At 27, Pocah can call a lot of Brazil’s music hits as hers: with a 10-year-old career and a voice that is already familiar to millions, the artist is no stranger to the minds of the casual Brazilian listener. But iconic songs like A Linha, Não Sou Obrigada e Bandida seem to be only the beginning of a star-studded discography as her latest single Não Sai da Minha Mente (“Can’t get it out my mind”, in free translation), featuring rappers BIN and Lionel, was released on August 18th.
Promising to bring her artistry to a next level, the record brings out a side of her that is beyond of the experimentations with the traditional funk rhythm we’re familiar to. With hip-hop, trap and Brazilian rap elements, Pocah sought out in her latest production the adventure of a newfound genre: the pop afrobeat.
While the lyrics tell the tale of a sensual and romantic encounter between a couple – that, as the song title goes, stuck to the mind of the narrator -, the music video follows her steps of big, well-crafted productions with a lot of dancing.
“Just tell me if you don’t want me / I was thinking about being your woman / Your body is so hot, Fendi clothes, you in my chains / Can’t get it out of my mind”, she sings as the colors in the clips throw the listener into an enveloping atmosphere that go hand in hand with the track’s message. With flower scenery and a sprinkle of the steriotypical – and expected – Latin picante, it is clear that this is the next Pocah’s mind-sticking hit.
“We wanted to simulate the feeling of an eternal sunset”, Pocah tells in an exclusive interview with Her Campus Cásper Líbero. “I think the visuals contributed greatly to that, alongside the outfits in the video, which have a very fashion ring to it and draw inspiration from street style, hip-hop and trap”.
in perfect sync
The striking presence of trap’s 808 beat – which follows throughout the entirety of the song – is produced by Ajaxx. A reference in the musical scope, the also Carioca producer is behind Brazilian staples like L7NNON and Mc Poze do Rodo, besides of signing the songs of BIN, one of “Não Sai da Minha Mente” features, himself.
On her partnership with the producer and collaboration with the rappers, Pocah highlights the positive experience behind the creation process and the congregation between the different rhythms each one brings. In addition to that, the afrobeat – an African-influenced music genre that is the base of this song – has also shown to be a success in the industry.
“Afrobeat is a tendency that has everything to go big during the summer. I am also a huge fan of the boys [BIN and Lionel], and Brazilian rap and trap are making history right now”, says Pocah. She even goes as far as joking that “it’s a marriage that worked out really well!”
new beats, new cycle
To the singer, the production of this record marks the beginning of a new phase in her career, while it also odes to her roots and contact with the music styles she admires since her teenage years. “I’m very excited for everyone to know this other side of me. It’s not that new to me, but it’s very different from my other releases”, she explains.
Pocah also remembers that the need to try something new was where this song began. She tells Her Campus that she wanted to unravel other talents as a musician. “The public knows me very well as a Funk name, which is the style I was born in and am deeply in love. But I’m very plural and eclectic too. There are other layers to Pocah and all of this only enrichens my repertoire.”
Listen to “Não Sai da Minha Mente” and more from Pocah on Spotify: