Aside from her choice of words, Anitta has also repeatedly been engulfed in cultural appropriation controversy for her style.
In 2017, she showcased Afro-Brazilian culture in a music video for her song, 'Vai Malandra.' She rocked a dark tan with long braids and wore a bikini made of black tape, a commonly used style for sunbathing in favela residents.
While many praised her for representing the underserved neighborhood, many were offended by her choices. They claimed she was using the symbols to promote her projects.
Without hesitating, the Río de Janeiro native clapped back at the backlashes, claiming that cultural appropriation didn't exist in a country where everybody was a little black.
Later, in an interview with Time in September 2020, Anitta addressed the cultural appropriation controversy. Implying that the comments had affected her, she shared she was worried about representing the people.
She disclosed she was working with a specialist who monitored her fashion choice and onset choice to avoid exploitation of Black culture.
In the same conversation, the songstress gushed about her heritage and her ethnicity. Stating she was of mixed race, Anitta revealed that her father's family was black while her mother's family was white.
As per her accounts, her parents raised her in the surrounding area of a favela, a densely populated community operating somewhat independently from the surrounding government.
