Artist revisits repertoire, releases unpublished EP and comments on changes in the Brazilian music scene
The new tour of Paulo Ricardotitled Xldebut this Friday, 13, in Bradesco Theaterin São Paulo, and marks the four decades of career of the singer, composer and former singer of RPM. The show will be presented in several cities of the country throughout the second semester and mixes hits, B sides, soap opera trails and visual honors.
In an interview with Rolling Stone Brazilthe artist explains that the name Xl It refers to number 40 in Roman numerals, but also carries the double sense of Extra Large.
“This next show will probably be the biggest I have ever done, so I can accommodate 40 years of career and music. It has this double meaning. For now it is a dream, with several ‘dreams’ inside – songs I dreamed of making live, reconquisers, like first place on the stops in 2025, and feats as I did with [Rogério] Flausine”, He said Paul.
See this photo on InstagramA publication shared by Paulo Ricardo (@pauloricardo)
The selection of the tour repertoire was built with fans support, from polls on social networks. Songs little explored on stage, such as “Just did me good”, From the disk Love chose meand the movie trail Spirit – The Indomitable Corcel (2002), were rescued especially for the show.
“Many polls, because all we do is for the public. I didn’t just be based on the obvious, not just my taste. I wanted to know what people wanted to hear of the songs we haven’t touched for a long time,” he said.
The animation movie track, originally released in 2002 and adapted by Paulo Ricardo For the Brazilian version, it will be played live for the first time.
It was a very specific request from the public. This song of Spirit – who is a favorite of the fans – I never sang in my life, except to record the songs of the movie. I had never done it live, and now I will sing for the first time in 40 years of career.
Despite the commemorative proposal, the artist avoids the purely nostalgic tone: “I did not want the 40 years to be celebrated with a retrospective look. I wanted to have a new thing, tightly, telling the future. This show is like a musical exhibition of all stages of my life, but always connected to the present.”
Censorship and reappropriation of the word “revolution”
During the conversation, Paulo Ricardo He also rescued the story behind censorship to the track “Revolutions per minute”, Launched still in the context of post-dictatorship transition.
“It was a surprise. It didn’t happen when the song came out in the single, but when the album was released. The word ‘revolution’ was used by the military themselves to refer to the 1964 coup. They tried to steal that word, and we stole back. They never stopped playing the song, but a censorship stripe on the back of the album.”
The episode, according to him, symbolizes the resistance of a generation and the permanence of addictions even after the formal end of repression.
From the past of journalist to the current music scene
Before integrating the RPM, Paulo Ricardo He was a musical critic of the magazine Sound three. Decades later, he is aware of the transformations of Brazilian music – especially rock, a genre that helped popularize in the country. In the chat with Rolling Stone Brazilthe artist was asked about the emptying of rock on the charts and the rise of other styles, such as pop and hip hop.
“I didn’t want to plagiarize the Lenny Kravitz and say that ‘Rock and Roll is Dead‘But rock really didn’t survive the turn of the 2000s. In Brazil, I think the last generation was the 2000s – Nx zero, Fresno, Tihuana. Today the pop is doing very well, Hip Hop has matured and has its own language. Rock has become more attitude than a sound. ”
He also commented on the difficulty of emerging new bands and pointed out the practical and economic challenges that explain this current scenario.
A band is expensive. A good guitar, an amplifier, everything costs a lot. Meanwhile, a creative boy with a laptop makes an entire disc. In the end, what matters is taking a sound – and today, everything is there, within reach.
Second Paulo Ricardothe ease of access to software, samplers and virtual instruments has created a new music production logic – more accessible, immediate and digital. Although enthusiastically he sees the popularity of national pop and rap, he regrets that the band format has become economically unfeasible for many young artists.
New EP, Reinventand unpublished songs on the setlist
Beyond the tour, Paulo Ricardo released on May 28, 2025 the EP Reinventwhich brings together six unpublished tracks and is now available on streaming platforms.
Few things compare to the pleasure of a new song you end. Success, in origin, is that you realize what you wanted. And I’m very happy with this feeling of looking ahead – with a new song, with a new idea, with a new show.
Some of the EP songs will already be in the repertoire of the tour Xlwhich will pass through cities such as Campinas, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte and Belém. The full schedule can be consulted at Linktr.EE/PauloRicardooficial.
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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.
