Sanremo 2024

A brief introduction to the 74th edition

The edition of the Sanremo Festival that brings Amadeus's five-year reign to a close ends with a win for Angelina Mango, with one of the few songs able to stand out for the personality of its music. Yes, because from the very first night the feeling was of watching the least interesting edition of the last five, with many (too many?) songs built on similar arrangements (the songwriters are a touch redundant, as we'll get into below…), almost always centered on a four-on-the-floor beat and a craving for the dancefloor, falling in line with those à-la Elodie sounds guaranteed to score quick radio hits. The interesting ideas end up getting lost in the repetitiveness of it all, in the endless replaying of the same sound, an attitude that exposes the songwriters' inability (or, better put, unwillingness) to chart new directions. The goal is no longer to write the right song to win Sanremo (i.e. the typical building crescendo, with a hyper-catchy, ultra-moving chorus) but rather the one best suited to "smash" on the radio — and consequently on the sales charts — in real time. Stylistic homogenization, then, for a Festival lacking any artistic novelty, with no surprises, smooth-flowing but at times verging on mediocrity. Rock and guitars are conspicuously absent: there's nothing that could even remotely recall the electric jolt of Maneskin (more than a few will be glad of that), and there's a total lack of any genuinely alternative proposal. The only moments that make you jump in your seat are Dargen D'Amico's teddy bears and La Sad's punk mohawks.

Angelina Mango's and Annalisa's (who came third) performances immediately stood out as the two most accomplished, not least for their ability to adapt to Sanremo conventions the international models the two artists draw on. Mango seeks an energetic synthesis of tradition and contemporaneity, flirting with Hispanic elements (cumbia, flamenco) and looking decisively to the example of Rosalía (excellent work done with co-writers Madame and Dardust), while Annalisa doesn't shy away from flaunting her own weighty influences (did someone say Taylor Swift?), even down to her haircut and outfit choice. Between the two singers, second place went to Geolier, propelled above all by a genuine wave of acclaim carried on the wings of the public vote, which is always decisive when singers particularly loved by younger audiences are on stage.

The stylistic misstep on the second night, in the dreary little skit with John Travolta, is redeemed by a show that was, on the whole, of a good standard, one that in recent years — thanks to the modernizing work carried out under Amadeus's artistic direction — has managed to bring together, across five very long nights, a cross-generational audience, drawing in for the first time in its history a very young crowd. Thirty competing songs really did seem too many, like a thirty-team Serie A: certainly inclusive, but with too many line-ups not up to the standard of a top league, which inevitably affects the quality of play. The sheer number of compromises needed to draw up the list of contestants clearly puts the artistic director in a position where he can't say "no" too often. (Claudio Lancia)

The "homogenization" issue

The extremely thorny issue, raised more or less everywhere weeks before the Festival even began, concerning the heavy presence of a handful of songwriters across the thirty competing songs, is more or less inevitable once a festival's artistic direction takes on Baudo-like contours. That's not a justification, quite the opposite: it raises the problem of entrusting the same person for too long with what is, in effect, the most important showcase in Italian mainstream music. This is how it happens that Tropico, aka Neapolitan pop singer-songwriter Davide Petrella, ends up with his name on as many as four songs, almost as if last year's first and second place, won as the writer behind Marco Mengoni's and Lazza's songs, hadn't been enough. Or that Cheope, aka Alfredo Rapetti, son of the quintessential lyricist Mogol, appears on three tracks. And then there are other regulars like Davide Simonetta or Jacopo Et, real name Jacopo Angelo Ettore, also present three times, just like Rapetti. In short, if on one hand recent years have seen a modernization of what Sanremo has to offer, on the other hand there has been a gradual takeover by a cluster of pens more or less orbiting the major labels involved, which has inevitably led to stagnation downstream, in a hugely watered-down edition.

The songs of the seventy-fourth installment, to put it in Netflix terms, of the Ligurian showcase often end up, then, as the result of a songwriting (and rhythmic) cabal as celebrated as it is repetitive. Take the case of the four-on-the-floor beat, which has never before hovered so persistently over Sanremo, or the melodic hooks that jog the short-term memory, as neatly demonstrated by Lazza's "Cenere", which pops up and vanishes within Geolier's "I p' me, tu p' te". It's a loop that should dissolve next year, at least on paper, unless Amadeus decides to "surprise" everyone with yet another term. That possibility, however, would seriously jeopardize the quality of what Sanremo has to offer, just as already happened in the past when the Ariston ended up becoming Amici's backup stage. (Giuliano delli Paoli)

The report cards

Alessandra Amoroso – "Fino a qui"

