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Just one of the many things I absolutely love about this album is the fact that you are existing in such a free creative space.
Just one of the many things I absolutely love about this album is the fact that you are existing in such a free creative space.
You start in this beautiful Sorry, Luisa Sonza everybody.
It's kind of like nice to meet you. Sorry.
I still haven't figured out how to do intros because I just hear the music and I want to just talk immediately about it.
The album starts in such a beautiful deep nurturing immersive kind of almost place and then we're just all over the place BPM running chasing grabbing and I love it.
So I want to say thank you for this record.
I think it's brilliant and you must be very proud of it.
>> Oh, thank you so much.
But first of all, thank you for inviting me. This is incredible. So so nice to meet you.
And yeah, Brutal Prazer is like my favorite work until today like I'm obsessed by this album.
We like like go around the world like traveling and finding sounds and music and people and culture and it was very special all this this process. >> You can hear it.
And how was it when you came back with these ideas these songs?
I mean it feels to me like sometimes you're taking part of that song or part of that song and putting them together.
Do you know do you know what I mean?
It it doesn't feel like you're like okay, now we're going to do something that's 30 beats per minute faster and change key completely.
It's like no, just grab it do it cut paste. >> Yeah, yeah.
>> Like how was it when you had everything to collect and you started to really make sense of it in in in some capacity?
>> Yeah, I I think it was like I was trying to escape from myself like about the to just do totally different than my last album before it's going to launch in a month because when like an artist try to repeat like a thing or a formula.
I don't believe in this way of working of art. >> Yeah.
>> So, I was like, "Okay, after this Caneta Luintimo, what can I do?
Like, Caneta Luintimo was a big, big thing.
And I was like, "Okay, I just don't want to repeat myself and try to like do a formula or something."
And then I was like, "Okay, I'm just going to do music.
I'm just going to do some songs along whatever, and I'm going to see what it will it will disappear. Like, how do I say that?
But I was just, "Okay, just do it. Like, just be creative.
Just don't push yourself to like >> repeat yourself. >> Repeat. I You know what I mean? >> do.
And the thing about that, Luisa, so interesting is is is I don't think when these albums become successful, and this album is is doing wonderful things for you globally as well, which is beautiful.
People don't realize the courage it takes in the at the moment when you make that decision.
Because you're sitting on success.
You've worked for your whole life to to achieve as much success and reach as many people as you can.
Then to sit there and go, "You know, I'm going to take the biggest risk of all." You know. >> Yeah.
>> Cuz cuz it could backfire.
People could go, "We don't like this Luisa Sonza.
You know, we don't like this." You know.
So, I I guess the question is, you know, um do you acknowledge now in yourself that you are somebody who is willing to take the risk rather than consolidate all the success you have?
Like, it's okay if you lose it as long as you stay true to yourself.
>> Yeah, I think that's the real uh key.
That's the the real way to to have a big career, not just big hits.
You know, I think it's a huge difference to have a lot of uh songs like top one or top or whatever.
And and it's different when you do a like a thing not thinking about the the this moment right now, but like for ever, you know, this album is going to be mine forever. >> Yeah.
>> I can I cannot run away from it. >> Yeah.
>> So, uh it needs to be something that I'm I'm not regret like in 50 years or something. >> Yeah.
>> So, yeah, obviously it's very like I felt many times like, "Oh my god, am I doing the right thing?
I could do like something easier to to understand or like repeat some things that I know it it will like work or whatever or like I don't know I'm going to find many collaborations and I'm going to do like all the album like uh with feat- featuring someone and it's going to be easy or like it's going to be uh you know?
Like we have these formulas, but in 50 years, I will like this?
I will like be proud of me?
So, I think with Paraiso is was the moment that I was like is the moment to do that or is maybe I'm never going to be able to do this like just do my thing, you know?
>> about creating memories as well.
It's not, you know, if you lean into the formula, there's no learning and there's no experience.
