When Anitta needs guidance, she gets her advice from her mom and Mariah Carey

Anitta knows she is a strong woman and what she brings to the table. The Brazilian superstar just made it to EW’s Bold School series, celebrating Hollywood’s female power players (in front of and behind the camera).

For the special feature, the “Girl From Rio” singer revealed that she is more than a pretty face with a hot body. “If I’m sexy, I’m not smart — I’ve heard that. That’s all I’ve heard,” she says. “I’m like, ‘Hell no. Get out of here.’”

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Anitta is a tough woman, but she gets her advice from her mom and Mariah Carey when she needs guidance. “Don’t care about what people say. People are always going to say something. And if you are always hunting or waiting for people to say good stuff, you’re just going to become a product made by people’s opinions,” she said, referring to the best advice she’s ever received is from her mother.

“I’m just being myself, but I’m being myself in different languages so I can deliver the message to more people,” she told the publication. According to the singer, her latest hit, “Faking Love,” is inspired by “my rhythm from my favela, from my hood” mixed it with “some pop, some electronic vibes. So I‘m always trying to bring Brazilian culture [into my music].”

The performer also told EW that releasing “Downtown” with J Balvin was a challenge, and she is proud of it. “I felt so good. I felt like I could do anything,” says Anitta. “You start showing your skills and your power to people and be able to tell people what you want. These are the moments that I feel very empowered.”

The Brazilian artist is a huge fan of Mariah Carey, who happens to be her good friend. According to the media outlet, when Anitta suggested she would take a few steps back, Carey checked her. “I told this advice to Mariah Carey when we were talking, and she was like, ‘What kind of sh---ty advice was that?!’” says Anitta. “You‘re strong. You should always remember that,” Mariah told the singer.