Carnaval

The song 'Carnaval' is a melancholic ballad that explores the ephemerality of intense love and the inevitability of parting. The lyrics begin with a specific memory of a day in February when Jão is called 'your carnival' by the person he loves, as in the verses "One day in February / You called me your carnival". Carnival, a festival known for its intensity and brevity, serves as a metaphor for the relationship: something vibrant but fleeting, sometimes even illusory

The image of the loved one leaving the room with her blouse open and the lyricist seeing 'a piece of sky' suggests a moment of intimacy and vulnerability. However, this closeness is quickly interrupted when the person lets go of the embrace and mentions the need to leave, in "Preciso ir embora / São Paulo me afoga, meu amor".

The reference to São Paulo, a city known for its frenetic and often oppressive pace, adds a layer of context, suggesting that external pressures and everyday life are pulling the couple apart. Another song by Jão also talks about this city and how it causes a mix of feelings in the singer. In São Paulo, 2015, he said: "São Paulo is such a sad world, so beautiful
It gave me everything I have, it took away what I had / I run away from myself, I find myself on the way out / But I'll get used to it".

Finally, the repetition of the phrase 'one day in February' reinforces the idea that that moment was unique and unforgettable, but also something that cannot be repeated. The melancholy of the song lies in the acceptance that, despite the intensity of the feeling, 'nothing will ever be the same again'. Jão captures the pain of parting and the nostalgia of a love that, like the carnival, was brief but left a deep mark.