Portuguese singer Milhanas released her second album, Surto, on September 25, moving away from the heavy melancholy of her debut to embrace a broader spectrum of musical influences, cinematic references, and the pursuit of personal happiness. Vogue Portugal captured the behind-the-scenes production of this project, marking a new chapter for one of the most singular voices in the national music scene.
The 12-track project marks a distinct sonic and emotional departure from her previous work, De Sombra a Sombra. Following a first record anchored heavily in traditional Portuguese song and poetry, Milhanas now explores new languages and references. The new collection opens up to international rock icons, literary echoes, and film aesthetics, standing as a manifesto about the freedom to exist without seeking perfection and accepting sadness without letting it dominate day-to-day life.
Cinematic Atmospheres and Literary Roots
The artistic pivot behind Surto draws heavily on cross-disciplinary inspirations. Alongside musical figures such as Patti Smith, Pink Floyd, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Radiohead, and the Beatles, the artist incorporated the distinct visual worlds of filmmakers Jean-Luc Godard and Ingmar Bergman.
Milhanas stated, Being alive is, in itself, a freak-out.
That central premise anchors an album where characters, narrative pacing, and cinematic imagery merge with lyrical writing. The opening track, Intro, establishes an autobiographical roadmap through childhood memories linked to Fausto, early violin studies, and the poetry of Álvaro de Campos before arriving at adulthood as a space of personal freedom.
Production Team and Collaborative Tracklist
Recorded at Estúdio Vale de Lobos, the album relies on a collaborative production team featuring Jon, Milhanas, Rodrigo Correia, and Manel Oliveira. Nelson Carvalho handled the recording, Marcelinho Guerra managed the mixing, and Fernando Delgado completed the mastering.
Surto also features a collaboration with João Paulo Esteves da Silva on the track Se Eu Pudesse Chorar.
Se Eu Pudesse Chorar.
João Paulo Esteves da Silva and Milhanas
Embracing Imperfection and the Pursuit of Joy
According to production notes from Sons em Trânsito, the project embraces spontaneity, experimentation, and imperfection. While sadness remains part of the emotional landscape, it shares space with an overt desire to explore new feelings and accept life’s contradictions, inviting listeners to discover moments of refuge and beauty even when facing storms and mishaps.
Milhanas noted, I discovered in this process that I am no less of an artist for anxiously striving to be happy.