And now whenever you hear these songs, the one part of the trade that we don't get, we get the music and we get to apply it to our life, but you get to remember where you were when you made that song or you were inspired by that song. becomes your memories. >> Yeah.
>> Which I think is like that's the that's the most special part I think for the artist, isn't it?
To go like, "I got to live it." >> Yeah.
I I love that part because we like as I as I told you, uh we traveled the world to do this album.
So, >> Like where did you go?
>> We went to like obviously here Los Angeles, but we went to Europe, Korea, like Brazil obviously and >> is Seoul by the way? Isn't it Seoul amazing? >> Incredible.
>> favorite cities on the planet. Seoul. >> I love it. >> Yeah.
>> And it's so good to see two things.
Obviously, new culture, new people, like new sounds, but also like how people abroad see Brazil.
I think the the name of Brutal Paradise, that is, but in Portuguese, the name of the album it is about like the way I saw people abroad seeing me and seeing Brazil and the way I see Brazil.
>> Can you elaborate a little more cuz you summed it up beautifully and succinctly with the album title, but I love more of an explanation what that what that perception is from people. >> I don't know.
I think like Brazil is definitely a definitely a paradise. It's tropical.
It's incredible, but it it is also brutal like I live in São Paulo many years and one of my friends like a lot of many of them came to my house and like arrived in São Paulo and they asked me like, "Okay, where is the beach?
Where is the the the floras and everything?"
I was like, "No, here is just >> Where is the postcard?
I want one of the postcards >> In São Paulo is just like constructions. It's brutal.
It we we don't we don't have like we are not just one thing.
We are much more than >> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> And we are so like mixed with like we we have a lot of rhythms, a lot of culture.
We like we are a whole world in a country.
>> Well, the music If Brazil was just what was on the postcard, you wouldn't have this.
And you wouldn't have, you know, you wouldn't have the the music and the rhythms that have changed music which come from struggle, which come from energy, which come from danger.
>> Yeah, it is it is a big mess.
And I also like the >> I didn't say that, by the way.
That's >> No, but I'm a mess.
I and I like to be a mess.
I think it's uh Sometimes obviously I wish I would I be more like perfect but I'm not it's impossible to me.
So I was like okay I I need to be good about who I am. >> Yeah. >> So in that's it.
>> That requires a you know a lot of work. It doesn't just happen. >> Jesus. >> You don't yeah.
Yeah, he'll help but she he who doesn't really matter but at the end of the but at the end of the day you know it requires you to dig deep into find out who you are in real time.
And art is great for that.
It it it allows you to search deep and discover things. >> right?
>> be messy and accept that sometimes >> I feel much better when I hear those things.
Really I was like I is so insane for me when people like doing music or like even like talking talking things about music I was like is like oh you should do this rhythm or you should be in this box.
Oh why you are doing this and not that?
You should do somehow how is the way you need to be. >> Locked.
>> The way you need to talk, the way you need to do. No, you cannot.
And for me music and art is literally the opposite.
Is when I'm in at the studio or at the concert like at the show I think like I can do whatever I want here.
Like obviously we live in a society so we need to respect people and and all those things but when we are doing art is totally creative.
You can like dream, nightmare, everything you want it you can put it because it's not real.
So you can create, you can like play around. I love that.
>> have a Do you have a Do you have a dance with the with the lion though?
When you're in the studio and you're creating something >> Mhm.
>> and you feel something that you want to express and it's a it's a thought. It's a dark thought. It's a human thought.
Are there times when you're like oh man, you know I I know if I can sing that should I write that?
>> All >> And how do you feel when you cross that line and you let it go?
>> I used to be best feeling ever.
I love it when I like write something and I feel like embarrassed or something, but I like okay, just put it put it out.
And then I do it and I feel that I I see the reaction of my friends.
Like it's always like something an experience, you know?
And also like I change some of the lyrics because in this album I I tried to be very like raw.
And obviously be being raw sometimes is too much.
