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Versions of Me
Studio album by
Anitta
ReleasedApril 12, 2022 (2022-04-12)
Genre
Length43:54
Language
  • English
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • French[a]
LabelWarner
Producer
Anitta chronology
Kisses
(2019) 		Versions of Me
(2022) 		Funk Generation
(2024)
Singles from Versions of Me
  1. "Me Gusta"
    Released: September 18, 2020
  2. "Girl from Rio"
    Released: April 29, 2021
  3. "Faking Love"
    Released: October 14, 2021
  4. "Envolver"
    Released: November 11, 2021
  5. "Boys Don't Cry"
    Released: January 27, 2022
  6. "Gata"
    Released: August 5, 2022

Versions of Me is the fifth studio album by Brazilian singer Anitta, released on April 12, 2022, through Warner Records and originally planned to be titled Girl from Rio.[1][2] Anitta covered her various versions on the album, with Ryan Tedder serving as one of the executive producers for the album.[3] Her second multilingual visual album after her fourth studio album, Kisses (2019), Versions of Me contains collaborations with Chencho Corleone, Ty Dolla Sign, Afro B, Khalid, Saweetie, YG, Papatinho, MC Kevin o Chris, Mr. Catra, Cardi B and Myke Towers (in the standard edition), as well as Missy Elliott, Maluma, L7nnon, Maffio, ASAP Ferg, Harv, Pedro Sampaio, Dadju, Nicky Jam and MC Pedrinho (in the deluxe edition).

After Kisses (2019), Anitta conceived and recorded the album during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way of showing her various versions as an artist and also in order to address the artist's sexual, romantic and affective relationships and each track works almost each of these situations separately. Building an album for two years, Anitta wanted to bring an impeccable album to the international market. Her collaborations with composers and record producers produced a softer tone, developing diverse vocal styles and influences from funk, reggaeton, hip hop music, and trap. The album's lyrical content explores themes such as feminism, women's independence, types of affective relationships, sex, relationship issues, inspired by the artist's desire to assert her creative freedom completely. The album also has a deluxe edition, intended to commercialize the contrasting facets of Anitta's art.

Versions of Me was preceded by eight singles: "Me Gusta" (featuring Cardi B and Myke Towers), "Girl from Rio", "Faking Love" (featuring Saweetie), "Envolver", "Boys Don't Cry", "Gata" (with Chencho Corleone), "El Que Espera" (featuring Maluma) and "Lobby" (featuring Missy Elliott).[4] "Envolver" was a huge commercial success, becoming the first solo Latin song to reach the top of the Spotify Global Daily chart as well as reaching no. 2 on the Billboard Global 200.[5] Upon release, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production. The album broke records on Spotify, opening with over six million streams and thus becoming the biggest debut of a Brazilian artist on the platform.[6] The album also holds the record for biggest streaming week for a Brazilian artist on Spotify, with over 39 million streams.[7] By May 2022, the album had earned 111.7 million on-demand song streams in the United States.[8] In October 2022, Versions of Me became the first Brazilian pop album to hit 1 billion streams on Spotify.[9]

Background

[edit]

After releasing her trilingual visual album Kisses (2019), Anitta started working on her fifth studio album, which was originally titled Girl from Rio.[4] In a 2020 interview for the Brazilian magazine Veja, Anitta confirmed at that time that she had 30 songs ready for the album and was selecting the tracklist with her manager Brandon Silverstein.[10] In April 2021, Anitta released the single "Girl from Rio", which was announced as the then-title track of the album, but Anitta and her team decided to hold off on releasing the album that year.[4]

Anitta announced the album's changed title, release date and cover art on April 1, 2022, also saying that she would subsequently explain her thinking behind the album cover and that she "loved" that it was "causing controversy", stating that was her intent.[11] She later released a statement on her social media accounts that read in part, "Even after millions of plastic surgeries, doctors and interventions... my inside just stays the same", which references the "notable plastic surgery differences" between the different faces on the cover. She also remarked that the title was changed to Versions of Me as it "made more sense".[12]

