Buá is an onomatopoeic word in Portuguese, meaning "boo-hoo" or the sound of crying. It's a very expressive and somewhat childlike word that immediately conveys the emotion of sadness and weeping.
In the song, the artist uses "Buá, buá, buá" repeatedly to emphasize the intense and continuous crying she is experiencing due to a lost love. It's a memorable and unique choice that stands out from more common words for crying, making it particularly engaging.
Naiara Azevedo's “Buá Buá” starts with the small routines of a relationship — riding the same bus, sharing one earbud, splitting a sandwich in college — before the narrator admits she broke it herself: ‘Me arrependi de me deitar com outro’ [I regretted sleeping with another]. The title is what's left once those routines are gone: buá, buá, the plain sound of crying, repeated until it becomes the chorus itself. ‘Os meus olhos desidratam de chorar e eu’ [My eyes get dehydrated from crying and I] — buá, buá — turns the grief almost mechanical, a body that keeps producing tears long after there's no one left to apologize to.
Naiara Azevedo, from Brazil, is a popular voice in sertanejo music. She became known for her engaging presence and songs that often speak to women's experiences.
Her career took off with hits like "50 Reais," a song that became a major success across Brazil. She is recognized for her powerful delivery and for bringing a strong female perspective to the genre.