Every November, The Wall Street Journal honors individuals who are changing the world through the “Innovator Awards.” This year, in the 12th edition of the tribute, the newspaper named Brazilian popstar Anitta as the “Music Innovator” of 2022 and one of the “eight game-changers of the year whose ideas offer a blueprint for a better future.”
The WSJ explains its choice:
“Like Cher and Madonna before her, who use only one name, Brazilian popstar Anitta is a diva whose fame does not rely solely on her talent.
She draws attention with her opinions, sexuality, and political views. She is also a tireless worker. Changing the sound of pop music in her native Brazil was only possible thanks to an unrelenting tour schedule and frenetic artistic production. A solid career in America is the crowning achievement of her path to becoming a Latin superstar. ‘I only compete with myself,’ she says.
With the release this year of her trilingual album and the hit single “Envolver,” Anitta has invaded the U.S. market and expanded her reach far beyond Brazil. Now singing in five different languages, with hits on charts around the world, she has collaborated with Madonna, Snoop Dogg, and Missy Elliott and has over 63 million followers on Instagram.
Anitta recalls the skepticism of local industry professionals about her global plans. ‘They said, “Well, you can try to go international, but that’s impossible. No one has succeeded; the last person was Carmen Miranda,”‘ she says. ‘Impossible? That word just makes me want to try,’ the newspaper highlighted in its special edition.