Funk Girls

The Funk Girls came out of Rio de Janeiro with a sound that mixed funk carioca and rap. Their track 'Rap do Amor' became something of an anthem, and they followed it with songs like 'Volta Pra Mim' and 'Fogo Ardente.' They put out an EP in 2015 and albums in 2017 and 2019.

Renata Cruz sang lead, Alessandra Luz handled rapping and writing, Bruna Fernandes danced and sang backup, and Débora Dionísio brought energy to the stage. They worked in a genre that was mostly men, and sometimes got dismissed as just a visual act. In 2016, some critics called the lyrics to 'Rap do Amor' too explicit, but the group stood by them as reflecting real experiences.

Their music connected with listeners who heard their own stories in it. They kept making records without much fuss about their place in things, just putting out the next song.