Fruto Proibido

Fruto Proibido (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈfɾutu pɾojˈbidu], in English "Forbidden Fruit") is the fourth studio album by Brazilian musician Rita Lee and the second with the band Tutti Frutti, released on 30 June 1975 through the label Som Livre. Seeking to reestablish her career after her 1972 dismissal from Os Mutantes, Lee joined Tutti Frutti the following year and released their first collaborative album, Atrás do Porto Tem uma Cidade (1974), which underperformed commercially. The group and Lee also faced creative constraints and neglect from their then-label, Philips, prompting them to leave and sign with Som Livre under executive João Araújo. American producer Andy Mills, known for his work as a sound engineer for Alice Cooper, was selected by Lee to helm the project.

Musically, the album blends glam rock and blues rock, with lyrics addressing themes such as parental disdain, farewells, longing for freedom, self-empowerment, and narratives referencing unabashed figures like naturist actress Luz del Fuego and dancer Isadora Duncan. Lee's vocals were noted for their youthful inflections, shifting from the sarcastic tone of her Os Mutantes era to a style conveying rebellion and vulnerability. Fruto Proibido marked Lee's desired artistic freedom, differing from her prior releases. She composed three of the nine tracks and was credited as a co-writer on all others.

The album marked a significant increase in Lee's commercial success, reaching number seven on the IBOPE music chart (as reported by Billboard) and was the first Brazilian rock album to surpass 50,000 copies sold. This made it the second-highest-selling album by a Brazilian female artist that year. To promote it, Lee appeared on TV programs like Fantástico, where a music video for "Agora Só Falta Você" debuted, and embarked on the Fruto Proibido Tour, which was praised for its stage production, sound quality, and costumes.

Fruto Proibido was well received by critics, with praise for Lee's vocals, instrumentation, lyrics, and more spontaneous artistic direction compared to her earlier work. Retrospectively, it is regarded as an important work in Lee's career and in the history of Brazilian rock, particularly in the context of female representation, both during the Brazilian military dictatorship and beyond. Contemporary artists like Manu Gavassi, Zélia Duncan, and Pitty have cited Fruto Proibido and its songs as an influence. The album was ranked 16th on Rolling Stone Brasil's "100 Greatest Brazilian Music Records" and listed among the best Latin American rock albums by the American edition of Rolling Stone.