Album Review: Anitta, ‘Versions of Me’

As some of pop music’s biggest names continue to shift their attention to other business ventures, the face of the genre is changing yet again. Enter: Anitta. The fierce polyglot multihyphenate has captured the hearts of her home country of Brazil for about a decade now. With Versions of Me, her star-studded international debut album, Anitta flexes her versatility, her willingness to take risks, and her innate star power.

Executive produced by Ryan Tedder, Versions of Me opens with “Envolver,” the sultry reggaeton jam that captivated the world and earned Anitta her highest peaks on Billboard’s Hot 100, Global 200, and Global Excl. U.S. charts. Buoyed by viral choreography courtesy of Aliya Janell, “Envolver” is a perfect storm. A thumping reggaeton rhythm set against sexual innuendo-stuffed lyrics and an alluring vocal performance make for an undeniable hit — and there haven’t been many of those in 2022. Although Versions of Me is primarily a vehicle to prove Anitta’s versatility and her viability in the American market, the album’s best moments are when she digs into the “Envolver” pocket. “Gata,” an explosive collaboration with Chencho Corleone that’s already gaining traction on TikTok, finds Anitta powering through a song so packed with hooks that certain production motifs become hooks in their own right. Built around a sample of Plan B’s “Gautauba” and peppered with echoes of dancehall, “Gata” is a rollicking time from the very first second to the very last. In fact, it’s the perfect encapsulation of the other side of Versions of Me — a damn good party record.

When Anitta and her collaborators reach for a sound that positions her more closely to American pop, the results often fall short. The only thing that saves “I’d Rather Have Sex” is Anitta’s charisma; her winking delivery effectively sells the bed squeaks and cringe-inducing lyrics. Similarly, “Love You,” which sounds like something from Katy Perry circa One of the Boys, suffers from a flat final chorus and an instrumental that builds to nothing. “Turn It Up” and the album’s title track are also less impressive than the opening two tracks and some of the other collaborations on the record. Anitta is clearly trying her best to sell these records, so she’s not at fault. It’s the dated production and empty songwriting that make some of these tracks feel like a giant waste of her talent and our time.

Like any crossover effort, Versions of Me is stacked with big-name guest stars such as Khalid, Cardi B, Saweetie, and YG. “Ur Baby,” a smoky duet with Khalid, emphasizes both artists’ natural knack for pop stardom and selling saccharine melodies. Cardi B (“Me Gusta”) far and away has the strongest rap verse on Versions of Me. Nonetheless, her competition includes an inoffensively forgettable verse from Saweetie (“Faking Love”) and a downright terrible verse from YG (“Que Rabão”). Do with that what you will. Versions of Me works best when Anitta is on her own, especially when she grants us glimpses of her story in between the party hopping. “Girl From Rio” is an album highlight; Anitta breathes new life into one of the biggest songs of all time (“The Girl from Ipanema”) with reflections on her upbringing, her family, and the different types of beauty in the city that she calls home. There’s also “Love Me, Love Me,” the slow-burning dream-pop-inflected album closer that shows off Anitta’s vocal chops and adds a bit of variety to what is a primarily uptempo record.

As a whole, Versions of Me doesn’t display the best of Anitta, but there are individual records that feel quintessential. Anitta’s relentless charisma makes even the most elementary and redundant songs feel like they’re worthy of a listen. With a different set of producers and songwriters at the helm, Anitta’s next record will be a major problem — the foundation is clearly there.

Key Tracks: “Envolver” | “Ur Baby” | “Gata” | “Girl From Rio” | “Maria Elegante”

Score: 70