"São Paulo" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd and Brazilian singer Anitta.[2] It was released on October 30, 2024, through XO and Republic Records as the third single from the former's upcoming sixth studio album Hurry Up Tomorrow.[3][4]
Background and promotion
To promote his upcoming album and celebrate his final project under the moniker the Weeknd, the artist held a one-off concert in São Paulo called "one-night-only" on September 7, 2024.[5] The occasion also marked the first time the Weeknd and Anitta performed their collaboration "São Paulo".[6] The appearance was a surprise performance as Anitta emerged on stage initially disguised as one of the Weeknd's dancers.[7]
On October 27, Anitta shared a post depicting an ultrasound image of a baby with sharp teeth and a forked tail asking if the creature is beautiful, to which the Weeknd responded how beautiful it looks.[8] The picture was labelled with the date October 30, 2024, which turned out to be the release date.[9] Anitta had previously posted a picture of herself with a baby belly and a white face mask two days prior.[10]
Music video
The music video for "São Paulo" coincided with the release of the song on October 30, 2024.[11] It was directed by Freeka Tet, and features a pregnant Anitta wearing a "Rejuvenique" massage mask with a mouth on her stomach, singing the Weeknd's lines. Sonja Knežević of Vogue Adria considered the video's horror motives appropriate for the Halloween atmosphere.[12]
Commercial performance
Following its release, "São Paulo" broke the record for the biggest debut for a Brazilian funk song in Spotify history, with 4.8 million streams,[13] a record that was previously held by Anitta's single "Vai Malandra" (2.1 million streams).[14]
