Anitta precisely links the 17 songs on 'Equilibrium II', an album in which nothing sounds out of place André Nicolau / Disclosure ? ALBUM REVIEW Title: Equilibrium II Artist: Anitta Rating: ? ? ? ? ? ? With “Equilibrium II”, Anitta reaches the point of cohesion she sought in the first volume released in April. Released into the world on the night of Thursday, July 23rd, the album aligns 17 tracks that are linked with precision in recordings produced with an oiled mix of organic and electronic sounds. A rare case in the music market in which the sequence of a project sounds better finished than the initial part, the album “Equilibrium II” opens and closes with funks, as if remembering the origins of Honório Gurgel's Rio girl who already broke out powerfully in 2013 in the universe of the tambourazão. However, between one funk and another, the artist celebrates the drums of Brazil, encompassing the drums of samba and the drums of the terreiros that echo from ancestral Bahia throughout the country. “You already know who arrived / Just by the beat of the drum”, warns Anitta in verses of “Você Já Sabe”, a mix of funk and maculelê that opens “Equilibrium II” with production by the trio Los Brasileros. “Nothing in the forest kills me”, the singer plays with words in “Oke”, funk that closes the album, putting the forest on the track with the indigenous rap of the Mato Grosso do Sul group Brô MC’s and São Paulo MC Katú Mirim. From the lofty speech of these two tracks, it is clear that Anitta sounds coherent in “Equilibrium II” with the trajectory of the funk singer who contributed decisively to giving women an active voice at dances. But the funk singer became spiritual over 13 years of media exposure and sought in faith, especially in the belief of Afro-Brazilian religions, a strength and positive energy that radiate throughout “Equilibrium II”. With a well-structured narrative, the album reflects Anitta's steps on this personal journey in search of peace and mental health. Which explains a prayer-like track like “Contemplation”, which sounds almost like a mantra, including bringing together the singer with the group Ofá, formed by members of the Terreiro do Gantois community, a hub of ancestry and resistance in Salvador (BA). It is from Bahia that ijexá comes, a genre that dictates the rhythm of three tracks allocated in sequence on the album (by the way, the arrangement of the tracks is perfect and enhances the narrative of “Equilibrium II”). All three ijexás were packed with a high charge of spirituality. “No rush” brings together Anitta with MC Tha in a song that advocates a calmer pace of life. Introduced with a sample of “Plantadeira”, a theme by Minuska Lima, “Deus Mãe” marks the reunion of Anitta with King Saints – rapper who also participates in Equilibrium I” – to praise the feminine energy that generates life. And then comes “Ogum me rodeia”, a track that will seduce the MPB universe by bringing the supernatural voice of Maria Bethânia in a connection that sounds as unexpected as it is harmonious. The performer recites verses (“Your victory is my home / In it, my body knows no wound") that salute Ogum's strength and reinforce the artist's sovereignty, already seen as an entity due to the magnetism that emanates on stage. The song itself of the ijexá is shared by Anitta with Letícia Fialho. Before the triad of ijexás, Anitta spreads out on the reggae sheets, emanating good vibes with Alexandre Carlo in the beach vibe of “Abre Caminho” and foraying into the universe of lovers rock in “Tudo Isso”, reggae that features Alice Caymmi in the team of composers. Still within the musical borders of Jamaica, but on another beach, “Equilibrium II” evokes touches of ragga and dancehall in the cadence of “Sal grosso”, funk boosted with Kbrum’s rap. In another latitude, Anitta falls into forró in two tracks placed side by side in the album sequence. The singer chats with Alceu Valença on the house base of “Não me pokeca”, songs with sharp verses like “It's always good to remember that it's not good to mess with crazy people / That I'm quiet in my corner, so don't poke me”. Also enticing, “Eu não sou santa” softens Anitta’s singing on a track with Mestrinho’s voice and accordion. “I’m not a saint, but I know that the saint loves me”, sings Anitta, mischievously. In an album led by drums, samba makes a natural presence. “Feitiço” is a caboclo samba with a pop touch that brings together Anitta with Mart’nália, the most pop samba artist in Brazil. Also in the line of samba pop, “Ponta do pé” aims at a gafieira hall while “Respira” – a track that has in “Equilibrium II” the function performed by “Pinterest” in “Equilibrium I” – evolves with a certain Latinity in a bossa nova atmosphere, an atmosphere noticeable, to a lesser extent, in “Divino sexual”, a less imposing song in the set of 17 tracks, but still well fitted into the album's narrative. Because sex is life. And it generates life. Evoking Carmen Miranda (1909 – 1955), Anitta cites the marchinha “Taí” (Joubert de Carvalho, 1930) in “Pra you liking me”, a samba with a melancholic air, in a shrewd movement because, covered by the cloak of revelry joy, the verses of the marchinha “Taí” propagated acute suffering. Completing the repertoire of “Equilibrium II”, Anitta enters the happy tone of the song “Azul” in a Spanish version that touches on the literal translation format of Djavan’s lyrics presented to Brazil in 1982 in the crystal clear voice of Gal Costa (1945 – 2022). Introducing Djavan to the relaxation of Latin bars, “Azul” tunes into the album’s positivist vibe. Anyway, in essence musically similar to the format of the first volume, the album “Equilibrium II” grows in relation to its predecessor due to the cohesion of the narrative. Even though there is one or two less seductive songs in the work as a whole, nothing sounds out of place in “Equilibrium II”. Cover of the album 'Equilibrium II', by Anitta André Nicolau / Disclosure