In July 2022, Anitta confirmed the release of a deluxe edition of the album featuring collaborations with Maluma, "El Que Espera", and Missy Elliot, "Lobby". Both songs will have music videos and she also confirmed a music video for "Gata".[13][14] "Gata" was then confirmed as the first single from the deluxe edition of the album released on August 5, 2022.[15]

Promotion

[edit]

"Versions of Me" was released on April 12, 2022, through Warner Records, Anitta's first to be released under the label. The standard edition was released as a digital download and streaming. The deluxe edition was released on August 25, 2022.[16]

To promote the single "Girl from Rio", Anitta performed on several American talk shows in May 2021, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Today and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[17] On September 12, 2021, she performed the song during the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards break, as part of a campaign by Burger King.[18] She performed on The Tonight Show again on January 31, 2022, singing "Boys Don't Cry".[19]

"Faking Love" featuring rapper Saweetie was released as the third single on October 14, 2021. Its music video directed by Bradley & Pablo was released the following day. The song was sent to US pop and rhythmic radio on October 19, 2021. "Faking Love" reached numbers 34 and 35 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic charts, respectively. "Faking Love" was performed on the American talk show The Late Late Show with James Corden, where she sang the song with the rapper Saweetie in November 2021.[20] The single was performed in various other events throughout that year, including Miley's New Year's Eve Party, KIIS-FM Jingle Ball 2021, among others.[21][22][16]

On March 26, 2022, Anitta sang "Boys Don't Cry" with Miley Cyrus during the singer's show on the 2022 edition of Lollapalooza Brazil.[23]

A brazilian funk remix of song "Practice" was performed by Anitta on Savage X Fenty Show. A simlish version of it was released for The Sims game.

Singles

[edit]

"Me Gusta" featuring Cardi B and Myke Towers, was released on September 18, 2020, as the official lead single from the album.[24] In the United States, the song debuted at number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated October 3, 2020, becoming Anitta's first entry on the chart.[25]

"Girl from Rio" was released as the second single on April 29, 2021. It was released as the original title track before the concept of the album changed. A remix was released featuring DaBaby was released on June 11, 2021. Anitta then released her next English track, "Faking Love" featuring Saweetie, as the third single[4] on October 14, 2021.

"Envolver" was released as the fourth single[4] on November 11, 2021. The single managed to become one of Anitta's most successful singles to date and was her second Billboard Hot 100 entry reaching number 70 following a viral TikTok trend in March 2022. A remix featuring Justin Quiles was released on February 17, 2022.

"Boys Don't Cry" was released as the fifth single on January 27, 2022. Its accompanying music video was directed by Anitta herself and Christian Breslauer. The song was sent to US pop radio on February 8, 2021. The song reached number 33 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart.[4]

On June 23, 2022, "Dançarina Remix" was released as a promotional single, later added to the deluxe edition of the album, with a music video and features Pedro Sampaio, Dadju, Nicky Jam and MC Pedrinho.

On August 4, 2022, Anitta announced "Gata" as the six single with its music video released the following day.

"El Que Espera" with Maluma was released on August 11, 2022,[26] and "Lobby" with Missy Elliot was released the week after. Both are included on the deluxe edition of Versions of Me, released on August 25 with five additional songs and a different cover.[27]

Composition

[edit]

Versions of Me is a reggaetón and power pop album with elements of electropop, EDM, alternative R&B, funk carioca, electro, and trap-pop.[28][29] It is a trilingual album, just like Anitta's previous album, Kisses, with multicultural and diverse references and whose tracks "explore the diverse women and facets that inhabit Anitta's complex personality".

Critical reception

[edit]

Reviews

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Album of the Year77/100[33]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Line of Best Fit7/10[30]
NMEStarStarStarStar[28]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarStar[29]
Tracklist7,5/10[31]
The Bulletin70/100[32]

Versions of Me received generally positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator Album of the Year, the album has a rating of 77 out of 100 based on 3 reviews.[33]

Reviewing positively for NME, Nick Levine called the album "a searingly ambitious affair from a star who knows exactly what she wants", scoring it four out of five stars.[28] In another positive review for Forbes, Chis Méndez affirmed Anitta "shows that she's more than just a pretty face—one that she's proud of after "hundreds" of cosmetic procedures. She easily hops between English, Spanish, and Portuguese as she sings about love, lust, loss, and everything in between".[34]

