Cover of the album 'Equilibrivm II', by Anitta Disclosure Title: "Equilibrivm II" Artist: Anitta Rating: 6.5/10 For Anitta, 2026 is being a fruitful year. In April, she released the album "Equilibrivm" and ventured into new musical and thematic horizons, bringing spirituality to the core of her work. It was a calculated risk that paid off, and she found herself welcomed by critics and fans like few other times in her career. So, Anitta wanted more and, this Thursday (23), she released part 2. When talking about the new stage, the singer revealed that she was inspired by the first to reproduce what worked. "You guys loved [reggae on the first album], so I said: 'We need to have more reggae'", he said in one of the videos in which he explains track by track. The album reflects this rush to stay in the hearts of the public and critics. Prepared and released in around three months, "Equilibrivm II" seeks to delve even deeper into this new phase — but musically, it remains on the surface, below its predecessor and the grandeur of the project. Project is better than its songs Like many pop albums, "Equilibrivm" is not just a set of songs, but a project full of developments. Along with this second part, Anitta released a 35-minute short, which generated a well-deserved buzz: it is a beautiful collage of resources, participations and references, exploring the artist's relationship with herself, her career, her image and her faith. And it continues to be admirable to see an artist of this stature flaunting her relationship with Candomblé. But as far as the songs are concerned, "Equilibrivm II" ends up serving better as a soundtrack to a major audiovisual project than as an album. Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? Anitta in an image from the album 'Equilibrium II' André Nicolau / Disclosure While the visuals are monumental, the songs are warm. There are exceptions, such as the powerful “Sal Grosso”, a mix of funk and dancehall with the singer from Caxias do Sul, KBrum; and "Oke", which manages to mix Anitta and the artists Brô MC's and Katú Mirim in an intoxicating "indigenous rave". Also a highlight is the ethereal "Contemplation", with crystal clear harmonies and the hypnotic choirs of Grupo Ofá. But it's in the filling, when Anitta takes aim at the most traditional genres of Brazilian music (sometimes bossa nova, sometimes samba, sometimes forró), that everything sounds less interesting. In theory, the formula is there, with irrefutable credentials: Maria Bethânia sings a poem with her chilling voice, Alceu Valença lends his charm to a forró and there is even an interpolation by Carmen Miranda. But good music is not formulaic, and here, there are several unremarkable tracks. Most of the 16 songs have washed arrangements and rarely inspired lyrics — such as "Eu Não Sou Santa", "Respira" and so on. Anitta is an interpreter with a beautiful voice, but she conveys little emotion; the execution is more "coach good vibes" than the powerful Brazilian artist that she is. Even stranger is the Spanish version of Djavan's "Azul", in which she sings "el amor e' azulito". On the first album, the artist already included tracks in other languages ??(it's the concept of balance between languages, is it?); now, Anitta does it again to... contemplate the Spanish-speaking public, according to her. The choice continues to clash, since the rest of the album talks about Brazilianness for Brazilians. Anitta in an image from the album 'Equilibrium II' Reproduction / Teaser No wonder: revealing your faith in orixás, honoring national culture and Afro-Brazilian expressions is a commendable act — especially for the country's biggest pop artist. It is, in fact, a project with great care in its packaging, visuals and narrative. But if the proposal is so courageous, musically, the album risks very little. We know that Anitta can do much more.