The Weeknd & Anitta Deliver ‘S?o Paulo’ Song & Video: Stream It Now
The Weeknd and Anitta finally delivered their “S?o Paulo” collaboration on Wednesday (Oct. 30).
The song came along with a new music video, which — as teased in cryptic previews for the collab — featured Anitta with an exaggerated baby bump. In the clip, Anitta’s pregnant belly sings The Weeknd’s parts, with lips emerging where her belly button is. The video ends with the word “Phantasm” flashing, though it’s unclear whether that could be an album or song title or something else entirely.
More from Billboard
The Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) previously told Billboard Brazil in his cover story that his frequent collaborator Mike Dean had asked Anitta for a vocal recording to complement The Weeknd’s set last October when he performed two nights in S?o Paulo during his After Hours Til Dawn Tour. “What she sent was so awesome that we created the song,” the “Blinding Lights” hitmaker said. The two debuted “S?o Paulo” in the titular city’s Estádio MorumBIS on Sept. 7 during a special one-night-only show that was livestreamed. “We knew it was too special to just play on stage. We saw great potential in the song and found the beat, which is the heart of the show,” he added of “S?o Paulo.”
“I wrote some verses as a joke and never imagined they would become serious. Suddenly, I received the finished song. I loved it! I felt very honored and flattered,” Anitta told Billboard Brazil. “I’ve always been a big fan of his and his work. I never imagined this would happen, and now it’s a dream come true. It’s a little more Brazilian funk, as promised, around the world.”
He premiered other new songs from his upcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow, including “Dancing With the Flames” and “Timeless” with Playboi Carti that have since been released. The former reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the latter peaked at No. 3, making it The Weeknd’s 19th top 10 hit and highest-charting debut on the all-genre songs tally and Carti’s fifth top 10.
Listen to “S?o Paulo” below.
Best of Billboard
Sign up for Billboard's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.