For Rolling Stone, Julissa Lopez stated that Anitta's search for an international market "worked, and it made Anitta one of the biggest stars in the Latin pop world. For her next act, she's ready to take on the rest of the planet, and she's planning to do so by sharing the most uncompromising portrait of herself on Versions of Me".[35] Reviewing the album for Rolling Stone, Charles Aaron found it to be "a tirelessly bewitching global dance-floor experience", adding "some may harbor doubts [of Anitta's success], but Anitta has the talent – and data – she needs", rating it four out of five stars.[29]

Billboard affirmed the record "proves Anitta's versatility and chameleonic abilities to dabble in multiple genres".[36] Ana Claro Ribeiro for The Life of Best Fit, said "as [Anitta] dreams of becoming Brazilian funk's poster girl and pave the way for more Brazilian artists to have a global platform, Anitta knows damn well that the route to success requires a few concessions and adjustments, and she's very willing to make them", rating the album 7 out of 10.[30] In June 2022, Rolling Stone, ranked Versions of Me as one of the 58 best albums of 2022.[37] The same month, Billboard ranked Versions of Me as one of the best 22 Latin albums of 2022.[38]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Select Year-end rankings
Publication List Rank Ref,
Billboard The 20 Best Pride Albums of 2022: Staff Picks
N/A
 [39]
The 22 Best Latin Albums of 2022: Staff Picks
N/A
 [40]
The 25 Best Pride Songs of 2022 - "Boys Don't Cry"
N/A
 [41]
YardBarker The Best Songs that Defined 2022 - "Lobby"
N/A
 [42]
Eolor Best Clips from Brazil in 2022 - "Boys Don't Cry"
4
 [43]
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Albums of 2022
31
 [44]
Stereogum The 10 Best Pop Albums of 2022
5
 [45]
UPROXX The Best Latin Albums of 2022
N/A
 [46]
The Best Pop Albums of 2022
N/A
 [47]
Variety The 10 Best Latin Albums of 2022
9
 [48]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year presented, name of the award ceremony, category, and result of nomination
Year Award ceremony Category Result Ref.
2022 Capricho Awards Album of the Year Won [49]
LOS40 Music Awards Best Latin Album Nominated [50]
MTV Millennial Awards Brazil Album of the Year Nominated [51]
Multishow Brazilian Music Awards Nominated [52]
Cover of the Year Nominated
2023 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Music Artist Nominated [53]
Premios Lo Nuestro Urban - Album of the Year Nominated [54]

