By the end of 2014, Anitta had already proven she wasn’t just a one-hit wonder riding the funk carioca wave. With her second studio album Ritmo Perfeito, she pushed her sound and image in new directions, showing fans she was capable of a lot more than catchy hooks and twerking in tight shorts. And nowhere was that more obvious than in the music video for the album’s title track, “Ritmo Perfeito.”
“Ritmo Perfeito” marked a quiet shift in direction for Anitta. Earlier singles from the album like the romantic “Cobertor” and the dancefloor-ready “Na Batida” had each created their own identity. But with “Ritmo Perfeito,” she went for something more cinematic. The video stepped away from Rio’s streets and the usual funk setting, choosing instead a nostalgic and elegant ballroom atmosphere. It brought vintage styling, precise choreography, and a storyline that unfolded like a short film.
The video starts with Anitta playing a more grounded version of herself. She boards a public bus, heading to a performance—not in a massive stadium or nightclub, but in an old-school gafieira. Couples gather there to dance samba-rock and other nostalgic rhythms. Once she arrives, she heads backstage, slips into a striking vintage outfit, and gets ready for the night ahead.
When she hits the stage, the vibe shifts. Anitta becomes the star, fully in control. The lighting changes, the music picks up, and the dancing begins. She locks eyes with a mystery man on the dancefloor and the two of them begin a flirtation through movement. Their chemistry is strong, but nothing ever gets too explicit.
But just as things seem to settle into a sensual groove, there’s a twist. In the final scene, we cut back to backstage. MC Guimê appears. He doesn’t say anything, just throws a look, and the words “continua…” appear on screen. The cliffhanger. A tease. A promise that this story isn’t over.
At the time, fans were buzzing. Was this the start of a bigger visual project? A connected series of videos? Would there be a part two? That suspense was deliberate. And it showed that Anitta was ready to experiment with long-form storytelling, something very few pop stars in Brazil were doing at the time.
Another thing worth noting: Anitta wrote the script herself. That fact alone speaks volumes. Up until that point, she’d mostly followed the blueprint laid out by her labels and directors. But with “Ritmo Perfeito,” she took the reins. She chose the concept, the setting, the storyline. The video was directed by Alex Miranda and Raul Machado, but the creative vision was clearly hers.
Anitta and her team chose Estudantina Musical, a real gafieira in downtown Rio, instead of using a fake set dressed up to look vintage. That choice grounded the video in Brazil’s musical tradition. The styling leaned into nostalgia and elegance. Anitta wore pieces from Versace and Bo.Bô, while the wardrobe team created a look that mixed the spirit of a sixties diva with the glam of an eighties disco star.
“Ritmo Perfeito” doesn’t rely on typical pop choreography. It skips group routines and viral dance challenges. Instead, the dancing comes straight from Brazilian ballroom traditions. The style pulls from samba de gafieira, samba-rock, and other partner dances that have shaped Rio’s dance culture for decades.
This was also a reflection of where Anitta was in her personal journey. She’d just participated in “Dança dos Famosos,” the Brazilian version of “Dancing with the Stars.” She was immersing herself in new dance styles, challenging herself to grow as a performer. And you could see that training show up in “Ritmo Perfeito.”
Many called it her most beautiful video yet. Others were just focused on the ending—what did MC Guimê’s appearance mean? Would there be a sequel?
It didn’t take long for Anitta to deliver. The follow-up came in the form of the video for “No Meu Talento (Remix)”, which continued the narrative from “Ritmo Perfeito” and featured Guimê more prominently.
The “Ritmo Perfeito” video also earned industry recognition. It was nominated for Best TVZ Music Video at the 2015 Prêmio Multishow, one of Brazil’s top music awards.
Looking back now, “Ritmo Perfeito” feels like a key moment in Anitta’s evolution. It came just before the explosion of “Bang!” in 2015, which catapulted her into a more stylized, graphic visual world. But it also arrived after the raw, neighborhood-based funk videos that launched her career.
It was a creative expression, driven by mood and rhythm and visuals. In a way, this video represents the bridge. A place where she could still nod to her roots while reaching for something more sophisticated.
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