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Italy: The results of the first night of Sanremo 2022 | Listen to the first 12 songs!

The curtain opened tonight at Teatro Ariston for Sanremo 2022 and the first 12 Campioni artists performed their songs live. At the end of the night, we found out the ranking of the journalists, who are the ones voting the first two nights of the Festival.

The show

Tonight we watched a Sanremo that really had nothing to envy from the pre-pandemic shows. The audience returned to Teatro Ariston after two years and the difference was really obvious compared to last year’s festival.

Amadeus is, for the third consecutive year, in the position of presenter and artistic director of Sanremo. This year, the presenter has five important women of Italian showbiz on his side, each of them co-hosting each night. Tonight, perhaps the top Italian actress of the 70’s and 80’s, Ornella Muti, was the one co-hosting.

Guests of the night were last year’s winners of Sanremo, but also of the Eurovision Song Contest, Måneskin, who performed their winning song “Zitti e buoni” as well as their ballad “Coraline”. Of course, appearances from sports, television and other music industry personalities could not be missing. Also invited tonight were tennis player Matteo Berrettini, the house band Meduza with Hozier and actors and friends of Amadeus Fiorello, Raoul Bova and Nino Frassica.

The first 12 candidate songs

The main menu of today included the first 12 candidate songs of the festival. After months of gossip and speculation on the online and written press, the agony is (almost!) over after we finally listened to half of the songs of Sanremo 2022. These songs were the following:

Achille Lauro & Harlem Gospel Choir – “Domenica”

Achille Lauro has been successful mainly in the field of punk and hip hop music. This is his third participation in the Sanremo Festival.

Yuman – “Ora e qui”

Yuman is half Italian and half from Cape Verde. He had a difficult childhood, and music has always been his refuge. This is his first participation in the festival. He was the winner of the latest Sanremo Giovani last December.

Noemi – “Ti amo non lo so dire”

Although she failed to win The Voice in 2009, she has been a hugely successful name in the italian music scene ever since. She has participated seven other times in the Sanremo festival.

Gianni Morandi – “Apri tutte le porte”

A legend of Italian music, with sales exceeding 50 million records. He represented Italy in Eurovision 1970, and was the winner of Sanremo 1987.

La rappresentante di lista – “Ciao Ciao”

One of the favourites for the victory. The pop band from Palermo, who are constantly changing their appearance, hopes to represent Italy in Eurovision 2022. It is their second participation in the festival.

Michele Bravi – “Inverno dei fiori”

Bravi rose to fame after winning the seventh edition of the italian X Factor. This is his second participation in Sanremo.

Massimo Ranieri – “Lettera di là dal mare”

Winner of Sanremo 1988 and a two-time representative of Italy in Eurovision (1971 and 1973). This is his seventh participation in the festival.

Mahmood & Blanco – “Brividi”

Also one of the favorites for the win. Mahmood does not need introduction to the fans, as he was the winner of Sanremo 2019 and brought Italy near the victory at Eurovision. Blanco is a rather new artist who has already made a name for himself in Italy among the younger generations, especially with his album “Blu Celeste”. This is his first participation in the festival.

Ana Mena – “Duecentomile Ore”

First participation in Sanremo for the Spanish singer and actress.

Rkomi – “Insuperabile”

First participation for the rapper from Milan too. He already counts three albums that arrived at the top of the Italian charts, especially last year.

Dargen D’Amico – “Dove si balla”

Another first-time participant as a performer, although he has already participated in the festival as a composer of the songs “Chiamami per nome” and “Dieci”.

Giusy Ferreri – “Miele”

Known for several hits in Italy and not only. Her fourth participation in the festival.

The voting

The first 12 songs competing in Sanremo 2022 were heard by the general audience for the first time tonight. The result was determined 100% by a jury of journalists (34% television editors, 33% radio and 33% online correspondents).

The same process will be repeated tomorrow night, for the remaining 13 songs of Sanremo 2022. Journalists will have the right to vote again on the fifth and final night of the festival, Saturday, February 5th.

The ranking of the first night

At around 1am, Amadeus announced the journalists’ ranking of the 12 songs. The ranking was as follows:

  1. Mahmood & Blanco
  2. La rappresentante di lista
  3. Dargen D’Amico
  4. Gianni Morandi
  5. Massimo Ranieri
  6. Noemi
  7. Michele Bravi
  8. Rkomi
  9. Achille Lauro feat. Harlem Gospel Choir
  10. Giusy Ferreri
  11. Yuman
  12. Ana Mena

The winners of the first night were Mahmood & Blanco with the song “Brividi”.

What do you think of the results of the first night? What was your favorite song and/or performance? Tell us in the comments!

Italy: The lyrics of the songs for Sanremo 2022!

The traditional TV sorrisi e canzoni magazine photoshoot of Sanremo’s artists is here, along with the interviews of the artists and the lyrics of their songs.

Let’s look at the lyrics of the songs one by one:

  • ACHILLE LAURO feat. Harlem Gospel Choir – Domenica

Achille Lauro seems to talk about a carefree life like a “roller coaster”, full of occasional love affairs, likening it to “Sunday”, which is the title of the song, as the most carefree day of the week.

  • AKA 7EVEN – Perfetta così

A love song, in which Aka 7even explains that the woman he is referring to is “perfect with her imperfections”. In his own words, “In this song I tried to put myself in the shoes of an insecure woman who, in a relationship or while looking at herself in the mirror, feels fragile. So, I sing to her what I’ve always told the girls I’ve been with in my life: Be strong, there’s nothing wrong with you.”

