If you were hanging out in a dive bar or scrolling MySpace in 2005, you couldn't escape them. The neon leggings. The chaotic, glitchy synths. That unmistakable, gravelly-yet-sweet vocal delivery. Cansei de Ser Sexy, or CSS as most of the world came to know them, didn't just walk onto the international stage; they kicked the door down while covered in glitter and sweat.
They were a bunch of friends from São Paulo who reportedly didn't even know how to play their instruments when they started. Honestly? That was the whole point.
The name itself—Portuguese for "tired of being sexy"—supposedly came from a quote by Beyoncé. It was a joke that turned into a global phenomenon. But beneath the party-girl aesthetic and the "indie-sleaze" fashion, there was a genuine disruption happening. CSS wasn't just a band; they were the first Brazilian act to truly conquer the digital-era indie world without leaning on traditional Bossa Nova or Samba tropes.
The Chaos of the Early Years
Let's talk about 2006. It was a weird time for music. The internet was just starting to dictate what was cool, and Sub Pop—the legendary label that gave us Nirvana—signed these Brazilian art-school kids. It felt like a fever dream. When their self-titled international debut dropped, songs like "Alala" and "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above" became instant anthems.
People often forget how DIY they actually were. Lovefoxxx, the frontwoman, had this magnetic, unpredictable energy. She wasn’t a polished pop star. She was a force of nature. One minute she was singing about Paris Hilton, and the next, she was jumping into a crowd of sweaty teenagers in London or New York.
It's funny because critics back then tried to box them in. Some called them "electro-clash," others said "dance-rock." But if you actually listen to the production on that first record, it’s remarkably scrappy. It has this lo-fi grit that feels more punk than disco. They were using software in ways it wasn't intended to be used. They were breaking rules because they didn't know the rules existed in the first place.
Why the "Art School" Label Actually Fit
A lot of the members—including Adriano Cintra, who was largely the architect of their early sound—came from creative backgrounds. This wasn't a manufactured group put together by a label scout. They were designers, photographers, and filmmakers.
- Luísa Matsuo (guitar)
- Ana Rezende (guitar/keyboards)
- Carolina Parra (guitar/drums)
This collective background meant that Cansei de Ser Sexy understood "the vibe" before the word "vibe" was ruined by social media. They curated an entire universe. Their music videos looked like home movies because, well, they kind of were. They wore spandex and neon colors not because a stylist told them to, but because it was cheap and looked insane under club lights.
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The Global Explosion and the "Apple" Effect
You can't talk about CSS without talking about the iPod. Remember those silhouette commercials? In 2007, Apple featured "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex" in a massive campaign.
Suddenly, a band from Brazil was the soundtrack to the most ubiquitous piece of tech on the planet. It was a massive turning point. It proved that a non-English speaking band (mostly singing in English, granted) could achieve top-tier commercial success without losing their "cool" factor.
But fame is a weird beast.
Success brought relentless touring. They played Coachella. They played Glastonbury. They were everywhere. If you talk to fans who saw them during the Donkey era in 2008, the stories are legendary. Sometimes they were tight and professional. Other times, it was a beautiful, chaotic mess. That unpredictability is exactly what made them feel human in an increasingly digital music industry.
The Friction Inside the Machine
Nothing lasts forever, especially when you're a group of friends shoved into a tour bus for three years straight. Adriano Cintra eventually left the group around 2011. It was a messy split. There were public disagreements about songwriting credits and the direction of the band.
For a lot of fans, Adriano was the "musical glue." When he left, the sound shifted. La Liberación (2011) and Planta (2013) were different. They were more experimental, maybe a bit more polished in some areas and weirder in others. Planta was even produced by Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio.
While these albums didn't hit the same commercial heights as the debut, they showed a band trying to figure out who they were after the "indie-sleaze" bubble burst. They weren't just the "Apple commercial band" anymore. They were survivors of a very specific era of internet fame.
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Why CSS is Back (And Why You Should Care)
After 2013, things went quiet. For nearly a decade, it felt like Cansei de Ser Sexy had just dissolved into the atmosphere. Members moved on to other projects. Lovefoxxx moved to the jungle in Brazil to focus on art and a more secluded life.
Then, the 2020s happened.
Nostalgia is a powerful drug. The "Indie Sleaze" revival on TikTok and Instagram brought a whole new generation of Gen Z listeners to CSS. Suddenly, 19-year-olds who weren't even born when "Alala" came out were wearing vintage-style neon and blasting "Rat Is Dead."
The band felt the pull too.
In 2024, they announced a massive anniversary tour. Seeing them back on stage at festivals like Primavera Sound was a revelation. They didn't look like a legacy act cashing a paycheck. They looked like a band that had finally processed their own history. Lovefoxxx still has that chaotic spark, but there’s a new level of confidence there.
The Legacy of "Ugly" Pop
What CSS understood better than almost anyone was that pop music doesn't have to be "pretty." It can be loud, distorted, and lyrically nonsensical. They sang about cats, about being broke, about celebrity culture with a massive wink.
They paved the way for artists like Pabllo Vittar and Anitta to have a seat at the global table, even if those artists play a different style of music. CSS broke the "exotic" barrier. They weren't a "world music" act. They were a rock band that just happened to be from Brazil.
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How to Experience Cansei de Ser Sexy Today
If you're just diving in or returning after a decade-long hiatus, don't just stick to the hits. There is a depth to their discography that gets overlooked because the singles were so massive.
Skip the "Best Of" and do this instead:
- Listen to the Brazilian version of the first album. It has tracks that didn't make the international cut and feels even more raw.
- Watch the live performances from 2007 vs. 2024. The evolution of Lovefoxxx’s stage presence is a masterclass in performance art.
- Look into their side projects. Many members are still active in the Brazilian arts and music scene, contributing to the "Vanguarda Paulista" spirit.
- Check out the lyrics to "City Grrrl." It’s a perfect time capsule of the mid-2000s urban experience.
Basically, CSS was the bridge between the old-school DIY punk ethos and the new-school digital explosion. They were messy. They were loud. They were frequently misunderstood by "serious" music journalists who didn't get the joke.
But honestly? They were having more fun than anyone else in the room.
If you want to understand the DNA of modern alternative pop, you have to go back to those neon-soaked basement shows in São Paulo. You have to listen to the band that got tired of being sexy and decided to just be themselves instead.
Actionable Insights for the CSS Fan:
- Follow Lovefoxxx on Socials: She is a visual artist now and her perspective on the "CSS years" is incredibly candid and refreshing.
- Support Local Brazilian Indie: The scene that birthed CSS is still thriving. Check out labels like Balaclava Records to find the spiritual successors of that 2005 sound.
- Physical Media Matters: Their early vinyl releases are becoming collectors' items. If you find an original Sub Pop pressing of the debut, grab it. The artwork itself is a piece of indie history.
CSS didn't just define an era; they outlasted it. They proved that you don't need to be a virtuoso to change the world. You just need a laptop, a sense of humor, and the guts to be a little bit "ugly" in a world obsessed with perfection.