Girls (Brazilian band)

Girls

Company type	Girl group
Industry	Music
Founded	2013
Founder	Rick Bonadio
Defunct	2014
Headquarters	São Paulo , Brazil
Products	Music albums, singles
Parent	Sony Music

Girls was a Brazilian girl group established in 2013 through the television show Fábrica de Estrelas broadcast on Multishow. The ensemble was composed of Ani Monjardim, Bruna Rocha, Caroline Ferreira, Jennifer Nascimento, and Natascha Piva. Their self-titled debut album, Girls, launched on September 3 under the Sony Music label, included collaborations with artists such as Negra Li, Mika Borges, Aggro Santos, along with contributions from NX Zero members Gee Rocha and Di Ferrero. The album's primary single "Acenda a Luz" debuted on August 8, accompanied by promotional tracks "Monkey See Monkey Do" and "Shake Shake".

On January 30, 2014, producer Rick Bonadio revealed that the group had disbanded after Sony Music decided to cease backing the project, effectively ending its progression.

Formation

Producer Rick Bonadio announced on March 3, 2012, a collaboration with Sony Music and producer Forest to create a reality competition designed to assemble a five-member girl group characterized by diverse personalities, drawing inspiration from successful acts like Rouge and Spice Girls. Applications opened on October 31 through the Multishow website for Fábrica de Estrelas, targeting females aged between 15 and 25 who were required to submit audition videos by November 30.

From nearly 4,000 hopefuls, 120 candidates advanced to the next round featuring dance auditions to Beyoncé’s "Run the World (Girls)" alongside vocal assessments. This phase was narrowed down to 25 participants who learned and recorded "Monkey See Monkey Do," resulting in a selection of 20 contestants. Further stages involved workshops focused on body movement, themed singing challenges, dance training, and professional studio recordings, which reduced the number to 15 and then to 10 following video and photo evaluations.

The final eight participants continued honing their abilities at home before recording the original song "Acenda a Luz" and performing for executives at Sony Music. Ultimately, the group was finalized with Ani Monjardim, Bruna Rocha, Caroline Ferreira, Jennifer Nascimento, and Natascha Piva.

Performances on Fábrica de Estrelas
Phase	Song
	Ani Monjardim	Bruna Rocha	Caroline Ferreira	Jennifer Nascimento	Natascha Piva
1st phase (Video)	"Hurt"/"Die in Your Arms"/"Fuckin' Perfect"	"Give Your Heart a Break"	"João de Barro"	"Listen"	"It Will Rain"
2nd phase	"Fuckin' Perfect"	"Lilás"	"João de Barro"/"Fala Mal de Mim"	"I Have Nothing"/"Ela É Top"	"If I Ain't Got You"
3rd phase	"Monkey See Monkey Do"
4th phase	"Chalana"	"Estrada do Sol"	"Como Nossos Pais"	"Hero"
5th phase	"Monkey See Monkey Do"
	"Meu Erro"	"Os Outros"	"Boa Sorte/Good Luck"	"Um Anjo Veio Me Falar"	"Eu Não Vou"
6th phase	No audition
Final	"Acenda a Luz"
	"Monkey See Monkey Do"/"Shake Shake"

2013-2014: Debut album and premature conclusion

Prior to their disbandment, the group's name was chosen through a poll conducted on the Multishow channel's website, where fans voted among five suggestions proposed by the members: Girls, Gloss, F5, Glow, and Blend. On July 2, 2013, the name "Girls" emerged victorious with 28% of the total votes. This choice was influenced by Beyoncé's track "Run the World (Girls)", which the group had initially performed a dance routine to on the show.

The band's first single, "Acenda a Luz," was launched on iTunes on August 5, coinciding with an interview appearance on Jovem Pan's program Pânico. That same day, they also introduced the promotional track "Monkey See Monkey Do."

On August 6, Girls appeared for their inaugural interview on Agora É Tarde, during which they unveiled their album artwork and delivered a live performance of "Monkey See Monkey Do." The second promotional single titled "Shake Shake" followed on August 19. The next day marked the premiere of the official music video for "Monkey See Monkey Do" on VEVO. Directed by Alex Miranda, the video featured rapper Aggro Santos and was sponsored by Seda cosméticos and Chiclete Poosh!.

Girls made their first live public appearance at Z Festival on August 31, performing a rendition of Rihanna's hit "We Found Love". Subsequently, they took part in the No Capricho festival organized by Capricho magazine.

Their eponymous debut album Girls was released through Sony Music on September 3. The record included collaborations with artists such as Negra Li ("Guerreiras"), Mika Borges ("O Mundo Dá Voltas"), and rapper Suave ("Molha Sua Boca"). Produced by Rick Bonadio, it also featured songwriting contributions from NX Zero members Gee Rocha and Di Ferrero.

Speculation about the group's dissolution began circulating on January 20, 2014, following a period of inactivity and silence after losing their management support. On January 30, Beth Mariani de Souza, mother of member Ani Monjardim, disclosed via Facebook that the girls had been forcibly removed by landlords from their Sony-funded residence with only the clothes they were wearing, without access to their personal belongings. Ani Monjardim publicly voiced her dissatisfaction regarding these circumstances. Bruna Rocha later confirmed that the group had been officially disbanded due to funding cessation. Later that day, producer Rick Bonadio and Sony Music formally declared they would withdraw financial backing from Girls because of poor commercial performance.

Industry experts attributed the group's failure largely to inadequate promotion efforts. As noted by Popline, "The launch occurred without sufficient public engagement. There was a notable absence of initiatives and investments aimed at broadening exposure beyond a reality television audience."

Members

Name	Date
Rafaela Mariane "Ani" Monjardim	(1994-04-04) 4 April 1994
Bruna Rocha Afonso	(1993-12-27) 27 December 1993
Caroline de Almeida Ferreira	(1994-07-09) 9 July 1994
Jeniffer Nascimento	(1993-07-29) 29 July 1993
Natascha Piva	(1990-06-27) 27 June 1990

Discography

• 2013: Girls