Anitta Makes Electrifying Saturday Night Live Debut
- Brazilian superstar Anitta made her debut as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live on April 11, 2026.
- The episode was hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Colman Domingo, who also made his debut as an SNL host.
- Anitta performed two tracks from her upcoming album, Equilibrium, which is scheduled for release on April 16 through Republic Records.
Brazilian superstar Anitta made her debut as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live on April 11, 2026. Appearing on the show’s 1,005th episode, the artist, born Larissa de Macedo Machado, became the inaugural Brazilian musical guest to perform at Studio 8H.
The episode was hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Colman Domingo, who also made his debut as an SNL host. The broadcast combined Domingo’s stage presence with Anitta’s global pop energy, marking a significant moment of international representation for the long-running sketch comedy series.
Musical Performances
Anitta performed two tracks from her upcoming album, Equilibrium, which is scheduled for release on April 16 through Republic Records. Her first performance featured the newly released collaboration with Shakira titled Choka Choka
.
For this pulsating track, Anitta wore a form-fitting brown ensemble and was accompanied by dancers in similar styling. The performance utilized flashing lights and a live backing band, with Anitta maintaining the momentum as Shakira’s vocals joined the track.
The singer returned later in the broadcast for an atmospheric rendition of the moody track Várias Quejas
, which translates to Several Complaints
. This performance featured a lush, greenery-filled stage design and a live band, with Anitta dressed in a purple dress for the emotionally charged delivery.
Career Trajectory and New Releases
The appearance on Saturday Night Live follows a period of significant international growth for the Rio de Janeiro native. Anitta has established herself as a prominent Brazilian musical export, previously achieving a No. 3 position on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart in 2022 with the viral reggaetón hit Envolver
.
Her recent work includes the single Pinterest
, an acoustic bossa nova-inspired track released in both Spanish and Portuguese versions. This single serves as a preview for the Equilibrium project.
Equilibrium follows her 2024 album, Funk Generation, which earned a nomination for best Latin pop album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Anitta’s global reach has also been highlighted by previous standout performances at major festivals such as Coachella.
Production and Promotional Context
The April 11 episode featured Colman Domingo, known for his roles in Euphoria and Fear the Walking Dead. Domingo is also set to star in the drama Michael, which is scheduled to hit theaters on April 24.
Leading up to the broadcast, promotional materials for the episode included a recurring joke involving Anitta apologizing for taking Sarah Sherman’s lunch from the SNL refrigerator. Other promotional segments featured Veronika Slowikowska.
Anitta’s presence on the show is viewed as a milestone in bringing Brazilian music to a wider global audience, bridging the gap between Latin pop and American late-night television.