Só Pra Contrariar

Fronted by Latin pop hitmaker Alexandre Pires, Só Pra Contrariar is a Brazilian band best known for its self-titled 1997 release, which was the first album by a Brazilian act to sell more than three million copies. Pires formed the band in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, in 1989, naming Só Pra Contrariar after a song by the group Fundo de Quintal. After playing local shows for several years, the band signed with BMG in 1993 and released a self-titled debut record later that same year. Multiple albums followed, yielding radio hits like "Essa Tal Liberdade," "O Meu Jeito De Ser," and "É Bom Demais." An even bigger hit, "Depois Do Prazer," followed in 1997, and its accompanying album — another self-titled release — became the best-selling Brazilian release in history, earning triple-diamond status while significantly expanding the group's international reputation. Só Pra Contrariar continued to expand its global audience with the band's first Spanish-language album, SPC, in 1998. The album went gold in the US, Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica, and its follow-up, 1999's Juegos de Amor, fared similarly well, thanks to the Gloria Estefan duet "Santo Santo." Nominated for "Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group" at the following year's Latin Grammy Awards, "Santo Santo" topped the charts in Spain and peaked at Number 2 on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks. Alexandre Pires released his first solo record in 2001, thereby launching a platinum-certified solo career that continued to flourish throughout the early 2000s. Meanwhile, Só Pra Contrariar continued releasing a mix of archival songs, live records, and new material, including albums like 2008's O Samba Não Tem Fronteiras, singles like 2018's "Mistérios do Coração," and concert recordings like 2019's O Lado B (30 Anos).