Between dances and "gelas", Nattan performed an almost two-hour show at Ribeirão Rodeo Music 2026 Eric Andrade/g1 Nattan's self-criticism after a show in Maracanaú, Ceará, last weekend, reignited an old discussion behind the scenes of music: the impact of alcohol consumption on the performance routine. The singer admitted that the enthusiasm and the drink consumed in the dressing room compromised his performance, to the point of repeating at least one of the songs several times during the show. He did not mention whether he will abandon alcohol consumption, but promised to deliver to the public a "new presentation with the quality standard that his audience knows" on a later date. Weeks earlier, Murilo Huff had said in an interview with presenter Renato Sertanejeiro that he drastically reduced his alcohol consumption at shows after a conversation with Luan Santana in 2022. Last year, João Gomes revealed that he had moderated his drinking for health reasons. Diagnosed with fatty liver, the artist commented that it was difficult to abandon the habit of taking two doses of cachaça per show. Added to these testimonies is a new report by Zé Neto, Cristiano's duo. In an interview with Luciano Huck last month, he reported that he entered a dangerous and abusive cycle of medication, drinking and smoking to cope with his show routine before accepting the diagnosis of the disease. In 2024, the duo announced a career break for Zé to treat depression. Before his departure from the stage and artistic life, the singer used drinking as a mechanism to cope with bouts of depression and panic syndrome. Among artists from different musical genres, drinking alcohol before or during performances has always been part of the backstage of shows. But these recent reports show that the practice can directly impact the quality of presentations. And bring short- to long-term issues for the artists’ voice, image, health and career. From connecting with the public to alerting production In conversation with g1, a production professional from the country music universe who preferred not to be identified stated that, currently, there is a "generation of singers who 'push the envelope' [with drinking on stage] to want to generate connection [with the public]. 'Ah, I also like to drink, I'm like you'. Then, one hour goes by. One day, you lose track", she says. She also states that, as alcohol is part of the culture of shows by artists from the most popular musical genres, such as country music and forró, production only becomes aware of the issue when consumption becomes something serious, triggering an alert. "When production identifies it as a problem, everyone gets scared." A recent and emblematic example was that of Zé Neto. Because it became a big problem for the singer, all drinks were removed from the duo's dressing room. Key turn Murilo Huff excites and delights the audience on the 1st night of the Festa Junina show in Votorantim (SP) Marcel Scinocca/g1 In May, Murilo Huff recalled that a meeting with Luan Santana made him change his view on alcohol consumption before and during presentations. Murilo had been invited to perform at the first edition of "Luan City", in Goiânia, in 2022. "I was excited and joined the band. I did a great show. But at Luan's show, he asked me to sing with him. I came to him all excited and said: 'come on, dear, let's have a drink. What are you drinking there?'." Murilo says that Luan replied that he was only drinking water. "Boy, I said: 'Wow, I'm shit. The guy is Luan Santana, brother, the guy has been successful for how many thousand years?'. From that day on I stopped drinking at shows. I didn't cut back. But I reduced a lot." Murilo said that, before this episode, he would drink a bottle of gin or vodka at his shows. "Alcohol gives a feeling of freedom, it relaxes. But for the artist, we need to remember that it's his job. He is being heavily evaluated at that moment and it is expected that, as in any other job, the person is not drunk", says psychologist Juliana Chiavassa. "And especially alcohol affects our cognition, our memory. He may forget words, he may be off key, he may say something that he wouldn't have the courage to say sober. And the visibility that an artist has is much greater than that of an ordinary person who is at a table with friends. So, in the long term, this can also be very damaging to one's own image", adds the psychologist. Performance compromise Nattan's case exemplifies such performance impairment. In the performance that generated the controversy, the artist would have sung the song "Na Casa da Vizinha" dozens of times. On social media, there are reports that he "wasn't able to sing because he was so drunk." And there are also testimonials from fans saying that this is already common behavior for the singer on stage. "We have to remember that the singer is there as a professional. The audience is the one