And then I I okay, I'm going to I put it all all of like okay, I'm going to do this lyric in this way and it's going to be like this.
It's very like uh dark and blah blah blah.
And then like let's just clean it up clean it up a little bit and and it's okay.
>> Just to preserve a little bit of what you want to keep for yourself as well, right?
Because at the end of the day you have an enormously large fan base of people who love you.
Tens of millions, 30 million followers on Instagram alone, I think.
Um it's hard to not have a little voice in your mind that's like keep that for yourself. >> Yes.
And also to protect people as well.
Like somehow we have this responsibility like to maybe I can understand what I'm what I wanted to say it, but sometimes people cannot or can't understand.
>> It's such a good point, Luisa, because I've spoken to so many amazing artists throughout my life who have such a different take on that.
Like like some people feel like you do where it's like there's a way you can do both.
You can express your truth, but also not take someone along for the ride, right? >> Yeah, yeah.
>> But then some people I've spoken to are like, whoever's with me, whoever's in my life has to acknowledge that that I'm going to tell my truth and that is just how it is.
And I haven't kind of figured out which one is the right one.
>> I think I have my moments.
Like obviously in the beginning of one a specific song that I changed the lyric.
Uh I'm going to sing today song that is Despedida. >> Yeah.
>> Uh I change it like in the beginning I didn't agree because I was like, it's my art.
They should understand and blah blah blah.
And then the other another like other hand, I was like deep down I know that maybe you you can be you still going to be true to yourself.
You're saying what you want to to say about the song and I you're you're like expressing your feelings and your fears and blah blah blah, but you don't need to be so raw in a pointed maybe can >> It could be cruel.
>> Yeah, it could be cruel to a I don't want to like hurt people, you know what I mean? >> That's growth. I mean, that's amazing.
Wow, you've What a life you've lived already.
I mean, it's it's been brutal paradise is is life in itself for everybody to some degree.
And people see the success and they see the adoration, they see the joy you get from creating your art, but you're not without your experiences and things that hurt you along the way.
I mean, you've you've made multiple albums now.
How kind are you to your younger self in the experiences that you went through and do you allow yourself to heal as you go or are you saving that for a later date?
>> I think Brutal Paradise was the process to be kind to my younger self.
I think in Brutal Paradise I like I have How do I say that? Like I helped me. >> You held your hand. Held your hand.
>> yeah, yeah, yeah, held your hand.
>> I held held my hand and I was like, "Okay, girl, you were just a girl. It's okay.
You like your your health, your mental health, your life. It's okay.
You like many times you just was too young to understand what was happening in your life.
Like, I I came uh I've I was born in a very very small city and like I was obviously I was so stupid sometimes.
You know, I started my my career like in Brazil and I was 17.
And everything starts to be crazy and I was like totally lost and we like >> maturity doesn't come along for the ride with success. They're like this. >> Much later.
>> you're here and you're like, wait, this is going at its own pace. >> No, totally later. Like, years later.
I was like, oh, I would love >> Yeah.
>> to understand that like 10 years ago.
But I can't I cannot but it's impossible.
But it is what it is and I think that's why uh I can write my songs.
I can like be creative because I lived my life very intensive.
I'm a very like I'm I'm a intense person. You know what I mean?
>> Where when Okay, so how do you counter that intensity?
Because life is all about finding balance, right?
And sitting in the moment and it's a total lifelong practice. >> Yeah.
>> You just Unless you go sit on top of a mountain in a monastery somewhere and maybe you can just do that. I don't know.
But for me it's like I can't do that.
I have to practice every day.
So, how do you apply the opposite of intensity in your life?
What do you search for to create calm? >> Therapy. >> So good. I love it.
>> And I think my friends, my family and >> Are they how can they be honest with you, really honest, very honest? >> Okay.
>> Yeah, no, they can they? Your family are honest?
>> Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.
I thought like >> I can you imagine? >> Like can I be honest? I was like, yeah, okay.
