Musicians had to deal with the consequences of popularity between the late 2000s and early 2010s
O restart became a popularity phenomenon in the late 2000s and early 2010s. His self-titled debut album received platinum certification for more than 100,000 copies sold. Songs like “Restart”“I Take You With Me” and “For you to remember” entered high positions on the country’s main charts. The shows were always packed.
There are no ways to achieve such success in music without losses in other areas. Personal life is usually the most affected: in those times, Father Lanza (vocals and bass), Fr Lu (vocals and guitar), Koba (guitar and vocals) and Thomas (drums) became celebrities to the point where they couldn’t go out on the street without problems.
Pe Lu and Koba reflected on the subject in an interview with G1. The second person mentioned said that this type of situation “makes your head spin” — and the hiatus period that began in 2013, although officially announced in 2015, was essential to put things in place.
“Nobody is prepared to have an overexposed life. At the beginning of this, we had a lot of fun with the fact that people recognized us on the streets. TV has greatly expanded this. Each one lived a very particular experience. For me, it was transformative, not knowing how to deal with it, it was the fact that I could no longer have a normal life, go to normal places. We’ve had moments where people almost got hurt in a shopping mall because they knew we were there.”
In turn, Pe Lu highlighted that fame can separate artists from reality. Therefore, the ideal is to try to keep your feet on the ground as much as possible.
“We don’t aspire to be celebrities. On some level we are, but that’s not the band’s goal. I’m going to keep going to the bakery, pay the bank bill…”
Criticism and speculation
The popularity of Restart was accompanied by various criticisms and controversies. Whether for their flashy look with colorful clothes and emo hairstyles, or for their “bubblegum” songs without much depth, the “happy rock” band was always in the sights of detractors.
In this sense, one of the best-known episodes took place at the 2010 ceremony of the MTV Video Music Brazil (VMB). The band won five awards — Artist of the Year, Clip of the Year, Hit of the Year, Newcomer and Pop — but was booed every time they went on stage to get a trophy.
Briefly, Koba highlighted:
“We learned to ignore criticism that wasn’t constructive very early on.”
Pe Lu points out that, curiously, there wasn’t so much hate surrounding the band. It was much more of a tactic to generate engagement than negative sentiment.
“Restart wasn’t hated that much. We are seeing this now. Today we know how ‘hate’ engages. Fifteen years ago, it was a little like that. I think we mistakenly put the spotlight on this. Because we always had much more support.”
In another interview with the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, Pe Lu commented on yet another controversial aspect of Restart’s existence: speculation regarding the members’ sexuality. The aesthetic adopted by the group occasionally led to homophobic jokes — something that, according to him, ended up bringing them closer to the LGBTQIA+ community.
“People thought they were belittling our work [com essas piadas]. We created empathy and understanding for the fight because we had many fans from the LGBTQIA+ community.”
The farewell
Restart’s reunion/farewell tour features a relatively reduced series of shows announced between October this year and January 2024. The initial commitments will be on October 7th and 8th, at Unimed Space — with the first date already sold out. Between the 14th and 15th of the same month, they will perform at Fundição Progresso, in Rio de Janeiro — again, with the inaugural occasion no longer available.
Florianópolis (Arena Opus – 04/11), Porto Alegre (Pepsi on Stage – 11/11), Curitiba (Live Curitiba – 25/11), Goiânia (Arena Multiplace Laguna – 08/12), Brasília (Clube de Engenharia – 09 /12), Belém (Espaço Náutico Marine Club – 16/12), Salvador (Armazém Convention – 13/01) and Recife (Classic Hall – 20/01) complete the group’s itinerary so far. Tickets can be purchased through official site.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
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