With a career spanning genres and generations, Tays Reis is today one of the most prominent names in contemporary Bahian music. Born into an evangelical home and discovered nationwide with the hit “Paredão Metralhadora,” the singer reflects on the journey that took her from church choirs to the top of the charts. In an exclusive interview, she talks about maturity, faith, representation, and the artistic freedom of experiencing a new phase in her solo career—more authentic, emotional, and connected to her Northeastern roots.
Tays, your story begins in church, moves through Bahian pagode music, and culminates in national success with “Paredão Metralhadora.” When you look at this journey, what is the thread that connects all these phases of your musical trajectory?
In church, I always loved to sing. I was the one who arrived early for rehearsals, helped organize the choir, and loved to sing solos. I was always involved in everything related to music—singing, playing guitar, participating in performances. At 16, I left the church and started exploring music in other ways: I took guitar and singing lessons and became interested in Brazilian Popular Music (MPB), country music (sertanejo), and other genres that we didn’t usually hear in church.
This desire for music grew, and at 19, the first big event came: Paredão Metralhadora. It’s a rock ‘n’ roll sound system—not some pagode—and it completely changed my life.
The lyrics are mine and were written with a lot of love and dedication. I’ve always been tireless when it comes to music: I like to experiment, to create, to try new things. “Paredão Metralhadora” was born from scratch and became a hit with the public exactly as we planned.
The song became a Carnival anthem and marked a generation. What was it like to live through that moment when the whole country was dancing to your song? And what did that phase teach you about fame and artistic responsibility?
What I experienced in 2016 was extraordinary, a true divine work in my life. I believe that God chose me and said, “This will be my daughter’s year,” because of everything I’ve been through and where I come from.
Seeing everyone singing “Paredão Metralhadora” was a landmark moment. To this day, that song is timeless—every Carnival, every summer, it resurfaces. It’s amazing! Today, my three-year-old daughter sings “Metralhadora,” and that shows how iconic the song has become.
But that phase also taught me a lot about artistic responsibility. Achieving success isn’t just about having a hit song—it’s about having a plan, a strategy, and a team prepared for the aftermath. If you don’t have that, the success will disappear along with the music. Today I understand that success is momentary, and if it’s not nurtured and planned for, it becomes fleeting. I learned that the hard way.
You carry the energy and identity of Bahian music wherever you go. What does it mean to you to represent this culture and see artists from the Northeast gaining more and more space on the national scene?
Being from Bahia and the Northeast of Brazil, it’s a huge source of pride to see, after so much struggle, our genre—rock music—breaking out of its bubble and becoming one of the most played in the country. When we see Northeastern artists occupying the top 2 and top 3 on Spotify, it’s proof that Brazil understands we’re not messing around.
We have history, culture, and we put love into everything we do. I, personally, make music for love, not for money or fame. And I think that love has resonated with people. Today, Brazil not only consumes our music but also takes it to the top of the charts. I am very happy and proud.
After such great success with Banda Vingadora, what was the process like of finding your own voice and style in your solo career? Were you afraid or was it liberating to start over?
It’s very interesting to talk about this, because the voice changes over time. When you start very young, you have a certain timbre, and it matures along with the person. In “Paredão Metralhadora,” my voice was still that of a young girl. Today, at 30, my timbre is more mature, firmer—exactly where I wanted to be. People say “the voice has changed,” but it’s natural maturation.
Before “Metralhadora,” I always sang romantic songs. “Metralhadora” was a gamble for Carnival—and it worked. But in the end, people only associated me with that hit. Today, in my solo career, I’m living a liberating phase: I can do what I love, sing what I like, and talk about love—that’s my natural habitat. That’s what defines me.
Your participation in “A Fazenda” showed a more personal and emotional side of yourself. What else did you learn about yourself by being exposed beyond the stage and the music?
“The Farm” taught me to be strong. I come from a very protective evangelical background, where I didn’t have contact with the harsher side of life. When I entered the program, I felt a shock of reality. I was afraid, I felt fragile, afraid to expose myself, to say what I thought. But it was a huge learning experience.
When I went out and watched my videos, I realized how much I’ve evolved. Today I understand that that moment was necessary to prepare me for the challenges ahead. I’ve matured a lot as a person.
Today, in addition to live performances, artists also need to communicate constantly on social media. How do you deal with this direct connection to the public and the challenge of balancing personal life and public image?
It’s funny how the art world has changed. Before, a singer simply sang and influenced others through talent. Today, in addition to singing, they also need to influence. The internet has changed everything. It demands that artists communicate, show their personal and professional sides. In the beginning, it took me a while to adapt, I confess. But today I take it in stride.
I like to talk, to communicate, to be close to the fans. They love it when we talk about things in a more intimate way, when we share the process. I’ve learned to balance my personal and professional life—and that has been very good for me.
As a woman from Northeast Brazil who has conquered the country, what challenges do you still see in the music industry? And what message would you leave for other women who dream of following this path?
There is still some prejudice against women from the Northeast of Brazil who come from humble backgrounds and speak from the heart. The capitals that most drive music in Brazil—such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo—still carry a vestige of this. But we are breaking down barriers every day.
With the internet and freedom of expression, this is decreasing. The numbers don’t lie: arrocha is one of the most listened-to genres in the country. This shows that Brazil is embracing the Northeast. The message I leave for other women is: never give up.
I come from a very different reality, and “Paredão Metralhadora” became a timeless hit, a song that swept across the country and even abroad. If I could do it, any woman can do it—she just has to believe in her own dream.
What are the next chapters in her story? Can we expect new singles, collaborations, or perhaps a special project that showcases a new side of Tays Reis?
Today, you see a mature Thaís Reis, confident in herself and what she wants. My repertoire is now entirely focused on arrocha music. Before, I still let myself be influenced by opinions — “record this, people like that” — but today I think: what do I like?
I learned that the most important thing is to make music for myself and my fans. When an artist understands that, everything changes. I just released a DVD entirely composed by me, with unreleased songs and reinterpretations of songs that marked my childhood. There’s much more to come — new collaborations, a special song for the summer, and, of course, lots of love and energy. You can expect an even more determined and genuine Thaís.
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