Brazilian Superstar Anitta Named Music Innovator of 2022 by ‘Wall Street Journal’

Anitta accepts the award for Best Latin video for “Envolver” at the 2022 MTV VMAs.Theo Wargo/Getty Images

If you don’t already know who Anitta is, you’re about to. The Brazilian superstar has been slowly taking over the global music industry and was just named Music Innovator of 2022 by the Wall Street Journal magazine. Each year, the publication “recognizes groundbreaking talents from a range of disciplines, including fashion, art, entertainment, architecture, design, technology, the performing arts, philanthropy, food, literature and more.” 

Anitta, born Larissa de Macedo Machado, has garnered more than 63 million Instagram followers and has released five studio albums across five languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and French). She conquered Brazil with her self-titled debut album in 2013 and has sold more than 10 million albums in her country.

“Immediately you connect with her,” said fellow artist Missy Elliott, who partnered with Anitta on “Lobby” earlier this year. “She feels like the girl up the street, even though you know she’s a star.”

The 2021 SI Swimsuit model knew she wanted to be a singer at a young age and grew up listening to pop music. As she began to establish herself as part of her country’s music scene, she ran into a fair share of naysayers who told her that going international would be impossible because no one from Brazil had done it before.

“Impossible?” she would respond. “This word just makes me want to go for it.”

This year Anitta performed at Coachella and at the MTV Video Music Awards, where she received the award for Best Latin Artist, making history as the first Brazilian so honored. The Río de Janiero native has also been a trailblazer in Brazilian culture, coming out as bisexual in 2016 on her six-episode Netflix documentary, Vai Anitta. 

While she is enjoying performing for now, she has said she can’t see herself doing this for more than another six years. Anitta likes to “bring the butterflies” by challenging herself and up next on her bucket list is acting.

“It’s pointless for me to keep pushing myself to keep doing things that won’t fulfill new dreams,” she said. “I’ve already done what was impossible. What is bigger than No. 1?”