Introduction

• Participant(s): Mahmood & BLANCO
  
• Song: Brividi
  
• Writer(s): Alessandro Mahmoud, Riccardo Fabbriconi
• Composer(s): Alessandro Mahmoud, Riccardo Fabbriconi, Michele Zocca (Michelangelo)
• Broadcaster: RAI
  
• Social media:        
  
• Team review: 

It’s always a something special, when the host country is choosing it’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. On the one hand the host country would like to have a great entry on which everybody can be proud of, on the other hand a second victory should be prevented. In the 1990’s Ireland won three times in a row, which was incredible, but also a big task for the host broadcaster from the financial point of view. This year another victory for Italy is possible. In the Sanremo Festival there many strong songs with popular singers. The former Italian representative Mahmood, who made a great second place with “Soldi” in Tel Aviv 2019 and the rising star BLANCO were able to convince the entire country. With their very touching stage presentation of “Brividi” which means ‘chills’ they have become one of the favourites to win this year’s ESC. The song went straight to #1 in Italy.

Mahmood was born in Milan in 1992. His mother comes from Sardinia and his father from Egypt. With his participation at the X Factor in 2012 Mahmood started his career. In 2016 he was nominated in the category “newcomer” with the song “Dimentica”  Mahmood made the 4th place. In 2017 Mahmood released “Luna”  together with Fabri Firbra. New doors opened, when Mahmood took part the 2019 Sanremo Festival, with his song “Soldi” he was able to win the festival and represented Italy at ESC, where he came second. Since then Mahmood’s career increased massively with songs like “Barrio”  and “Rapide”  he could elaborate his success with many good chart positions. The music style of Mahmood can be described as mix of electro pop, soul and Rn’B with Egyptian music elements. His video clips are all worth to watch.

Blanco, whose real name is Riccardo Fabbriconi was born in Brescia in 2003. He started with uploading music on TikTok and SoundCloud. In 2020 he could sign the first record contract with Island Records (Universal). The first single “Notti In Bianco”  reached the second position in the Italian single charts. Blanco’s unconventional style and progressive hip hop music is formative. The music videos showing the lives of the independent youth no longer clinging to conventions, a bit crazy though. All those song became #1 in Italy: “La canzone nostra”  with Mace and Salmo, “Mi fai impazzire” with Sfera Ebbasta and “Blu Celeste” . He is probably one most asked young Italian artists these days. His unpretentious attitude, his good looks will ease his way for sure. In almost all his video clips he appears in white underpants.

When the singers Mahmood and Blanco entered the Sanremo stage, the audience was thrilled. As the song “Brividi” is very sensual and touching, a wonderful music arrangement fabulous voices and a great climax. In a way a classic Italian song with a very contemporary twist. The song is about two friends with their complicated love affairs:

You, who wakes me up in the morning
You, who ruins the bed with wine
You, who bites my skin
With your viper eyes
And you, you are the opposite of an angel
And you, you are like a boxer on the corner
And you run away from here, you leave me like this
Naked with chills

With this strong song, Italy belongs to this year’s favourites to win the ESC. After the phenomenal victory of Måneskin, Italy is on the right way to make this competition precious, with good music and talented singers.

History

• Debut: 1956
• Participations: 48
• Victories: 3
• Finals: 48
• Top 10: 35

For Italy it will be the 48th time participating in the Eurovision Song Contest! The original idea of the ESC resulted from the Italian music festival “Sanremo Festival” which started in 1951 for the first time and it’s still existing and is very popular, one of the most watched shows in Italy every year. A lot of popular Italian singers normally appear as well as international top stars. The winners have often been the representatives for Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest. The music from Sanremo is very popular and the songs become evergreens. The original concept came up to do a similar contest on an international level, which has become reality in 1956. Normally one of the winners of the San Remo festival has been chosen to be the Italian representative for the ESC, or the runner up.

Despite of so many Italian evergreens and top hits, Italy could only win three times with “Non Ho L'étà” by Gigliola Cinquetti in 1964 and “Insieme: 1992” by Toto Cutugno in 1990, and last year with Måneskin and “Zitti E Buoni”. Italy always shaped up quite well, especially after the comeback in 2011. Over the years many of the Italian contributions became hits or even evergreens worldwide and these are strongly connected with typical Italian music like “Per Lucia” by Riccardo Fogli in 1983 (11th), “Gente di Mare” by Umberto Tozzi & Raff in 1987 (3rd) and “Fiumi di Parole” by Jalisse in 1997 (4th) and lately the tenor trio Il Volo with “Grand Amore” (3rd). Furthermore there were many Top 10 rankings for Italy – five times 2nd and five times 3rd -, so it’s one of the most successful countries in Eurovision. The chances for a Top10 placing are enormously high with 73%. Maybe it’s also due to the fact that Italian music is very popular in general all over the world, and the Italian entries show the Italian music at its which are loved everywhere around the globe.

Italy has paused for twelve years (1998 – 2010) until the Italian broadcaster RAI has decided to return in 2011, this has been highly appreciated internationally, as Italy is known for high quality music. Luckily, Italy shaped up very well in Düsseldorf with “Follia D’Amore” by Raphael Gualazzi who came 2nd. One year later with “L’Amore E Femina” by Nina Zilli a 9th rank could be reached. Another year later Marco Mengoni could even make a respectable 7th place in Malmö, while the 2014 entry "La Mia Città" by Emma Marrone reached the 21st place in Copenhagen only, but therefore Il Volo could make the Italians proud again with “Grande Amore” and a 3rd place! In 2017 Franceco Gabbani, who was one of the big favourites to win with “Occidentali’s Karma” and came 6th, Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro with “Non mi avete fatto niente” made a brilliant 5th place in Lisbon in Lisbon! In Tel Aviv 2019 Mahmood was not exception, with “Soldi”, he came 2nd. And 2021 Måneskin could achieve the third victory for Italy in the ESC history.

Biggest successes

• 2x 1st place
  “Non Ho L'étà” | Gigliola Cinquetti (Copenhagen 1964) 
  “Insieme: 1992” | Toto Cutugno (Zagreb 1990) 
  “Zitti E Buoni” | Måneskin (Rotterdam 2021) 
• 5x 2nd place
  “Aprite Le Finestre” | Franca Raimondi (Lugano 1956)
  “Amami Se Vuoi” | Tonina Torielli (Lugano 1956)
  “Si” | Gigliola Cinquetti (Brigthon 1974)
  “Madness Of Love” | Raphael Gualazzi (Düsseldorf 2011)
  “Soldi” | Mahmood (Tel Aviv 2019)
• 5x 3rd place
  “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” | Domenico Modugno (Hilversum 1958)
  “Uno Per Tutte” | Emilio Pericoli (London 1963)
  “Era” | Wess and Dori Ghezzi (Stockholm 1975)
  “Gente Di Mare” | Umberto Tozzi and Raf (Brussels 1987)
  “Grande Amore” | Il Volo (Vienna 2015)
  
  

Video Nostalgia

• “Raggio Di Luna” | Matia Bazar
  Rank 15, Jerusalem 1979
  
• “I Treni Di Tozeur” | Alice & Franco Battiato
  Rank 5, Luxembourg 1984
  
• “Fiumi Di Parole” | Jalisse
  Rank 4, Dublin 1997
  
  

First Rehearsal