Drift away on dadá Joãozinho’s serene new song “Ô Lulu”

João Rocha is a resident of São Paulo, Brazil who, as dadá Joãozinho, makes music that refuses to follow a straight line. His initial releases came in 2020: “verãozão” was beat scene-indebted jazz rap while “AMARELO SELEÇãO” merged digital hardcore with a spaced-out, sampled coda. 2023 has seen a degree of focus from dadá, first with the anxious dancefloor beat of “Cuidado!” and now with “Ô Lulu,” the latest single from his album tds bem Global (translated: All Too Global), out September 1 via Innovative Leisure.

With its assemblage of slouched vocals sparkly electronic flourishes, and breezy guitar, “Ô Lulu” is as laid back as it is endlessly replayable. “Desire for freedom was the north star of this record,” dadá says of the upcoming album in a press release, emphasizing a need to “feel free about artistic decisions — that I didn’t have to play the instruments in a certain way to sound good, I didn’t have to sing in a certain way to sound good, and I didn’t have to write in a certain way to make sense and reach people’s feelings.”