Track listing

[edit]
Versions of Me — Standard edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Envolver"
  • Jose Cruz
  • Freddy Montalvo
  • Cristian Salazar
Súbelo NEO3:13
2."Gata" (featuring Chencho Corleone)
  • Machado
  • Chencho Corleone
  • Gale
3:26
3."I'd Rather Have Sex"
2:53
4."Gimme Your Number" (with Ty Dolla Sign)
  • Daecolm Holland
  • Patrizio Pigliapoco
  • Ritchie Valens
  • Beazy Tymes
  • Ruckus
  • Van Riper
  • Harrell[v]
2:37
5."Maria Elegante" (featuring Afro B)
  • Machado
  • Osmar Escobar
  • Donny Flores
  • Ross-Emmanuel Bayeto
  • Juan Castaneda
  • Joseph Charles
  • A. Keen
  • Santiago López
  • Dashawn White
  • The Best Soundz
  • Harrell[v]
3:06
6."Love You"
  • Sabath
  • Spencer
  • Harrell[v]
3:02
7."Boys Don't Cry"
2:16
8."Versions of Me"
  • Machado
  • Burns
  • Yacoub
Burns3:04
9."Turn It Up"Alyssa Cantu
  • Tedder
  • A. Torres
  • Rengifo
  • Mighty Mike
  • Harrell[v]
2:39
10."Ur Baby" (featuring Khalid)
  • Machado
  • James Murray
  • Mustafa Omer
  • Shakka Philipi
  • Lonnie Smith
  • Mojam
  • Harrell[v]
  • Denis Kosiak[v]
2:43
11."Girl from Rio"
  • Machado
  • R. Keen
  • Gale
3:14
12."Faking Love" (featuring Saweetie)
  • Machado
  • Rengifo
  • Tedder
  • A. Torres
  • Tedder
  • A. Torres
  • Rengifo
  • Harrell[p]
2:28
13."Que Rabão" (with Papatinho and MC Kevin o Chris featuring Mr. Catra and YG)
PapatinhoPapatinho2:56
14."Me Gusta" (with Cardi B and Myke Towers)
  • Rengifo
  • Tedder
  • Rafa Dias
  • Wallace Chibatinha
  • Tedder
  • A. Torres
  • Rengifo
  • RDD
  • Harrell[v]
  • Jean Rodriguez[v]
3:00
15."Love Me, Love Me"
  • Machado
  • Gale
3:11
Total length:43:48
Versions of Me — Deluxe edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Lobby" (with Missy Elliott)
  • Machado
  • Zach Skelton
  • Tedder
  • Tedder
  • Skelton
  • Harrell[v]
2:37
2."El Que Espera" (with Maluma)
  • Andy Clay
  • Luís Salazar
  • Clay
  • Salazar
2:50
3."Yo No Sé" (featuring L7nnon and Maffio)
  • Machado
  • Cris Chill
  • Carlos Peralta Mendoza
  • Symon Dice
  • Lennon dos Santos
Maffio3:01
4."Practice" (featuring ASAP Ferg and Harv)
Harv3:23
5."Dançarina" (remix; with Pedro Sampaio and Dadju, featuring Nicky Jam and MC Pedrinho)
  • Mike Fraga dos Santos
  • William Mundala
  • Seydou Cissé
  • Rafael Silva de Queiroz
  • Jean Rodriguez
  • Dadju
  • Maikinho DJ
  • Sampaio
  • Rafinha RSQ
3:32
Total length:59:19

Notes

[edit]

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Versions of Me
Chart (2022) Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[59] 55
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[60] 51
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[61] 2

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Versions of Me
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[62] Diamond 300,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for Versions of Me
Region Date Format(s) Edition Label Ref.
Various April 12, 2022
Standard Warner Records [16]
August 25, 2022 Deluxe [63]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Versions of Me

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
is the fifth studio album by Brazilian singer Anitta, released on April 12, 2022, through Warner Records as her first project primarily targeting the international market with a mix of English, Spanish, and Portuguese tracks blending pop, reggaetón, and Brazilian funk carioca. The 15-track album opens with the lead single "Envolver," which became the first song by a Brazilian artist to top the Spotify Global daily chart, amassing over 6 million streams in a single day and marking Anitta as the first solo Latin artist to achieve this milestone. Featuring collaborations with artists like Cardi B and Missy Elliott, the record emphasizes themes of self-empowerment and personal reinvention, reflecting Anitta's multifaceted career evolution from favela origins to global stardom. Critics praised its vibrant energy and dance-floor appeal, with Rolling Stone describing it as a "tirelessly bewitching global dance-floor experience," though some noted it prioritized commercial ambition over deeper innovation. The album's release propelled Anitta's visibility, contributing to her subsequent chart successes and establishing her as a crossover force in Latin pop.

Development and Recording

Conception and Influences

The album Versions of Me originated from Anitta's intent to expand her international presence following the release of her previous album Kisses on November 5, 2019. Initially titled Girl from Rio—after a track released as a single on April 30, 2021—the project was planned for release after her scheduled Coachella performance in April 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted those plans. Anitta conceived much of the work during the pandemic, aiming to showcase her multifaceted identity beyond a singular narrative tied to her Rio origins. Anitta retitled the album Versions of Me to encapsulate her evolving personas, stating, "I like being a different person every day... I wanted the title to represent all the different versions of me." This shift emphasized her adaptability across cultural and musical markets, reflecting influences from her upbringing in Rio de Janeiro's , where she immersed herself in , to her self-directed rise as an entrepreneur managing her career independently. Her observations of global music trends, including the success of artists blending local sounds with pop, informed a strategy prioritizing authentic fusion over superficial localization, drawing from experiences post-Kisses where she tested multilingual tracks for broader appeal. This conception underscored Anitta's entrepreneurial approach, rooted in favela resilience and market analysis, to position herself as a versatile artist capable of navigating international charts without diluting her Brazilian heritage. The title and thematic focus highlighted her rejection of reductive stereotypes, instead promoting a of self-reinvention driven by personal agency and commercial pragmatism.

