Ricky Martin and Pedro Sampaio are bringing a new song — and a major LGBTQ+ pop moment — to Brazil’s Maracanã.
The two artists have made “Pikito Pikito,” a track that will premiere during the NFL halftime show this Sunday before being released after the performance.
Pedro describes the song as a blend of pop, Brazilian funk, samba, reggaeton, mambo and salsa. It is an appropriately ambitious collaboration for a stage of this size.
Two generations of queer visibility
Ricky Martin has been one of the world’s most recognisable gay Latin pop stars for decades. His career has given generations of LGBTQ+ fans a familiar, hugely successful artist who could stand openly in the centre of popular culture.
Pedro Sampaio represents a younger Brazilian pop generation. He came out as bisexual in 2023 and has spoken about why visibility matters to him.
His new collaboration with Ricky arrives alongside a very personal period in his life. Pedro is celebrating three years with model Henrique Meinke, whom he describes as talented, beautiful and a source of peace and comfort.
Pedro has also said that Henrique gets along well with his family and understands the demands of his career. They make plans for the future, but without putting pressure on themselves to follow a particular timeline.
From Pride to the Maracanã
Pedro has recently spoken about the significance of performing at São Paulo’s LGBTQ+ Pride celebration. Now he is taking that visibility to another enormous platform, sharing the NFL halftime stage with Ricky Martin.
This is not a romance story about the two performers. It is a collaboration between two openly LGBTQ+ artists, with Pedro’s relationship and public identity providing important context for the moment.
Ricky brings the history. Pedro brings a newer generation’s insistence that bisexual men belong fully in the picture, too.
Together, they are bringing “Pikito Pikito” to one of Brazil’s biggest stages.
📷 @ricky_martin @pedrosampaio
Sources: Billboard Brasil, gshow and NFL.
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