'Gira Mundo': DJ Th4ys presents the first funk album made 100% by women

The first funk album completely made by women, from production to creative direction, is born from the desire to occupy a space that has always been denied and to show that it is possible to make music with truth, power, and freedom. Thays, raised in the Grajaú region, transforms her experiences into music and gives voice to a new generation of artists from the periphery who want to be heard.

The creation process was collective, careful, and affectionate. Without any market pressure or the urgency to please, each track was built with listening, respect, and autonomy. The album speaks about body, desire, command, and rupture. Thays makes it clear that she does not want to fit into the same molds — she wants to change the format, open space for others, and show that female protagonism is urgent and necessary within the scene.

We chatted with Thays about the creative process of the album and its importance in the scene. Check it out below:

1. What was your first contact with music? Did it come from childhood or was it something that appeared and solidified over time?

My first contact with music was through my parents. My mother was a reggae dancer, and my father was a DJ of black music from the 2000s. The inspiration came from the cradle! I was born in a house where music has always been the language, where sounds dictated feelings. From a very early age, I understood that music was more than entertainment: it was a form of expression, resistance, and belonging. Growing up in a family connected with street culture made me understand that sound was my place in the world.

2. "GIRA MUNDO" is your first authorial album. Had you intended to create this project for some time, or did it arise from a recent impulse, from a creative urgency?

"Gira Mundo" started to take shape back in 2022, in a conversation with the producer Larinhx. We exchanged ideas about the absences within the São Paulo funk scene, especially the absence of work created by women, for women. Until she told me, "Did you know that there is still no album or EP of funk with this proposal?" That sparked something in me. From there, I began to study more, observe, and plan. It was a long process, built with a lot of courage, love, and patience. Gira Mundo was born from the desire to see other women occupying spaces and telling their own stories in funk.

3. How was the process of shaping the album? From the idea to the moment you heard it completed for the first time.

The creation process was completely collaborative. The idea was to invite women from the scene who were still establishing themselves in the market, artists who were eager to make music but also sought a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment. Each track was built with many hands, without urgency, with total creative freedom. We listened to, welcomed, and inspired each other. Even today, hearing the finished album moves me; each beat, each lyric, each voice carries history. It's like hearing my own dream come to life. And even though I have a critical eye on everything I do, "Gira Mundo" still moves me as if it were the first time.

4. What would you like people to absorb when listening to the new album? What is the central message behind the beats and lyrics?

I want those who listen to "Gira Mundo" to understand that this album is about autonomy, body, freedom, and protagonism. That they see that funk goes far beyond the dance floor: it is discourse, it is manifesto. The lyrics are direct, sometimes even aggressive, but they are real. They talk about desire, command, about not needing to ask for permission to be or feel. Each track carries an intention to break the silencing imposed on us, women. The album is a celebration of feminine power in funk and also a reminder: we can — and should — speak for ourselves.

5. You said that the album is about “spinning the world with our sound, our story, and our face” — what place does this album occupy in your journey, both personally and artistically?

This album is a watershed. Personally, it made me mature as an artist and as a woman. Artistically, it is a revolution: "Gira Mundo" is the first funk album in the world made 100% by women. That says a lot. It exposes the lack of female protagonism within one of the most popular genres in the country. And more than just exposing, it proposes. It shows that it is possible to do things differently. The album is a milestone, not only for me but for the scene. I want it to serve as a reference for other women who also want to occupy this space with voice, presence, and purpose.

6. The album was 100% made by women — from production to creative direction. What does it mean for you to occupy this creative space with other girls?

It was liberating. Working with women at all stages of the musical production process to creative direction made me see how powerful we are when we have freedom. It was all much lighter, more fluid. We understood each other with a glance, in discourse, in practice. There was no fear, judgment, or that pressure of “doing it quickly” or “pleasing the guys.” It was about doing it for us, our way. It's like I say: the album is like Marisa "from woman to woman," with respect, sensitivity, and determination. And that made all the difference.

7. In a scene still so dominated by men, what do you think changes when women are in control of the narrative, sound, and aesthetics?

Everything changes. When we take the reins of the narrative, the aesthetics cease to be caricatured, and the lyrics cease to be objectifying. We stop being just the body of the music and become the mind behind it. Funk is still very misogynistic, and that reflects in how we are portrayed: as an object, as a display. To this day, no man from the mainstream funk has shared or commented on my album. And I don't even expect that. Because I know I did this work for the girls, for the neighborhoods, for those who truly understand the need for other voices in charge. The feminine presence changes the content, the impact, and, most importantly, the intention of what is said and played.

8. Coming from Grajaú, how has this territory shaped your musical identity? Are there elements from everyday life in the neighborhood that are stamped on this album?

Totally. Grajaú is my base, my root, my greatest reference. I grew up seeing my cousins with sound cars going to parties every weekend, breathing funk. The neighborhood taught me that music is more than aesthetics: it is survival, it is identity. Each artist participating in the album carries that experience in the sound, whether in the beats, the lyrics, or the way of expressing themselves. Byana with ostentation funk, Cae bringing funk with vogue, and so many others who brought their real experiences to the studio. "Gira Mundo" is that: the neighborhood spinning the world with its own language.

9. Was there any specific inspiration — personal, political, or sonic — that guided the creation of “GIRA MUNDO”?

The main inspiration comes from the women of funk themselves, who paved the way for us, the new voices. The track "Girando o Mundo" is a true salute to all these women who inspired me, who made history, and who continue to fight. The Queens Tati Quebra Barraco, Deize Tigrona, MC Carol, MC Kátia, and MC Cacau are fundamental to who we are today, and my album carries a bit of their legacy. They were pioneers, broke barriers, and, despite all the challenges, continue strong. Each of them represents a force and a resistance that were essential for me to be here today, creating my own story within funk. The album is a way to recognize and continue this journey. Don’t take a step bigger than your leg! Forgive yourself, get to know yourself, allow yourself!

10. You have already traveled the world with your sound, gone through major festivals, and now you are releasing an album that represents the neighborhood with global power. What is your vision for the future of Brazilian funk and for your career within this scene?

The funk scene will continue to be male-dominated because the industry as a whole is. The logic is still exclusionary, still based on cis heterosexual men dominating everything. We have to prove ourselves all the time, while many guys come with half the effort and occupy all spaces. But my dream is that “Gira Mundo” helps me to reframe this scene. This album is a scream, but it’s also a seed. An attempt at real transformation. I want people to look at this record and understand that it is possible to do things differently, that it is possible to create a safe environment within funk, where women lead, produce, decide. For the future, I want to continue taking this sound around the world — without losing the base, which is Grajaú, the favela, the street. I want to empower other women, connect continents with the sound of the neighborhood. And I want to look back in a few years and know that I opened doors, just like others opened for me.

11. If you could summarize “GIRA MUNDO” in a sentence that isn’t its name, what would it be?

"spin the world - it's not just music! It's from the party to the world: a sonic revolution made by women, with voice, beat, and transformation."

12. And finally, if you could give a piece of advice to someone, what would you say?

"Don’t wait for anyone's permission to occupy your space. Your freedom is revolutionary, and each of your steps opens the way for many others. Make noise, even when the system wants your silence."