Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

The most streamed song in Italy in 2023. The first ever video to be watched over 100 million times in less than a year. Amazing song. Eurovision Top-4 against all fandom odds. I always said this is Top-5 stuff. Love it.

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:

While the acts in  semi-final two are having their dress rehearsals in Liverpool, which I am not really following in any way let's sit back and have a look at the Big 5  performances by France, Germany and Italy in the first semi-final. Or actually in its Monday evening's second dress rehearsal. How come this is so high in odds? I mean I like the song, and she's fabulous but here it's all very dark really, she does look dramatic rather than looking like she's enjoying the staging that much. Is it that her wonderful personality has enchanted the fandom? I don't quite see the European wide audiences voting for this more than barely Top-10 if lucky. I hope I am wrong. From Lordi via AWS to Hatari and Blind Channel and now Lord of the Lost. Songs in this genre (loosely) have had mixed fortunes but I have a feeling this one is going to end up with the happier finishes. I think fandom is pretty much sleeping on this. Friends and people I know, non fans who only watch ...

Here it is! The incorruptible, infallible and most reliable Blogilkar's Home Jury made of people in their teens, 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's, mainly Finnish and mainly those who turn into Eurovision only on that one Saturday night, enjoy the show and that's it. Most everyone heard the songs for the first time so this was a true first impression judgement. And thus they had no idea about the fan polls, betting odds and trivial information and expectations. And boy did they turn those pools and odds around mostly, sinking some major favorites and enjoying some real underdogs. I will countdown the full ranking day by day until we have our winner out just before Liverpool is in full swing. This year I publish very few comments or opinions. Just the average score (we voted 1 to 10). In short this year is considered a bit poor by the jurors compared to for example last year and it may show in the somewhat low scores. Anyways: Enjoy! 4. ITALY - Marco Mengoni - Due vite  ...

Marco Mengoni will release his new album Materia (Prisma) on May 26, 2023, a third album of his Materia trilogia following Materia (Terra) 2021, Materia (Pelle) 2022, both selling multiple platinum already.  Mengoni is used to collecting platinum for his works, he has already 70 of them! In all Materia (Prisma) will be his 8th studio album. Due vite is his 38th single and he has scored 17 Top-10 singles so far. In his current European mini tour he has previewed a new song, Fiori d'orgoglio , possible his next single? Enjoy below the Materia singles so far:

Out of nowhere it is here: The official shortened 3 minutes long Eurovision song contest version for Italy and Marco Mengoni's Due vite. Besides cutting those 45 seconds or so the song has had apparently also a minor revamp and some re-recorded vocals. Enjoy! And for comparison the original longer Sanremo version:

Marco Mengoni (34) won Sanremo 2023 last night and today it has been confirmed he will indeed represant Italy at the Liverpool Eurovision song contest with his winning entry Due vite. Update: There is a chance he might change the song. Mengoni is no stranger to Eurovision having done that already in 2013, finishing 7th with L'Essenziale. But the situation now is completely different. Back then Italy was just finding out again what Eurovision is all about and would develop a real power house shortly after. And so was Mengoni's career. He won XFactor 2009 in Italy and participated in Sanremo 2010 with Credimi ancora placing third and winning the Critic's award. The fame and success lasts a couple of years and come Sanremo 2013 he finds his career in Celine Dion like situation in Eurovision 1988: He must win or his career is pretty much over. L'Essenziale, his song had been turned down by several artists  but he makes it his own and wins Sanremo and starts bigger career t...

Marco Mengoni did it. Leading the ranking from the day one he also won the superfinal and his Due vite will be Italy's entry for the Eurovision song contest 2023 as well. Confirmation expected tomorrow in the winner's press conference.  Due vite also won the Giancarlo Bigazzi award for the best composition. Did anyone notice Davide Petrella was co-author for both Mengoni's and Lazza's songs? And Davide Simonetta for Mengoni's, Tananai's and Rosa Chemical's songs? In the end Mengoni was a clear winner, and I may be wrong but was he the very first to be in lead from the first nigth untilt he super final? Mahmood with Brividi for example was very far from top after the first night if I remember right.  Colapesce Dimartino won both Mia Martini Critic's Award and Lucia Dalla award handed out my the press center.  Coma_Cose won the Lunezia award for the best lyrics.  1. Marco Mengoni - Due vite 45% (32% televote) 2. Lazza - Cenere 16% (18%) 3. Mr.Rain - Supere...