>> I've known you for 17 minutes.
Can I be brutally honest with you? Can I be rude to you?
I mean like literally I'm just going to go in right now.
You'll be like this guy is a lot.
>> I was like, okay, okay. We are intensive.
But yeah, people who are who are, yeah, who is?
>> Yeah, who are honest with you.
>> Yeah, who are honest with me with me and say things that I don't want to hear it or but I think me I I always like I'm the more the brutalest person I ever >> on yourself >> Impossible. Yeah.
>> You're hardest on yourself.
>> think I'm hardest to myself hard to myself but I you know in a good way. You need to be.
>> You do need you do well, you do need to be but that's a that's a that's a form of insanity as well. You know what I mean?
Like I I can relate to that.
I I There's something in the creative arts I think where people set the bar highest for themselves. >> Yeah.
>> You've achieved and succeeded and and and and done so many amazing things.
Um you've arrived at this point where this album is the most honest and true version of yourself.
I'm excited to hear you play some songs soon but I'm not going to actually interrupt this conversation if it's cool cuz I'm having a really good time talking with you and getting to know you. >> Oh.
>> Um tell us a little bit about what it's like being successful at home and how people respond to you and from you know, the intensity of success right through to the vulnerability and the joy of pride.
How is life being in Brazil being >> answer.
Woah, it's a good question. Um I don't know.
It's it's something because Brazil is uh such a specific place and such a like incredible place with incredible people.
And we love and we hate and we say everything.
We are like we are definitely strong.
And very it's like be famous in Brazil.
I don't know how how how to explain to you, but it's like it's brutal, but it's a paradise.
>> Can you still be famous but can you still can you still feel free there?
Can you experience the joys and freedoms of life that you see people around you enjoy enjoying?
>> I think it's the same as home. You know what I mean? Like >> Mhm.
>> Uh I'll I'm I love my country.
I love to see like I was playing Coachella and see the the Brazilians there. Like we help each other.
We're we are we can be like kind like in a way that I never see in my life another place in the world.
>> met amazing people from Brazil.
>> Yeah, like I don't know.
We are so like we are warm. You know what I mean? Like we're just warm.
And if we see a like a Brazilian abroad like we're automatically like best friends. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got you back. You got mine.
>> It was like you're Brazil Brazil. Oh my god. Let's go home.
Let's do a barbecue Brazilian barbecue.
So being a it's like yeah, you know like Brazil is literally like a a home.
It's like >> Even away from home it feels like home. >> Yeah, definitely.
And like be famous there is like be at home.
Like my mom can definitely like loves love me, but at the same time like "Luisa, why you do that?
Like you should not do that."
And Brazil I think is like this.
Be famous in Brazil is like very intense and very like >> Yeah, they'll still check you.
>> Yeah, that like but it's cool. I love it.
I I like I would choose Brazil like always always my life.
>> Like >> You're on the world you're on the world stage now.
I mean Coachella was a is obviously a step in that direction.
Um the beautiful thing is that your music already exists all over the world and you have fans all over the world.
But you said something really interesting in a conversation which is kind of all over my algorithm right now where you said performing at Coachella felt like starting again.
But you've seemed happy about that.
The idea of having a challenge to go out there and experience something fresh not it be the next thing on top of the next thing.
When did you realize that? Was it after the show? Was it during the show?
Like when did you like wow, this feels unique to me?
>> I think the moment I start the show like when I like I start the the the first song is like it talks about like tropical paradise.
It's the name of the song and I was singing my Brazilian culture not just Brazilian music but you're doing like the whole Brazilian thing and and then I was like oh my god, I'm doing something totally different that I ever I never done this in my life.
It's so incredible to see people who doesn't understand my language or whatever, but they like were like there like like shaking their ass. Can I say that?
And like just be >> It's a valid reaction.
>> You know, and this is I was like oh my god, this is so I was like, "I just felt like, oh my god, I'm so Brazilian."
