I just busted my buttocks trying to bring you my top 10 here. Observe:
01. Rancore - Eden
02. Tosca - Ho amato tutto
03. Achille Lauro - Me ne frego
04. Marco Masini - Il confronto
05. Elodie - Andromeda
06. Raphael Gualazzi - Carioca
07. Rita Pavone - Niente (Resilienza 74)
08. Piero Pelù - Gigante
09. Le Vibrazioni - Dov'è
10. Diodato - Fai rumore
Honourable mentions:
Anastasio - Rosso di rabbia
Pinguini Tattici Nucleari - Ringo Starr
The why can't newcomers compete with veterans mention:
Marco Sentieri - Billy Blu ⬅ Would have been top 3 with me probably had this been competing with the big guys
My top 8 here would probably all be insta 12 pointers from me. The top four are especially immense.
On closer inspection and as expected, Eden is the song for me. I love alternative hip hop and Rancore is literally pushing every right button. He goes so, so fricking hard. It's giving me some early Sadistik vibes, and that's an unbeatable thing in my world. Holy fudge balls. Music like this mixing with Eurovision? Yes, yes, yes.
Ho amato tutto is an experience. As I move on into new areas in my life I'm still never going to forget the kind of music and performer that made me passionately fall in love with music. Here's that kind of song and performer, and my heart is swirling in the same way it did when I heard Amor Pelos Dois for the first time. If alternative hip hop wasn't so much my world today, this would likely be my number 1. It's sublime.
Me ne frego is just a delight. The song is wonderful but more than anything I just love Achille Lauro and what he brings to it. It's a good piece of music by itself but with this man at the helm it's next level. He makes me wild. Best fashion of the year award as well goes to him and that singlet fantasy.
Il confronto has been the biggest grower. I liked it very much initially but listening to it back now several times has made me bald (a running theme for a lot of us this Sanremo). The chorus has me shaking and wanting to cry. I've never been screamed at so beautifully before. It's absolutely epic. Getting the same feelings here as Loredana gave me last year. With time this could quite possibly glide past at least Achille and Tosca in my ranking as I really am in shock by this one. Wow.
Despite there being so many good songs here this year, I'd say that Elodie is quite the clear pick for Eurovision. As others have pointed out, the staging potential with Andromeda is incredible and Elodie is just so sizzling hot on stage. You got 2nd with Mahmood last year. Wanna take it one step up?
Ringo Starr also gives me
good for ESC vibes. Most other songs would be solid picks but don't feel like packages that could compete right at the very top (and who the hell cares when you'd be bringing so much style to the contest). I'm still yet to be convinced by Gabbani's comeback though. When you've got a verse more interesting than the chorus you're perhaps in trouble.
I'm so jelly of Italians for having this beautiful thing as part of their culture. What I'd give to have a similar festival for my country with legends like Marianne Faithfull, John Cale and Shirley Bassey sharing a stage with hot new talent such as Jorja Smith and co. It's just not fair. Sanremo is something for Italians to feel so proud of.