Latin
Interview: Brazilian singer Duda Beat on her next album and her mission to meet Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner
Brazilian pop star Duda Beat sat down for an exclusive interview with Contact Music following her concert in London.
If you haven't heard of Brazilian singer/songwriter Duda Beat you should have! Duda has built her career on turning emotional turmoil into irresistible pop.
Born in Recife, in north eastern Brazil, Duda first broke through with her 2018 debut album Sinto Muito, a record that helped crown her the queen of “sofrência", a distinctly Brazilian term that captures the melodrama of heartbreak, longing and romantic suffering. The LP also earned her the ACPA Award for Breakthrough Artist that same year.
Since then, she has become one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Brazilian music, earning a Latin Grammy nomination and developing a sound that combines vulnerability with sharp pop instincts.
Duda gave an intimate performance at Village Underground in London on April 10 - where she was supported by rising Brazilian indie singer Tontom - with a set that drew from different stages of her career, with a particular focus on her two most recent releases, Tara and Tal (2024) and the EP Esse Delírio (2025). It also featured Brazilian-language versions of well-known tracks including Lola Young’s Messy and Billie Eilish's Chihiro.
After stepping off stage, Duda spoke to Contact Music about how British indie band Arctic Monkeys has influenced her music and what fans can expect from her next, spilling that a new album is planned for 2026.
For Duda, what makes her music instantly recognisable comes down to something deeply personal. She said: "I think it’s my accent and my melodies. I think these are the most striking things, where when you hear it, you say, ‘That’s Duda Beat singing.’ That’s identity in a voice. I’m really happy that I’m able to express that to the world in the way I do."
That strong sense of identity has also allowed her to move freely across genres throughout her career, blending Brazilian rhythms such as piseiro, brega, forró and funk with Latin influences and electronic beats. Rather than limiting herself to one sound, the singer said she prefers to follow her instincts and explore whatever inspires her.
“We only live once, and we love so many kinds of music, so why would I make just one genre? Everything I like to listen to, I like to produce too,” she explained.
Duda revealed that one of her strongest British inspirations is Arctic Monkeys, admitting she listens to their track 505 every day and joking that meeting frontman Alex Turner remains a dream for her.
“Arctic Monkeys. I think they’ve inspired me a lot. I listen 505 every day. My dream is to meet Alex Turner. Alex, if you’re watching this, let’s meet, let’s bump into each other here in London,” she said.
Although she has become one of Brazil’s most recognisable alternative pop artists, Duda does not see her career as being shaped by one single breakthrough moment. Instead, she believes it has been built through a series of turning points.
“There are many decisive moments when you think, ‘Wow, I’m going in the right direction, this is what I want to do.’ But maybe one of the most decisive moments for me was when I went on a silent retreat,” she said, recalling how 10 days in silence gave her the certainty that she wanted to become an artist and share her story with the world.
Now, she is preparing to widen that emotional lens. Her next album will move beyond romantic love and explore a broader range of feelings, including friendship, depression, melancholy and the grief that comes with break-ups.
Duda has recently called it quits from her nine-year relationship with Tomás Troia, her musical partner. It’s a bittersweet feeling, as she notes that the pair are still friends, and he continues to work as her music producer.
Having first won over listeners with songs rooted in heartbreak and romantic longing, Duda Beat now appears ready to expand her universe, embracing a wider emotional palette without losing the voice and sensibility that made her stand out in the first place.