Like, you know, I don't know.
And this is a In This is so incredible because I was like, "Okay, I'm I'm at a totally different stage, totally different crowd, totally different, and I still can brings Brazil with me."
>> What was beautiful what I saw was that it was very the choreography and the movement and everything was so dialed in and so tasteful and great, but I also felt like you were free in the middle of that. >> Yeah.
>> I didn't feel like you were so beholden >> I hate it. I hate it.
>> like, you guys do all that, I'm going to do what I'm going to do. >> Yeah.
I I need As I told you As I was saying, like, I need to be free at this stage and and at the studio.
Like, it's the two places that I like, "Please, don't don't don't >> Don't tell me Yeah, don't box me in. >> Don't box me in.
Like, it's the place the two places that I like hate to stay in a box.
So, obviously, we we do a lot of rehearsals, and I know what to do or even if I feel that is the moment to do with the the dancers or whatever, I do.
But if I felt different in this show, >> You do your job, and I'll do mine.
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's it.
It's like I've been in a like I started singing like when I was 7.
In a stage, like, wedding band, and 10 years working every day um at the stage.
So, for me, it's like is the way I'm I'm most like lived my life. How do I say that? >> Yeah.
>> But >> realize you'd spent so much time before you even started publishing music and releasing it developing such a strong work ethic.
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Very early on.
What are your What are your strongest memories of that time as a work as a child working in music?
>> of tricky, but when you are a child, you did you just don't realize that.
Just when you're like grow up and then I was like, "Okay, this those things were kind of weird, you know, kind of too difficult for a just a girl, you know?"
>> Yeah, it's comprehensive.
>> But I especially in Brutal Paradise, I realized and I did a song about my life that has 8 minutes and I talk >> You know, I love it. >> Yeah.
And I I say like that I'm like I'm grateful to to be able to sing since I was a child because this made me who I am right now and I I don't know.
I I felt many artists they just don't have the opportunity doesn't have the opportunity to be to sing for a crowd that don't doesn't know you like oh don't even care about you. >> Mhm.
>> So I think I learn how to >> It's a muscle you can go back to.
>> yeah, and change the subtleties, do this, do whatever.
People are like I can feel the crowd.
They don't need to know me to like my show, you know what I mean? >> Yeah, I do.
I wonder now that you've you're living some life and you've got great experiences and you have your a lot of life ahead of you to live and create.
If you've got to come to a better understanding of what motivated you to want to do this at an age where you probably didn't even understand. You know what I mean?
Like when you're 7 years old and you go out and you sing and you like the way it feels, but but you don't realize you're on this life's journey and it's going to be this brutal paradise. You've no idea, right? >> No, I had no idea.
>> And then and then finding a way to find some answers and heal yourself through the making of this record which is very clear. >> Mhm.
>> I wonder if you've if you've been able to come to a better understanding about what motivates young people or yourself to want to kind of grab this opportunity as a kid, you know, to entertain people, to reach people.
>> Yeah, but like how I felt, how I >> Yeah, like what what what motivated you to do it?
Why would why did you >> I don't know.
It just when it to do it and when I did I okay, I want to do it again and again and again and again and again and I still want to do it again. Like, you know? >> Yeah.
>> I still want to come back to Coachella show and do the second weekend.
I was like, "Oh, thank god that is not just one weekend. It's two."
So, it's just it's it's I don't know why.
It's just it is what it is.
I cannot be different than I I am. You know what I mean?
>> So, you're going to keep making records, but I'd imagine this album now completely resets everything for you to some degree because you've done everything you wanted to do all over the world.
So, that the the scope of possibility for you creatively now must just be huge. >> Yeah, it's yeah. >> the spell, right?
It's like, "I'm not going to be that for the rest of my life.
I'm going to do whatever I wanted." >> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
This is important and I think I was thinking about the albums and Brutal Paradise.
