album rating: ★★★★☆
Genre: Bossa nova / MPB. Bossa Sempre Nova is an exceptional creative departure: a full bossa nova album by one of Brazil's most successful contemporary pop artists, Luísa Sonza (born 1998 in Tuparendi, Rio Grande do Sul), recorded in direct collaboration with two living legends of the genre — guitarist, composer and arranger Roberto Menescal (one of the founding figures of bossa nova and co-author of 'O Barquinho') and guitarist and composer Toquinho (the last great creative partner of Vinicius de Moraes). The project grew from Sonza's bossa nova song 'Chico' (from her 2023 album Escândalo Íntimo), which impressed Menescal and led him to propose a collaboration. The album was recorded live and face-to-face in the studio — 'almost without cuts or edits', as press notes emphasise — in sessions in Rio de Janeiro (with Menescal and a small ensemble) and São Paulo (with Toquinho). The repertoire includes thirteen interpretations of classics such as 'Águas de Março' (Tom Jobim), 'Consolação' (Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powell), 'Samba de Verão' (Marcos Valle and Paulo Sérgio Valle), 'Triste' (Tom Jobim), 'O Barquinho' (Menescal and Ronaldo Bôscoli) and 'Carta ao Tom 74' (Toquinho and Vinicius), plus one original composition, 'Um Pouco de Mim', written by Sonza and Menescal.
Label: Sony Music Entertainment (Brazil), released 13 January 2026.
Producers: Roberto Menescal (eight tracks), Toquinho (six tracks), Douglas Moda (co-producer throughout).
Recording studios: Sessions in Rio de Janeiro (Menescal tracks) and São Paulo (Toquinho tracks), 2025.
Critical reception: The Brazilian press received Bossa Sempre Nova with enthusiasm. G1/Globo praised Sonza for singing 'bossa nova with fluency and reverence in a great album dissociated from the sound of the artist's generation.' Roberto Menescal wrote: 'Luísa, I am very happy especially because I know bossa nova has gained a great interpreter from the new generation of female singers.' Toquinho noted: 'It is important that a representative of your generation devotes herself to songs that formed part of the history of Brazilian music.' The album was widely praised for the naturalness of its production and the quality of Sonza's interpretations.
Commercial success: Bossa Sempre Nova reached number one on the iTunes Brazil and Apple Music Brazil charts within 24 hours of release. It also charted in Portugal (top 10), Argentina, Paraguay, Angola and Mozambique on Apple Music, and entered the iTunes chart in Turkey. A vinyl edition was released by Noize Record Club (NRC+ #020) as a limited collector's issue.
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