Production Process

Recording for Versions of Me took place primarily in studios in and , with Anitta collaborating closely with international producers to blend her Brazilian heritage with global pop elements. The album's executive production was handled by Anitta herself alongside of , who contributed to several tracks and emphasized her directive role in shaping the sound. Additional key producers included the Norwegian duo and the Puerto Rican pair Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo, known for their work on hits like "," ensuring a polished yet rhythmically diverse output. Anitta exercised substantial artistic veto power throughout the process, insisting on integrating Brazilian rhythms such as to preserve authenticity amid the international production team's influences. This hands-on approach extended to her co-management of the project via her company Rodamoinho, allowing her to reject ideas that deviated from her vision of capturing multifaceted personal narratives through efficient, targeted sessions. The recording prioritized real-time creative decisions, with Anitta drawing from ongoing career experiences to maintain control over the final product rather than delegating fully to collaborators. Decisions on the trilingual structure—featuring tracks in English, Spanish, and —stemmed from Anitta's analysis of streaming market data, aiming to maximize reach in diverse regions without compromising her cultural roots. This resulted in a standard edition of 15 tracks, released on April 12, 2022, via , following her 2021 signing with the label. The process underscored efficiency, wrapping principal work in under two years to align with promotional timelines while yielding over 39 million streams in its debut week, a record for a Brazilian artist at the time.

Musical Composition and Themes

Genres and Production Techniques

Versions of Me blends , , and with elements of EDM, trap-pop, and , creating a dance-oriented sonic palette designed for global appeal. Tracks like exemplify reggaeton's dembow rhythms, clocking in at 92 beats per minute (BPM), which supports its rhythmic drive and compatibility with club and viral dance challenges. Other songs incorporate trap beats and structures, as seen in the title track's 123 BPM , emphasizing hooks over complexity. Production techniques feature layered synthesizers for sheen, alongside minimalistic arrangements that prioritize repetitive, TikTok-friendly motifs to enhance shareability and replay value. Trap-influenced beats and electronic drops provide textural depth without overwhelming the core dance pulse, with many tracks maintaining tempos between 90 and 130 BPM to align with mainstream club standards. These choices reflect a strategic polish from collaborators like , focusing on accessible, high-energy builds suited for streaming and performance. The album strikes an empirical balance between Brazilian roots and Western production values by integrating rhythms and Portuguese-language tracks like "," preserving cultural authenticity amid English and Spanish dominance. This approach avoids full dilution of origins, as Anitta emphasized retaining Brazilian elements during sessions, even as the overall sound leans toward American pop refinement for international markets.

Lyrical Content and Personal Narratives

The lyrics of Versions of Me emphasize themes of personal autonomy, relational , and the of physical satisfaction over emotional entanglements, reflecting a candid portrayal of interpersonal dynamics without idealization. Tracks such as "I'd Rather Have Sex" explicitly favor sexual encounters as a preferable alternative to prolonged arguments, underscoring a preference for immediate physical resolution in conflicts rather than sustained emotional investment. This approach critiques conventional expectations of relational harmony by highlighting self-interested choices, where individuals opt for transient pleasures amid discord. The title track "Versions of Me" delves into identity multiplicity, depicting how an individual's varied facets—such as conflicting behaviors or personas—can strain partnerships, leading to accusations of inconsistency or external in lyrics like ", it was a maniac." This illustrates causal tensions in relationships arising from internal multiplicity, where attempts to integrate disparate self-aspects result in relational breakdown rather than cohesion. Autobiographical undertones appear in reflections on post-relationship , drawing from Anitta's experiences with breakups and self-reinvention, though the album avoids deep melancholy in favor of forward-looking . Elements of body autonomy are addressed through open references to cosmetic procedures, presented as pragmatic personal decisions for self-perceived enhancement rather than broader ideological statements. Anitta has described undergoing multiple surgeries, including and others, for the "adrenaline" and personal well-being they provide, acknowledging occasional regrets tied to initial motivations but affirming them as choices aligned with individual satisfaction. These disclosures frame bodily modifications as tools for aligning external appearance with internal preferences, eschewing narratives of collective . Critiques of the album's sensual themes vary, with some viewing the explicit emphasis on and as authentic expressions of desire, unapologetic toward societal norms that demand emotional primacy in women's relational portrayals. Others, particularly in discussions of reggaeton-influenced artists, question whether such hyper-sexualized content risks within industry demands, potentially reinforcing male-oriented fantasies under the guise of agency rather than purely self-directed . Anitta's approach favors unvarnished self-interest, challenging normalized relational ideals by prioritizing verifiable personal utility—such as physical gratification—over idealized emotional bonds.

