Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

As Mahmood has been announced as one of the co-hosts for the Sanremo 2025 fourth night this is as good as any excuse to have a some Friday night nostalgia and a closer look to his Sanremo participation history that is quite remarkable indeed. 2016 Placed 4th in Newcomer's with Dimentica  (behind certain Francesco Gabbani and Ermal Meta) 2018 Winner of Sanremo Giovani with Gioventú bruciata (won Critic's award) 2019 Winner of Sanremo with Soldi  (won awards for best performance and was voted the best by other artists) 2020 Author for Elodie's Andromeda (7th) 2021 Guest appearance           Author for Francesca Michielin & Fedez's Chiamami per nome (2nd)          Author for Noemi's Glicine (14th) 2022 Winner of Sanremo with Brividi together with Blanco          Author for Noemi's Ti amo non lo so dire (15th) 2023 Guest appearance 2024 Placed 6th with Tuta gold but had the biggest hit of the fe...

The hugely successful and polar duo has left Sanremo after five years. Whoever follows them has to face a similar situation as UMK2024 artists had to do post-Käärijä. Nothing is good enough. Artic director and host Amadeus and co-host Fiorello, after celebrating Angelina Mango's victory on stage walked out of Teatro Ariston hand in hand, stepped into their Cinderella carriage with horses and drove to sunset, or as it was Sanremo final night to dawn. All that after scoring a record breaking 90,7% share in the viewing figures as nearly 9 million Italians were still clued to their tv-screens to see them off. Earlier in the evening they reached 18,259 million and 85% share at 01.56 when the Top-5 super finalists were announced. How can you beat that? And it's not only the viewing figures but his five years have also been hugely popular in charts as all those chart toppers, multi platinum selling singles prove. Mahmood winning in 2019 was a shock and a start of something new in the ...

Every year a certain part of Italian fandom is complaining and lamenting and suggesting Italy should have a selection separately from Sanremo, or select internally or something, anything but send the Sanremo winner automatically.  Which in my opinion is like the silliest idea ever - unless they want to do bad or at least not so good. Because why? Italy is the first country in three decades to have a consecutive six  top-6 streak! (Correct me if I am wrong but it's Germany from 1978 to 1983). And on top of that it would surely be a seven year one if 2020 Euroviison wasn't cancelled. Since Italy's return Italy has sent a non Sanremo winner in 2011 (2nd), 2012 (9th), 2014 (21st) and 2016 (16th). In 2013 it was Marco Mengoni with L'essenziale, Sanremo winner and placed 7th. And then only winners... 2017 Francesco Gabbani - Occidentali's Karma (6th) 2018 Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro - Non mi avete fatto niente (5th) 2019 Mahmood - Soldi (2nd) 2021 Måneskin - Zitti e b...

I can't quite believe yet that Saturday night two of my favorite singers are both on Liverpool Eurovision stage: Marco Mengoni in competition and Mahmood performing in the interval act Liverpool songbook with several other Eurovision stars. He has just announced also an European tour for 2024 and is writing songs for his new album and says this time he's taking his time until he's totally satisfied with them. For those who don't know he's also a succesful songwriter for other artists including Mengoni ( Hola ), Elodie, Michele Bravi & Gué Pequeno ( Nero Bali ), Francesca Michielin ( Cheyenne and Chiamami per nome ), Noemi ( Glicine ), Giorgia ( Normale ). Elodie ( Andromeda ) and many many more. And of course we remember him from two Sanremo wins and two Eurovisions:

Un briciolo di allegria, or A bit of joy, is Blanco's new release hoping to continue the success he had with his debut album, Sanremo and Eurovision song contest 2022 he did with Mahmood until things turned sour this year in Sanremo.  But let's go in order. In 2021 Blanco released his debut album Blue celeste at the age of 18. It sold six times platinum. The singles of it sold additional 24 platinum worth. On top of that he was featured or released additional songs that sold 23 platinum discs worth including four #1's and a total of 15 Top-10 hits.  This week he has released his new album Innamorato hoping to repeat the success. But, a big BUT, he kinda angered most of Italy when premiering his first single Isole delle rose off the new album. Due technical problems (his words) he kinda lost it (all planned according him)  on stage in Teatro Ariston and destroyed the whole flower ornament decoration while audience booed and whistled. All that became apocalyptic dimension...

Oh wow, that's all what can be said about the viewing figures last night: the best since 1995 (when television was very, very different from today!) as an average of 10.757.000 viewers tuned in last night with an average of 14.160.000 watching the first part until midnight. Another 378.000 have watched the stream online, with an increase of 40%  to last year. Blanco's immature behavior caused a stir and enraged viewers and audience in the theater and infuriated also the Mayor and businesses of Sanremo. Flowers is their main business and they feel destroying them like that is not acceptable. This morning Blanco apologized Amadeus in person and published also on his social medias a kind of apology but that isn't enough, the Mayor demands an apology for the city and its people as well. Watch the Drama evolving here . Tonight the remaining entries will be revealed, among them Giorgia who has participated among Big three times and has finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Sadly she has als...

73rd Sanremo festival will kick of tonight at Teatro Ariston in Saremo. The formula is pretty much the same as previous years when Amadeus has been in charge, his year number 4 out of 5 confirmed - just more young artists and more songs making the super final come Saturday night!  Tonight, the first night Amadeus will be hosting with  Eurovision veteran Gianni Morandi and influencer Chiara Ferragni, Mahmood and Blanco will be on stage singing their winning entry and Euroviison 6th placed Brividi , and Blanco will present his new single L'isola delle rose as well. I Pooh will perform as well, including Eurovision veteran Riccardo Fogli who has in it from 1966 to 1974 when he went solo (and won Sanremo 1982 and did Eurovision 1983 ), Pooh won Sanremo in 1990 and continued until 2016, and on and off ever since. They have sold over 100 million records so they are Big.  Besides action in Teatro Ariston we will have Salmo performing from a cruise ship anchored outside the c...