I was like, "Okay, I did so many thing in this album that I probably going to feel I think I feel right now very okay to not do it again, at least not uh soon. >> Mhm. >> You know?
I don't I don't I've I feel like full. You know?
>> Yeah, because the body of work is so expansive and full of created creativity.
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> I'd be shocked if you were like, "Yeah, I'm going in on Monday and knock out another album." >> No, not at all.
I'm not going to be close to I stood up for many years.
>> you've got to bring this to life live and it's in a it honor it because it's such a dynamic experience and you've got so many shows to do, right?
I mean there's a lot more touring to be done. >> yeah.
But I was like I always like I don't know after Escândalo Íntimo my not this album the other one I was like okay, I want to do something new. I I I like soon.
But these with this album was like so many new things that I I'm just going to like live my life, do my shows.
I think I'm I'm very like happy and excited to to do the Brutal Paradise tour. >> Yeah, I bet.
>> around the world because it's so many things that we can explore in this album and >> going to go to every Are you going to try to go to every single country that you recorded the album in or wrote the album in?
>> Yeah, we are trying to. Let's see.
Let's see because there's many countries.
But yeah, we're going to all over Brazil, of course, and Europe >> right?
I mean that's ridiculous.
That's like >> Yeah, Brazil is a whole country like it's insane. >> it's a lot of people. >> Yeah, yeah.
>> Okay, before we let you go and prepare to perform, I just wanted to ask you because I don't feel like I went deep enough here and I'd love to know about some of your favorite experiences traveling while you were making this record because it's rare that I talk to someone who does such extensive traveling whilst creating.
And what were some of the cities or the or the or the experiences that that really captured your heart while you were making this album?
>> Oh my god, so many places.
I think Korea was very was very special.
>> What were your impressions?
>> Ah, it's such a different world, a different way of thinking, a different way of living that makes you like I don't know almost like born again and like see things totally different like and you you see like it's so many truth in the world.
You know like I love like travel traveling a lot around the world and understand that like that we are not that important as we think we are. You know what I mean?
Like it's so good to see I love to go obviously I'm very famous in my country, but like I don't like sometimes to do songs or do my creative part in Brazil because I I don't want to feel that I'm important somehow in a room.
I like when I go into a room like in Korea or whatever and people don't care about me like whatever blonde girl. You know?
I love that feeling like then I was I can be just just a girl.
>> and also the creativity is the is the most important thing not what it's not what you've already achieved.
It's what we're going to create.
>> That's it like I don't like feel pressure when I'm doing creative things and I'm writing my songs like I don't want to repeat myself and sometimes obviously we we like go to a a studio and people know me or or my numbers or whatever and they like oh I want to do this to you like let's do a big hit blah blah blah.
Like if I'm I think thinking like that it's not going to make >> It's not going to make you happy.
>> Yeah, you not just happy but not going to >> Yeah.
>> probably not going to be a hit.
It's not it will not going to be like this.
This not the way at least I did my career.
Obviously I'm very lucky.
I have a big numbers and everything, but it's not is is not like is not a formula.
It just you need to be real somehow, you know, especially in a creative part.
>> You know Luisa, luck definitely plays a role.
It would be foolish for us as human beings when we're offered what what when we run into so many opportunities, whether we choose to take them or not, not acknowledge the importance of luck.
But, you know, you have worked your entire life to get to this place and have made your most creative, most expressive, most interesting album at a time when, to your point, you could have easily just fallen into a nice groove. >> Mhm.
>> So, I say that to say, you know, absolute respect to you for making those decisions and for continuing to entertain yourself first and foremost.
Um have an amazing second weekend at Coachella. >> Hey, thank you.
>> And I really enjoyed getting to know you in this conversation.
I'm looking forward to the next one already.
You're going to come back and perform with us here on the show, which we're very excited about.
Thank you to your team and everyone for coming in and making that possible.
We'll see you on the other side. It's great to see you. Lovely to meet you. >> you, too. Yeah.