In the spirit of punk music, Brazilian singer-songwriter Karen Dió made 2024 My World with her new EP, out via Hopeless Records, serving as a shining example of a burgeoning scene out of Brazil. Her international profile is also on the rise, having recently joined Limp Bizkit on their Loserville tour in the UK.
Hailing from Brazil, Dió first began as part of the band Violet Soda, releasing a self-titled album and an MTV Unplugged-inspired project during their tenure. At the same time, she quietly started her own solo career, debuting in 2017 with the single “Do It.” However, when Violet Soda dissolved and nearly made her want to quit music altogether, she came back to solo material and quickly recalibrated with “Sick Ride.”
Fully embodying riot grrrl, “Sick Ride” tells the story of how Dió’s girlfriend caught her ex cheating and stole his car as retaliation. The aggressive drums slap the listener awake as Dió’s shouts get more and more intense, culminating in a cathartic chorus punctuated by her screaming ride at the top of her lungs. It’s also during the chorus that the guitar is at its most violent, reaching nearly the same volume as Dió herself.
“Stupid,” another track off My World, is the realization after failing to see the red flags from the start, making an anthem out of a negative experience. While the first half goes through Dió’s thought process, with her beating herself up for not doing something sooner, the second half sees her vocals fade into the drums, becoming an instrument in their own right. The final 30 seconds are where “Stupid” reaches its peak, culminating in a climactic barrage primarily made up of relentless drums to wake the whole neighborhood up.
Although punk music has long been associated with acts coming out of the UK and U.S., it has roots in Latin America dating back to the mid-20th century. Including bands such as the 60s Peru band Los Saicos, Dió is part of a long line of artists who have made punk music that struck a chord in all the right ways.
The difference now is that there’s more potential to crossover and reach listeners from across the globe, something Dió accomplished with a headlining UK show back in October. Above all else, Dió is aiming to stay true to her roots, putting Brazil on the map beyond genres like bossa nova and showing a different side to punk that isn’t defined by misogyny or discrimination.
Words: David Sosa
My World by Karen Dió is out on streaming services. For more on new music and tickets to potential tour dates, follow her on Instagram and Bandcamp.
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