Singles and Promotion

Lead Singles

"Envolver" emerged as the breakout promoting Versions of Me, initially released in July 2021 but surging to global prominence in early 2022 through viral mechanics on social platforms. On March 24, 2022, it reached number one on the daily Global chart, marking the first such achievement for a solo Latin artist and specifically a Brazilian performer, with over 4 million daily streams from alone contributing to its ascent. The track's structure and Spanish lyrics facilitated broad algorithmic favor on streaming services, amplified by a challenge that generated widespread user engagement and propelled its cross-language virality. Preceding the album's April 12, 2022, release, "" followed as a key promotional single on January 27, 2022, blending and rock elements. It debuted at number 107 on the Spotify Global chart with 6.8 million streams in its first week and peaked at number 7 in , demonstrating sustained regional streaming momentum despite modest international peaks. "Faking Love", featuring and released on October 1, 2021, underscored Anitta's approach to fusing Brazilian funk with English-language rap for remix adaptability across markets, achieving notable plays on Latin and pop playlists prior to the album rollout. The prioritization of these tracks highlighted data-informed decisions favoring high-virality potential, as ""'s success—exceeding 1 billion streams by mid-2023—illustrated the efficacy of leveraging platform algorithms and social challenges for global penetration over traditional radio metrics.

Promotional Campaigns and Performances

Anitta employed social media platforms extensively for pre-release promotion of Versions of Me, sharing teasers and snippets on and to build anticipation. The viral dance challenge tied to the single "Envolver," released in November 2021, proliferated on , with users replicating its and contributing to over 10.6 million related videos by mid-2022, which heightened buzz for the full album's April 12, 2022, launch. This fan-driven engagement exemplified her tactic of fostering organic virality through accessible, participatory content. Her and Arts Festival debut on April 15, 2022—just days after the album's release—served as a cornerstone of her U.S. market penetration, marking her as the first Brazilian solo female artist to perform at the event. During the 45-minute set, Anitta showcased multiple tracks from Versions of Me, including collaborations like "Faking Love" with , and surprised audiences with guest appearances by and , blending Brazilian rhythms with global pop elements to emphasize the album's multicultural scope. This performance highlighted her strategic use of marquee live events to demonstrate artistic versatility and expand international visibility. Collaborating with , Anitta orchestrated a phased global rollout, culminating in the deluxe edition's release on August 25, 2022, which appended five new tracks—such as "Lobby" featuring —to prolong promotional momentum and incorporate fresh collaborations. Her approach prioritized direct fan interaction via personal posts over conventional label-driven advertising, leveraging her 63 million followers for unfiltered updates and engagement that reduced dependency on intermediary channels. Subsequent high-profile appearances further amplified the campaign, including a twerk-infused rendition of "" at the on August 28, 2022, which reinforced the track's TikTok-fueled popularity in a live context. At the on November 20, 2022, she performed "" and debuted "Lobby" with , integrating deluxe material to sustain discourse around the expanded project. These events underscored Anitta's acumen in sequencing live showcases to align with viral singles, driving sustained fan loyalty through immersive, culturally resonant experiences.

