian and then in Spanish. “I want to know who has heard my new album, Funk Generation.” She wore a black harness, pink happy-face plushies as a bra over a cut-out top and black jeans, letting her long copper-colored hair down.
The album title is particularly fitting, as Anitta has become the preeminent crossover Brazilian star of her generation. The New York concert drew an exceptionally diverse crowd, reflective of the city’s multicultural fabric. Attendees spanned multiple generations of Brazilians and Latinos, along with a wide array of other cultures. The presence of the LGBTQIA+ community was unmistakable, adding to the high energy of the audience — that also included numerous fashion-forward fans sporting lots of fishnet get-ups.
The 31-year-old performer is currently halfway through her international tour. Following her performance in New York, she is scheduled to entertain audiences in Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. After completing these Latin American dates, she will travel to Europe for nine shows across various countries. To view her complete tour dates, click here.
The Brazilian superstar is touring North America for the first time. Here are five standout moments from the first night of her Baile Funk Experience at the Brooklyn Paramount.
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Dance, Dance, Dance!
It’s not called baile funk for no reason. The core of the concert revolved around an unparalleled celebration of movement. From street-style dance battles to the rhythmic sway of Capoeira at the show’s kick-off, each performance underscored the critical role dance plays, deeply intertwining with the music and perhaps even overshadowing it at times. Anitta’s choreography with her crew was always on point, and at times the superstar and her team of dancers would balance on the tips of their toes on the fence on stage by hooking their fingers onto it, replicating the set for the music video for “Double Team.”
There was also another moment when Anitta incited the crowd to form a human-like hurricane in the floor area of the sold-out concert, and from up the stage, she could see that two of them formed, with the artist clearly excited to witness the sea of moving masses.
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A Sex-Positive Reverie
Anitta pushed boundaries with a fearless display of sexuality, engaging her audience with provocative dance moves and explicit BDSM images on the screens. Many attendees and stage performers also wore body harnesses, sexy fishnets and/or thongs. At one point, the performance even included instances of simulating risqué acts, as well as empowering chants that reinforced the sex-positive theme. “I wanna, you wanna, you wanna f–k me hard,” shouted the superstar, while singing her song “Savage Funk.”
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Anitta, a Cinephile
Anitta’s appreciation for film was illustrated through her concert’s captivating visuals that not only showcased her performance but also elevated it, from the occasional BDSM themes to the lush landscapes of Brazil — its beaches, bodies, the favelas, and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue — with each scene painting a piece of her homeland. Moreover, the visuals wove together elements of Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion that combines Yoruba, Bantu, and Fon influences, with Catholicism, infusing her performance with powerful cultural symbols and narratives.
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A Cultural Showcase
Integrating myriad Brazilian cultural elements, from glitchy techno brega sounds to tribal Amazonian visuals and some bossa nova, Anitta presented a rich showcase that brought the spirit of Brazil to NYC. This element of the concert served not just as entertainment but also as a cultural bridge, sharing the vibrant heritage of her homeland with an international and wildly diverse audience.
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Community & Empowerment Center Stage
Reflecting themes of LGBTQA+ and gender fluidity, the concert was more than just a musical performance — it was a rally for empowerment and inclusion. Anitta shared the spotlight with her diverse ensemble, creating a communal atmosphere that celebrated diversity in all forms.
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