  • ANA MENA – Duecentomila ore

Ana Mena sings about a secret, perhaps toxic love story, about the desperate wait until “the night comes” to see her beloved, only to be separated again the next day.

  • DARGEN D’AMICO – Dove si balla

The lyrics of this song, as Dargen D’Amico explains in his interview, were born as a metaphor for the need we have to rationalize the time of coronavirus, each in our own way, especially in the midst of quarantine. Dargen’s way is to dance carefree, although he admits that he always had a love-hate relationship with dance songs before he appreciated their vitality because of the quarantine.

  • DITONELLAPIAGA & RETTORE  Chimica

As you would expect from the title “Chimica” (Chemistry), the song by Ditonellapiaga and Rettore talks about how no one can stop two people when there is chemistry between them.

  • ELISA – O forse sei tu

Another clear love song, with Elisa singing “maybe you are the moment that will bring me a little joy, and that stupid will to live”. Essencially, she’s talking about “the chemistry that should be in a relationship, the difference the person you love makes to you”.

  • EMMA – Ogni volta è così

As she explains, Emma’s song is about “a love story and a situation in which women’s attitudes in relationships are misunderstood and often judged as being wrong”.

  • FABRIZIO MORO – Sei tu

A love song with Fabrizio Moro’s intense and distinctive way of writing that he has gotten us used to. According to him, “I have written many love songs in my life, but I believe this is the most intense and significant dedication of love I have ever made to a person”.

  • GIANNI MORANDI – Apri tutte le porte

A hopeful song that advises us to “open all the doors and let the sun in”, instead of letting our lazy thoughts and habits drown us.

  • GIOVANNI TRUPPI – Tuo padre, mia madre, Lucia

“A love song in which I recognize myself and which contains roughness and various contrasts. Suitable for listening to in the dark,” according to Truppi. “Lucia” in the title is his daughter.

  • GIUSI FERRERI – Miele

As Ferreri explains, “a song that is both romantic and melancholic. As the lyrics say, ‘it’s a blade that tastes like honey’, in every relationship there is sweetness but also bitterness.”

  • HIGHSNOB & HU – Abbi cura di te

A song about “a special aspect of love: letting a person go peacefully after a period of a toxic relationship. We both had similar experiences, so we understood each other immediately,” as Highsnob & Hu explain.

  • IRAMA – Ovunque sarai

“It’s not a love song,” Irama clarifies, even if at first glance the lyrics suggest that. “It talks about the memory of a person who is no longer in my life. I would rather not reveal who that person is. I want everyone to be free, listening to it, to think of a person they have in their heart.” In any case, it’s a song written like a poem, about people who are no longer in our lives.

  • IVA ZANICCHI – Voglio amarti

A song about passion that goes beyond ages. “It is a hymn to love. It evokes peace and joy. Love is a strange emotion that one can feel at any age,” in the singer’s own words.

  • LA RAPPRESENTANTE DI LISTA – Ciao ciao

“A song about the end of the world”, we are sung by La rappresentante di lista. In fact, the song seems to be a great metaphor for all kinds of human crises, the intense emotions we feel during them, but also the small signs of hope expressed more in the joyful refrain.

  • LE VIBRAZIONI – Tantissimo

“Tantissimo”, according to Le Vibrazioni, is about the wounds that remain forever, which we must try to turn into something positive.

  • MAHMOOD & BLANCO – Brividi

Perhaps the most beautiful love song of the year, as noted by the journalists who were the first to hear the songs, as they are every year. More specifically, “the lyrics begin by narrating a dream and go on to describe the problem of wanting to give it all to love, to the point where you end up feeling like you’re doing something wrong yourself.”

  • MASSIMO RANIERI – Lettera di là dal mare

A song that talks about “a perpetual journey and the feeling of finally being able to find the ‘other shore'”, another side of life.

  • MATTEO ROMANO – Virale

Another love song that describes love as “something so beautiful that everyone talks about, especially young people”, hence the title “Virale” (Viral).

  • MICHELE BRAVI – Inverno dei fiori

“A love song intimate, sentimental but not sad, that speaks of hope”, according to Bravi.

  • NOEMI – Ti amo non lo so dire

The song with the most lyrics at this year’s festival. “It’s a metaphor: You can take it as a love song, but I feel like it’s a song about our relationship with others and ourselves. To say ‘I love you’ to someone takes a lot of sincerity and a lot of strength,” Noemi explains.

  • RKOMI – Insuperabile

“Insuperabile” has special lyrics, as it talks about “a love that is conflicting and very dangerous, comparable to sports cars”, according to Rkomi.

  • SANGIOVANNI – Farfalle

This song was written after a period of crisis that Sangiovanni went through due to the pandemic. The title Farfalle (Butterflies) and the rest of the lyrics refer to the singer’s need to “find the butterflies in his stomach again”, perhaps with the help of a companion.

  • TANANAI – Sesso occasionale

Contrary to what one might think based on the title, “Sesso occassionale” (Casual sex) is about the exact opposite, about the fact that we should sometimes put our minds in their place and not just make reckless decisions in our (erotic) relationships with others.

  • YUMAN – Ora e qui

Sanremo Giovani winner Yuman invites us to “seize every moment, the classic ‘carpe diem'” through his song “Ora e qui”.

 

As a reminder, the Sanremo Festival will take place on 1-5 February at the Teatro Ariston in San Remo.

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the latest news regarding Italy’s participation in Eurovision 2022!