The year is 2017, and “Please Come to Brazil” is officially cancelled — because “Brazil Please Come to Us” is the new thing.
In case you haven’t noticed (which means you aren’t keeping up with MuuMuse, fake fan), Brazilian bombshell Anitta is taking over the world with her multilingual music, her voice, her moves, her beauty — and, of course, her bunda.
Pabllo Vittar, premiere Brazilian drag queen, Playboy Brasil darling and purveyor of excellent pop in his own right, is also serving on an international level. He’s huge. In fact, he’s now the most-followed drag queen on Instagram. (Watch your wig, Selena…)
And then there’s Diplo, whom you and I know best for co-crafting Nicola Roberts‘ “Beat Of My Drum.” He’s also part of a troupe you might have heard on the radio before, called Major Lazer.
Together, they’ve joined forces and made an absolute monster of a summer smash, and certainly my own Song of Summer ’17: “Sua Cara.” At long last, after much badgering on social media, the video has arrived on this Sunday afternoon (Jul. 30).
First off, this reaction feels appropriate:
The mile-a-minute Bruno Ilogti-directed visual, set in the scorching Moroccan desert sands, is all ATVs and ass-shaking on the dunes, which is essentially what we saw in the teaser shots from the shoot. (Sadly, Anitta’s nearly lethal “Slave 4 U” moment- didn’t make the final cut — next time they really need to hire Banana the Snake.)
The “Movimento da Sanfoninha” princess looks unbelievably fine as she gyrates, as does the scene-stealing Pabllo with his own fierce footwork, but it’s when Pablitta join forces and shimmy together that the magic truly happens. (Given the temperature of a desert, they were probably also dying inside — yet still killed it.)
For his part, Diplo basically serves his best biker dude impression and sits steady, allowing the ladies to steal the spotlight and rebolar right in his cara.
In all seriousness, beyond the fun and sexiness of a desert frolic, Diplo is fucking cool for doing “Sua Cara”: not only are Major Lazer putting the spotlight on international talent, but they’re incorporating — and sexualizing — a drag queen on an assertively in-your-face track alongside a powerful woman. (Literally: “I’m going to throw it right in your face.“) Diplo, a straight white dude, is secure enough in his own sexuality to have Pabllo twerking right in front of his face. The result is both hot and progressive. More dudes in music should be cool like Diplo. (Also, it helps that the song is genuinely good.)
Here’s to Brazilian royalty getting the chance to reign supreme around the world. Now all we need is a “Sua Cara” remix with Brazil’s other, other it girl who singlehandedly salvaged Katy‘s Witness campaign: Gretchen.
