Concept and editing: Lorenzo Algieri

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9) Emma – La mia città
Definitely our worst entry. The song is actually quite good but it wasn’t proper for the ESC: it contains words and phrases which are hardly understandable for non-Italian-speaking people (tombini invadenti = intrusive manholes; amo parcheggiare distratta = I love parking inattentively; etc). The performance was not very effective and the staging was a total disaster: why that kitsch dress? Why crawling?! I really felt ashamed.

8) Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro – Non mi avete fatto niente
I really like Fabrizio and Ermal’s music – they are two of the most talented Italian songwriters at the time – but this song does not represent their true potential. The lyrics aren’t anything out of the ordinary. They wrote much more beautiful songs (please listen to “Pensami” and “Portami via” by Fabrizio or “Lettera a mio padre” and “Vietato morire” by Ermal). Anyway, they gave us a such moving performance in the final.

7) Il Volo – Grande amore
Surprise! Let me tell you a secret: even if Il Volo are extremely famous all around the world and they are seen as a symbol of “italianity” things are quite different at home: in Italy they are way less popular and mostly appreciated by middle-aged-people. I think their style is too old and stereotyped, like their song: “Grande amore” is a very trivial song with elementary lyrics. Anyway, their performance in the final was truly amazing.

6) Raphael Gualazzi - Madness of Love
The song of our comeback! Rai probably wanted to play the classic-jazzy card. At the beginning I wasn’t enthusiastic about this entry, but now I really like it. We bring something fine and different on the Eurovision stage. Bilingual version matches very well with song and genre. Staging was almost perfect and Raphael did a very good performance.

5) Marco Mengoni – L’essenziale
Let’s move to the songs I really love. I’m in love with Marco and his music. He was very anxious on the stage but at the end he did a very good job. His song is a very fine and powerful pop ballad in a perfect Italian style. It’s classic but not banal. Most of the Eurovision entries had amazing visuals or fireworks; he was just standing there with a very elegant suit and he came 7th. Simplicity sometimes pays back. Last but not least, he’s freaking hot!

4) Francesca Michielin – No Degree of Separation
I just love her and her music (she’s one of my Italian favorite singers) and this song is actually my most-liked tune of the top9. Sadly, it wasn’t suitable for ESC and the Eurovision version killed its potential (full-Italian chorus + full-English chorus + half-Italian chorus… just why?). Moreover, she’s not the average female singer with an amazing voice and she totally missed the staging. Nevertheless, she’s my favorite Italian representative. She didn’t come to win, she just wanted to spread her message of peace and fraternity. I just love the way she enjoyed the event, so pure, so genuine.

3) Nina Zilli – L’amore è femmina (Out of Love)
What a super woman! Nina rock it all with an amazing performance in Baku. I really love this entry. I’m one of the few Eurofans who prefers the bilingual version: English really suit with the catchy music, while Italian gives it more sensuality. Word “amore” appears in both title and refrain; this makes the song much more memorable for non-Italian-speaking people. She moved like a true Italian queen with his stunning outfit. She deserved a much higher place.

2) Mahmood – Soldi
What a wonderful surprise! I usually am not into this kind of contemporary R&B, but Mahmood has totally got me. Music is memorable and has an unforgettable clap clap, while lyrics are very touching. I’m really proud of Mahmood’s second place because it proves to Europe that Italy it’s not just romantic ballads, operatic pop, “amore” and other stereotypes, but it’s able to experimenting with new trends. I was not sure about the staging but when I watched his performance I had no doubts about his potential.

1) Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali’s Karma
In my opinion Francesco is our best entry on the whole since our comeback. The song is a perfect mix of catchy music and beautiful lyrics with deep meaning. I know, it could be quite hard to understand his lines, but trust me, the lyrics is full of original puns and metaphors in Italian. His performance was almost perfect even if the staging looked a bit approximate. He made the whole continent dance and his karma conquered Eurofans’ hearts. That’s all that really matter.