having fun. And sometimes, it gets a little mixed up. The singer understands that this is a moment of celebration, of entertainment, including for him. And it isn't. That's his professional environment", says Thays Vaiano, speech therapist specializing in voice. "However, we know that in the past there was this myth of 'oh, I'll take a sip of cognac and my voice will improve, I'll look better on stage'. This is untrue, drinking any type of alcoholic beverage does not improve your voice. On the contrary, it gets worse." "But alcohol inhibits your perception a little and makes people feel looser, less inhibited. So, this makes them sometimes feel more comfortable performing that role", adds the speaker. Loss of inhibition... and voice control Zé Neto and Cristiano; Bruno Cesar and Rodrigo Disclosure The use of alcohol can lead to disinhibition, but along with it, loss of voice control. Thays Vaiano explains at least four ways that alcohol can interfere with an artist's performance: Dehydration: as alcohol has a diuretic effect, it removes hydration from the vocal cord region and suffers from loss of lubrication. As a result: greater effort to sing; vocal fatigue; In the long term, it can cause damage to the vocal fold. Loss of motor coordination: this also includes all the muscles involved in singing. The result: detuning; difficulty controlling breathing; rhythm errors. Less perception of effort: the singer loses awareness of the volume of his voice. And the result: it strains the voice more, causing greater wear and tear on the structures involved in speech and voice production and singing; does not reach the desired notes; increases risk of injury. Reflux: alcohol is one of the main triggers of reflux. And this acid reflux that comes from the stomach and reaches the vocal cord, hurts the vocal cord. The result: irritation of the vocal folds; worsening performance. An additional topic here is that, in many cases, the artist's schedule does not leave enough time for him to recover from these minor injuries caused on a daily basis. Over time, the effects accumulate and can lead the singer to a surgical situation. "Alcohol alone doesn't make him have to have surgery. But prolonged use of a voice that is not very good, with some type of injury for a long period of time exerting effort, causes the vocal fold to suffer a lot. And in some cases, this means they have to undergo some type of rehabilitation", explains Thays Vaiano. Speech therapist Leny Kyrillos also adds that there is a difference in the consumption of fermented alcohol and distilled alcohol. Both cause dehydration and trigger the issues already mentioned. But the distillate still "causes a pseudoanesthesia effect: the person forces himself to sing, doesn't feel it, and when the effect wears off, the damage has been done." Much more than the problem with the voice Fan drinks from a boot served by Nattan on stage at Ribeirão Rodeo Music 2025 in Ribeirão Preto, SP Eric Andrade/g1 In addition to vocal problems, it is always worth remembering that the habit can become addictive. "If he needs alcohol to sing, to practice that profession, he has a problem that needs medical help. Because he needs alcohol to perform that profession already constitutes alcoholism", warns speech therapist Thays Vaiano. "Do you only go on stage if you've been drinking? 'Oh no, but I only drink one can.' Okay, but otherwise you won't be able to do the show? Do you think the show is bad? This is already a dependency. A person doesn't necessarily have to drink two bottles of wine to appear addicted. That's how much alcohol takes up space in this artist's life", explains psychologist Juliana Chiavassa. The psychologist also warns of the fact that some artists feel the need to consume alcohol to carry out professional activities beyond the show, such as participating in a photo shoot, recording or composing. "Artistically, what do you do with your career without drinking? That's the main point." Is the new generation changing? João Gomes in Last of May Joana Lima It is not new that artists consume alcohol on stage and backstage. Bruno, Marrone's duo, Leonardo and Zeca Pagodinho are some emblematic examples. But recent statements from these younger artists citing the impact on stage could mean a change in pattern. Or just a reflection of the phase in which celebrities show a little more of their "real life". They share their pains, weaknesses and mental health struggles. "People today are more enlightened, and most of them already understand the need to take care of themselves. The voice is multifactorial, it suffers the impact of everything that affects our body, for better or for worse", says speech therapist Leny Kyrillos. "Today there is greater awareness, especially among young people, who in general are drinking less. There is greater demand and greater attention in the search for voice health and longevity."