Her father worked on the Brazilian version of the musical Cats and was part of the group of dancers known as Zezé Di Camargo and Luciano.
They then changed their name to Neon and started performing at clubs and parties with versions of songs by Xuxa and Leandro & Leonardo.
[7][8] Five songs in the album were originally written in English but adapted to Portuguese,[9] including a cover of Faith Hill's "Breathe", and the debut single, which was later re-recorded by country singer Tammy Cochran.
The follow-up single "Apaixonada por Você" was released on 12 February 2001, and was included on the soundtrack of the Brazilian soap opera Um Anjo Caiu do Céu,[10] with radios being served a slow tempo country remix.
[13] In 2001, Camargo made her acting debut as the fairy Honey Mel in the children's film Xuxa e os Duendes.
[16] On 21 February 2002, the second single "Tanta Saudade" was released, featuring backing vocals from her father, country singer Zezé Di Camargo.
[20] On 22 February 2003, she released the pop rock single "Sem Querer", accompanied by a music video with Erik Marmo.
[22] In March 2003, following the good reception of the previous year's TV special, Jovens Tardes became a regular part of Globo Network Sunday's afternoon schedule.
[25][26] She sought to present a more adult image by wearing more sensual clothes, dying her hair red with bangs,[27] posing semi-naked for VIP magazine, and giving interviews on sex and taboo subjects.
[29] In February, she joined the main cast of the fourth season of the fifth version of the adaption of the children's book Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, in which she played the rock star Diana Dechamps.
[32] In July, she made appeared in the children's film Cine Gibi, adapted from the Monica's Gang comic books.
[33] On 12 October, she released the second single from her live album, "Metade de Mim" and appeared naked in the music video.
[36] In 2005 she appeared in another reality show, Subindo a Serra with Huck, Dylon, Karina Bacchi, Preta Gil and Popó, documenting their trip to Teresópolis in Rio de Janeiro.
[40] On 10 January 2006, the second single, "Não Resisto a Nós Dois" was released; it became the seventh most played song on Brazilian radio that year.
Inspired by Broadway musicals, it was directed by theatre diva Marília Pêra and featured five acts and costume changes.
[43] After spending a year working on a new album, Wanessa released the single "Não Tô Pronta Pra Perdoar" on 2 August 2007; it was a version of the song "Not Ready to Make Nice" by Dixie Chicks.
[48] On 1 June, she released her the sixth studio album Meu Momento, featuring collaborations with Rita Lee and Alexandre Carlo and showing R&B and urban musical influences.
[50] Despite high expectations and a large budget, which included opening for some of Beyoncé's shows in Brazil, the album sold only 20,000 copies.
[53] On 9 September, she released the first single from her forthcoming work, "Worth It", a version of "Beautiful Encounter (Yan Yu)" by Elva Hsiao.
[54] Two days later her first EP, Você não Perde por Esperar, sold through a music ticket – a magnetic card from which the buyer entered a code into her website to download the songs.
On 17 May, she announced that she had shelved the material she was recording and changed the producer team to make a redirection in her career and a move towards sertanejo music.
[66][67] She re-recorded the album with Eduardo Pepato as producer,[68] explaining: "The way of pop I do not identify myself, it is not my beach, my footprint is romanticism and the sertanejo is a strong mark of my I'm doing what I believe.
[79][80] She performed with her father on the Pai e Filha Tuor and sang several songs by artists who influenced her, including "From This Moment On" and "You're Still the One" by Twain.
[81] Another artist cited as important in her development is Rita Lee, with whom she re-recorded the track "Coisas da Vida" for the album Meu Momento.
[84][85][79] In 2010, during an interview with Kboing, she cited Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Lauryn Hill, and Lady Gaga as influences.
[86] In 2016, during an interview for the Programa do Porchat, she mentioned other women of the genre, such as Paula Fernandes, Maiara and Maraisa, Marília Mendonça and Naiara Azevedo, as references for the new phase of the career in sertanejo.
"[89] She set aside her usual musical styles on the album DNA in 2011, which featured EDM, electronic and electropop and was recorded entirely in English.
[92] In 1998, at age 16, she was the initial target of a kidnapping; the kidnappers accidentally took her uncle Welington Camargo instead and sent the family a piece of his ear, and the incident became a national story.
"[114] In 2013, she celebrated on social media the approval of law 4277, which recognized same-sex marriage in Brazil and has criticized Marco Feliciano's 'Gay Cure' project.