The scraps from "Amici" that, not so long ago, used to be the Festival's first course occasionally still make it back onto the table. This happens above all with Emma, and, for the "first time", with Alessandra Amoroso, who at the Ariston has often appeared as a duet partner alongside the aforementioned Emma or the fleeting lake-district star Valerio Scanu. This time, though, the queen of homemade cakes and wedding songs to cry to with your aunt makes her debut as a contestant with a song written by Jacopo Et that's a compendium of everything found in the horrifying "Scialla" compilations of "Amici", between flat verses ("Un'altra notte di pioggia scivola come una goccia") that would make even Franco Arminio — the worst Italian poet of the postwar era — turn pale, and bland choruses desperate enough to call in that "charmer" Cannavacciuolo for help. Getting serious again, "Fino a qui" is a badly belted ballad that has the ambition of building toward the end with a sudden drum roll bringing in, one last time, a chorus that resembles two hundred others written by former contestants of one of the most damaging talent shows for pop music in this country. Assuming a constructive talent show even exists. But that's another story. (Giuliano Delli Paoli)

Is that Ed Sheeran, or maybe Avicii? No, wait, he's singing "Old Town Road". Some say the song has already been recorded by OneRepublic and that the riff, in any case, is pretty much identical. The track brought to the contest by twenty-three-year-old Alfa is far from a paragon of originality, but in the context of the festival it's overall a breath of fresh air. And it certainly sounds very radio-friendly. Four chords (the same ones used in most of the songs in competition) and an effective "wohoo!", mocked by Fiorello to stretch out the never-ending final night a little longer. "Se muoio giovane spero sia dal ridere" ("If I die young, I hope it's from laughing"), goes one of the lines in "Vai!", and this too appears to be borrowed: it's the opening line of "Wait for me" by rapper Alberto Dubito, who died by suicide twelve years ago at the age of twenty-one. Alfa's tone is entirely different, as he celebrates — thankfully, with a light touch — the drive to follow one's dreams. Naive, harmless, a bit trite? At twenty-three, that's forgivable.

(Marco Sgrignoli)

Score: 6

Angelina Mango – "La noia"

Rosalía meets Madame at Coachella and raps her a few bars because she's rather taken with Italian groupies. That's roughly how "La noia" came about, at least in the pages of a story that's fanciful but not too far-fetched. Because the winning song, crowned thanks to the press room overturning the popular vote, really does seem to have been born from an encounter between the Catalan singer and the one from Vicenza. Angelina gives it her all, but she doesn't have a voice as versatile and powerful as her mother Laura's. It's the cumbia of boredom, sings the twenty-two-year-old from Maratea. But beyond the vaguely gypsy rhythm — handy for next summer's animatori, staunch Fiorello fans, at some random campsite in Salento — the track is a blend of Latin percussive stereotypes that are, to put it mildly, overused. The lyrics are somewhat tacky and Dardust's touch is overcooked. It's a hit with the Ariston crowd and with the journalists who've been rowing against Geolier for two months now, which says it all. The mediocrity is only offset by the energy Mango brings in the studio, which makes the whole thing a bit less unbearable. (Giuliano Delli Paoli)

Score: 5

Annalisa – "Sinceramente"

With a haircut and outfit unmistakably inspired by superstar Taylor Swift, and a song written with Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" in mind, Annalisa and her songwriters draw from the best of global pop to deliver one of the biggest earworms of the coming months — a field in which the Ligurian singer certainly has no rivals to fear. "Sinceramente" is a simple but effective song, able to grab you from the very first listen: it's no coincidence that it does extremely well right from the first night. Seductive and convincing, Annalisa holds the stage with confidence, sensuality and elegance, now fully aware of her own abilities. Given the not-exactly-stellar quality of the competing songs, she finds herself with what might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to win — a chance dashed by the televote factor, which propels Geolier upward, and even more so by the unstoppable Angelina Mango whirlwind. She's also outstanding on duets night, winning over even the most skeptical with her reinterpretation of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams", backed by La Rappresentante di Lista. She closes out the overall ranking in third place, with no shame given the two artists ahead of her. (Claudio Lancia)

Score: 8

BigMama – "La rabbia non ti basta"

Marianna Mammone, aka BigMama, comes from a small town in the province of Avellino, San Michele di Serino, and arrives at Sanremo as an outsider, propelled by a run of singles bursting with Missy Elliott-style energy. Too bad the competition entry, despite its narrative intent of sending a message to the inner child, falls flat, both in the chorus and in the Fiordaliso-style verse. She fares better on covers night, which is a bit like playing well in the summer Trofeo Berlusconi only to finish sixteenth in the league. Her label people probably suggested she lean on pity and the queer flag rather than on the music itself. With any random song of her own she might have made her mark. Shame. (Giuliano Delli Paoli)

Score: 5

Bnkr44 – "Governo Punk"

