In USA TODAY’s The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives, whether it’s at home, on the set or on the road.
Anitta may have hustled her way to the top of Latin pop, but grind culture isn’t her jam anymore.
The Grammy-nominated Brazilian singer, born Larissa de Macedo Machado, ponders the price of her astronomical success in the Netflix documentary “Larissa: The Other Side of Anitta” (streaming now).
In one scene, an overwhelmed Anitta laments she was performing “every day in a different country” during her grueling tour schedule.
“Before, I used to work nonstop. The thirst for success was so big,” Anitta tells USA TODAY. “I was so ambitious and so hungry for more that I could not understand or think about taking time for me or resting. I couldn’t even feel good if I was having many days off. And nowadays, I understand that this is the path to death.”
The pop star has learned to prioritize her personal care with the same vigor that fueled her professional triumphs.
“There’s nothing that could replace my vacation, or there’s nothing that could make me cancel a day off,” Anitta says. “It’s more important than anything to me: days of rest, days with my family, days of doing nothing.”
From catch-up sessions with family to clearing her mind with meditation, here are Anitta’s essentials for unwinding.
Why Anitta calls her family twice a day
For Anitta, there’s nothing more grounding than her roots.
The singer’s tight-knit relationship with her family is on full display in “Larissa,” from her attached-at-the-hip dynamic with brother Renan, the “love of her life,” to Anitta’s involvement in her father Mauro’s cancer treatment. One of the documentary’s closing scenes shows Anitta hosting an extravagant 60th birthday party for her dad, who never had one thrown for him.
This strong tether to família extends to Anitta’s daily routine, as well. The singer says she begins and ends her day with a phone call with a family member.
“I need to make sure I’m connected with somebody that knows me and loves me,” Anitta says. “Even more when it’s workdays, I need to make sure I communicate with my family ’cause that’s something really important.”
How Anitta’s inner bookworm saved her from phone ‘anxiety’
Anitta is ditching the “big anxiety” of scrolling on her phone for the blissful balm of books.
Your phone “makes you think about all the wrong things, even to start your day. It’s terrible,” Anitta says. “Just comparing your life with others is not a good deal. And when you switch that for books, you just open your conscience way more.”
The “Mil Veces” songstress, who’s gotten into the habit of reading while having her makeup done, gravitates to the spirituality and self-improvement genres, including books by Dr. Joe Dispenza and works on Hinduism and Buddhism.
“You learn new stuff. You get more focused, more concentrated,” Anitta says, in addition to getting more “done during your day. You feel less tired. (It’s) way better.”
This Oscar-winning film ‘touched’ Anitta
When it comes to appointment television, Anitta has a standing reservation at the White Lotus hotel.
The relationship dynamics on HBO’s hit satirical dramedy “The White Lotus” explore “psychology and spirituality, and these are things I love a lot,” she says.
Anitta’s viewing taste for the silver screen provides similar food for thought. The “Envolver” songstress was a big fan of the Fernanda Torres-starring “I’m Still Here,” which won the Oscar for best international feature film in March. The biographical drama is inspired by the lives of Brazilian activist Eunice Paiva and her politician husband Rubens, who was murdered for his dissidence toward the military dictatorship of 1970s Brazil.
“I was very touched by that movie because it is a real story,” Anitta explains. “It brings us the importance of democracy — the importance of everybody having your right to think differently about politics — and what happens to society when people are not free to express themselves.”
How meditation has ‘elevated’ Anitta’s well-being, musical leanings
Anitta may be a party girl supreme onstage, but she also has her Zen side.
Toward the end of “Larissa,” the singer has a personal breakthrough after exploring her spirituality.
A soothing practice Anitta has taken up to maintain this growth is daily meditation sessions, which the singer says has boosted her energy levels and reduced stress.
“I feel calmer. … I’m attracting more what I want in life,” Anitta says. “I’m not so reactive to situations, and I feel like I got more awareness of myself.”
Meditation has also shuffled the singer’s playlist. Anitta says she’s been listening to the tranquil soundscapes of New-age singers Krishna Das and Snatam Kaur, who are known for their Indian devotional music.
“They just elevate my frequency,” Anitta says. “It’s healing music that you can also use to meditate and just connect with yourself better.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