Critical Reception

Aggregate Scores and Rankings

On Album of the Year, Versions of Me received a critic score of 77 out of 100, derived from three professional reviews, indicating generally favorable reception among available critiques. The album's placement reflected its stronger alignment with niche audiences, as evidenced by inclusions on specialized year-end lists such as Variety's 10 Best Latin Albums of 2022, where it ranked prominently alongside works by artists like . In broader pop contexts, it appeared on Stereogum's 10 Best Pop Albums of 2022 and Uproxx's Best Pop Albums of 2022, but achieved limited penetration into top general rankings from outlets like or , highlighting a divide between Latin-specific acclaim and mainstream pop metrics. The album's singles, particularly "," bolstered Anitta's profile, contributing to her nomination for Best New Artist at the on February 5, 2023—the first for a Brazilian artist in that category—though she did not secure a win against competitors including . No Grammy recognition was extended to Versions of Me itself in album or genre-specific categories, consistent with its aggregate scores suggesting solid but not exceptional industry-wide consensus.

Positive and Critical Perspectives

Reviewers have commended Versions of Me for its energetic tracks and successful fusion of global musical elements, attributing much of its appeal to Anitta's commanding and presence. described the as a "tirelessly bewitching global -floor experience," emphasizing how Anitta's portrayal of personal freedom through seizing control of one's narrative empowers listeners with themes of and unapologetic sensuality. praised its "searingly ambitious" blend of power-pop, reggaetón, and other styles, noting Anitta's clear intent to craft accessible, high-energy pop that showcases her versatility as a performer. Critics, however, have pointed to the album's formulaic adaptations for broader, particularly U.S., appeal as diluting the raw essence of , the Rio de Janeiro-born genre central to Anitta's origins. observed that the project contains "only fleeting traces" of funk carioca or baile funk, the rhythmic styles rooted in marginalized communities, suggesting a prioritization of polished, international pop structures over deeper cultural fidelity. Similarly, highlighted how Anitta's concessions and adjustments for global dominance—such as multilingual production and collaborations—reveal an over-commercialized strategy that, while effective, sacrifices some artistic depth for market accessibility. Debates have emerged regarding the album's feminist undertones, with some viewing its sensual as a commercially viable sensuality rather than a substantive of dynamics. Anitta's candid discussions of cosmetic surgeries, framed pragmatically as tools for personal and professional enhancement, underscore a perspective: her success exemplifies relentless capitalist drive and self-optimization over reliance on identity-based narratives, appealing to audiences valuing results-oriented . This approach, while empowering in its realism, has drawn scrutiny for potentially reinforcing market-driven body ideals under the guise of liberation.

Commercial Performance and Impact

Chart Achievements

"Versions of Me" recorded 9.1 million first-day streams on , marking the highest debut for any album by a Brazilian artist on the platform. The "" propelled the album's visibility, reaching number 1 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart for the issue dated April 9, 2022, as the first such achievement by a Brazilian artist. "" also topped 's daily Global chart on March 25, 2022, accumulating 6.39 million worldwide streams that day and becoming the first song by a solo Latin artist to lead the ranking. The single achieved number 1 positions on daily charts in 10 countries, demonstrating strong penetration in n markets where Anitta maintains dominance via streaming platforms. In the United States, "Envolver" debuted at number 70 on the dated April 2, 2022, marking Anitta's first solo entry as lead artist on the ranking, though U.S. radio remained limited due to language factors. The track's visual appeal and viral choreography helped sustain its chart longevity globally, with sustained high rankings in and on streaming metrics.

Sales Certifications and Global Reach

"Versions of Me" earned diamond certification in from upon release, equivalent to 160,000 units combining physical sales, digital downloads, and streaming equivalents under the association's criteria. This marked a step up from prior releases like "Bang!" (2015), which received certification for 40,000 units in the domestic market, reflecting Anitta's calculated expansion via ' international infrastructure before their 2023 parting. No album-level certifications were issued by the RIAA for Latin markets, though U.S. on-demand streams reached 111.7 million by May 2022, underscoring streaming's role in equivalent unit calculations. The deluxe edition surpassed 1.6 billion total streams on by August 2025, with earlier milestones including 1 billion streams by October 2022, driven by hits like "." Warner's distribution amplified this reach, enabling sync licensing and tour revenue that bolstered Anitta's estimated growth from domestic roots to multilingual pop scalability. Demographic analytics reveal core appeal among 18-34-year-old urban listeners, with virality—where users in this age bracket comprise over 50% of creators—fueling adoption in non-traditional markets like the U.S. and .
Certification BodyLevelUnits EquivalentDate
Pro-Música BrasilDiamond160,0002022

Cultural and Industry Influence

"Versions of Me" demonstrated the viability of Brazilian artists achieving international breakthroughs through digital platforms rather than conventional radio promotion, as exemplified by the lead single "Envolver," which amassed viral success via TikTok dance challenges and became the first Portuguese-language track to top Spotify's global chart on March 25, 2022. This organic spread, driven by user-generated content rather than heavy radio airplay, highlighted a shift in music discovery mechanics favoring social media algorithms over traditional broadcasting, thereby lowering barriers for non-Anglophone acts from emerging markets. The album contributed to heightened label interest in trilingual and multicultural talents amid trends in , with Anitta's fusion of Brazilian funk, , and English-language elements signaling a for appeal that influenced subsequent pursuits of Latin American and Brazilian exports. However, post-release tensions with Warner Music, culminating in Anitta's public 2023 critiques of inadequate support and her subsequent contract termination on April 4, 2023, underscored challenges in sustaining such expansions under major label structures. Its legacy faced limitations with the release of Anitta's follow-up album "Funk Generation" on April 26, 2024, which pivoted toward authentic Brazilian funk origins, prompting assessments that "Versions of Me" represented a high point of commercialization rather than enduring stylistic innovation. This redirection emphasized cultural authenticity over further global hybridization, tempering the album's role as a permanent catalyst for industry-wide shifts.

Track Listing and Credits

Standard and Deluxe Editions

The standard edition of Versions of Me, released on April 12, 2022, consists of 15 tracks blending English, Spanish, and songs.
  2. Gata (featuring )
  3. I'd Rather Have Sex
  4. Gimme Your Number (with Ty Dolla $ign)
  5. Maria Elegante (featuring Afro B)
  6. You
  8. Versions of Me
  9. Rockstar
  10. Vai Baby (featuring MC Ryan SP and Dennis DJ)
  11. Flores (featuring Ludmilla)
  12. Safety Signs
  13. La Fossa
  14. Que Rabão (featuring Mr. Catra)
  15. Áudio de Desculpa
The deluxe edition, released on August 25, 2022, expands the album to 20 tracks by incorporating the standard edition's content with five new recordings positioned at the start. These additions feature collaborations with established artists, extending the album's multilingual scope. Added tracks:
  1. Lobby (featuring )
  2. El Que Espera (featuring )
  3. Faking Love (featuring )
  4. Ya No Quiero Na' (featuring Lunay)
  5. (featuring A$AP Ferg)
Both editions were issued digitally via streaming platforms and in physical formats including vinyl and , with consistent track sequencing across global markets.

Personnel and Samples

Anitta performed lead vocals on all tracks and co-executive produced the album with . She received co-writing credits on the majority of the album's songs, including "Envolver", "Gata", "Versions of Me", and "Faking Love". also contributed production to select tracks, such as "Gata" and elements of the title track. Featured artists include on "Gata", Ty Dolla $ign on "Gimme Your Number", on "Ur Baby", on "Faking Love", and alongside on "Me Gusta". Additional collaborations appear on "Que Rabão" with YG, Papatinho, MC Kevin o Chris, and Mr. Catra. The deluxe edition, released August 25, 2022, adds features such as on "Lobby" and on "Joga Pros Ganso". Production involved a range of contributors, including Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo on "Faking Love", with Tedder handling additional production duties across multiple songs. Engineering and mixing credits are attributed to teams associated with , though specific names like those for vocal engineering on individual tracks are not uniformly detailed in release notes. Several tracks incorporate samples or interpolations drawing from diverse musical influences. "Gata" features an interpolation of "Guatauba" by Plan B. "Gimme Your Number" samples "La Bamba" by . "Girl from Rio" interpolates the bossa nova standard "The Girl from Ipanema" by , reflecting Brazilian cultural elements integrated into the album's sound. These elements underscore the project's fusion of global pop with Latin and influences, though some cultural nods remain uncredited in formal listings.

References

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