The Weeknd and Anitta are ramping up excitement for their upcoming single with some playful and edgy promotion. On Sunday (Oct. 27), Brazilian pop queen Anitta shared a striking Instagram post, captioned, “Isn’t he beautiful?” alongside an ultrasound image of a “baby” with sharp teeth and a forked tail. The Weeknd, who now goes by his birth name, Abel Tesfaye, responded, “WOW! HE LOOKS SO BEAUTIFUL [crying face emoji].” Fans quickly noticed the date “Wednesday morning (Oct. 30)” on the image, speculating it could be the release date of the highly anticipated track. Republic Records joined in, commenting “sweet baby angel,” with artists like Saweetie and Ryan Tedder chiming in as well.
This teaser follows another eye-catching post from Anitta two days earlier, where she posed in a black bikini with a “baby bump” and an infrared face mask, captioned, “It was meant to be kept a secret…” Tesfaye joined in on the fun, commenting, “OMG… CONGRATS [crying laughing emoji],” and later sharing the image on X with the caption, “@Anitta you hid it so well in São Paulo.”
The pair previewed their new song, “São Paulo,” during The Weeknd’s massive show in Brazil on Sept. 7. Abel later spoke with *Billboard Brazil* about collaborating with Anitta on his upcoming *Hurry Up Tomorrow* album. Following his tour stop in São Paulo in October, producer Mike Dean asked Anitta to contribute a vocal track that could enhance The Weeknd’s special live performance set. Reflecting on her contribution, Tesfaye shared, “Anitta is a great friend. What she sent was so amazing that we created a full song around it.” He explained that her vocals exceeded expectations, leading them to create a track that became a highlight of the live show. “We knew it was too special to just perform on stage. It became the heart of the show,” he added.
Anitta was thrilled with the collaboration, explaining, “I wrote some verses as a joke, never thinking it would become something serious. Suddenly, I received the finished song, and I loved it! I’ve always been a fan of his work, and now it’s a dream come true. It’s got a Brazilian funk vibe, as promised, bringing that sound to the world.”