Bursting with color, sporting a look somewhere between an emo-punk band and a k-pop crew, the Empoli-based Bnkr44 are fish out of water on the Ariston stage. Exotic birds. Like the ones evoked by John Lennon when commenting on musicologist William Mann's article in the Times, which in 1963 praised the recurring use of "Aeolian cadences" and "flattened submediants" in tracks like "Not A Second Time". Lennon denied any such intent, stating: "I don't know what they are. They sound like exotic birds". Who knows how the six Tuscans would respond, having built (knowingly? or simply because "it felt right"?) the distinctive quality of their track on those very same flattened submediants. It's a breezy song with lyrics that aren't especially sharp, mixing worn-out imagery with abrupt changes of subject in a way that has made the fortune of Pinguini Tattici Nucleari. And a surprise arrives at the chorus: “Scrivo dentro un garage/ La mia testa è un collage/ Di canzoni e momenti tristi”. On the words "momenti tristi" ("sad moments"), the mood turns shadowy, with a shift in atmosphere impossible to miss. Triggering it harmonically is an unusual C major chord, outside the song's E major key. It's an extremely rare harmonic trick, one of the very few pop examples being "Coffee And TV", steeped in its own bittersweet languor (and, wouldn't you know it, the verse lyrics explicitly reference "a Blur song"...). The young band's discography is largely lacking in similar compositional cleverness elsewhere. And yet, their spot-on rendition of "Ma quale idea" performed with Pino D'Angiò was among the most inspired moments of covers night. Audience and jury weren't won over, and relegated the boyband to the bottom of the final ranking, but there may well be reason for optimism about their future. (Marco Sgrignoli)

Score: 7

Clara – "Diamanti grezzi"

Perdiamo tutto

L’amore è una sala slot

Mi gioco tutto

We've clearly crossed a line when the young rapper Gianni "Cardiotrap" Russo has his emo-rap track "Origami all'alba" stolen by the ruthless Giulia "Crazy J" Bertolacci, and then that very song, lifted out of the context of the teen drama "Mare Fuori", goes on to become a platinum record for the actress and singer Clara Soccini, who played Giulia. The trajectory that has brought this young woman, born in '99, to success – including a win at Sanremo Giovani 2023 – is key to understanding who she is and what she's doing on this stage. She has the burden of opening the first night, and she does so in composed fashion, offering up an electronic pop sound with a bit of rap, lively yet still possessing its own elegance, one of the many moments that recalls "Cenere" by Lazza. The performance isn't flawless, the lyrics never quite land, and in the end it feels more like a recitation of contemporary pop-rap than an actual song. When Sangiorgi introduces her, he's left almost speechless in front of her rhinestone-covered dress: understandable. (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 4.5

Dargen D'Amico – "Onda alta"

Navigando navigando verso Malta

Senza aver nuotato mai nell'acqua alta

Dargen D'Amico's entry, from an artist who unexpectedly became famous thanks to Sanremo itself, is one of those songs you almost hate for the way it toys with the listener's emotions. The first time round he shows up with a jacket covered in cuddly teddy bears, mounts a straight four-on-the-floor beat, and, despite not being as jovial as usual, when the chorus hits it lands right in the gut: this disco pop-rap track is actually a song about the tragedy of emigration and war, which, disguising itself as a children's nursery rhyme, sketches out the despair and anguish of a part of humanity with a handful of intense images. The final lines, delivered breathlessly, leave the story hanging on a devastating cliffhanger. You were dancing to it, and now you feel guilty. In the other performances the surprise effect predictably fades, and it becomes ever clearer that he has only superficially replicated "Dove si balla". He's among the few to call for a "ceasefire". (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 7

On his fourth appearance at the Festival (a win in 2020 with "Fai rumore"), the singer-songwriter from Aosta arrives at the competition with a song about emotion and imbalance, about something stirring in one's unconscious that can sometimes trigger unexpected upheavals. No question, Diodato is as refined and energetic as ever, in a track that builds progressively, though it sadly never reaches the artistic and emotional heights of the song mentioned above, with which he swept Sanremo four years ago. Still, it remains among the most striking and stylish entries presented during this edition. On duets night he's joined by Jack Savoretti for a cover of "Amore che vieni, amore che vai" by Fabrizio De André. Same story here. A clean performance, without a hitch, but one that doesn't deliver the vibrations you'd expect to feel when tackling a piece like the one chosen for the occasion. (Cristiano Orlando)

Score: 6.5

Emma – "Apnea"

If I had a remote control

I'd never change you

The ideal clash between an ’80s track and a dancefloor hit from twenty years ago, with Emma going all out to seem dynamic, aggressive and sexy at the same time. Gone are the dramatic performances of a few editions back, and more generally that phase of her career has been left behind in favor of one in which she has fun collaborating even with Tony Effe on trashy tracks like the hit “Taxi sulla luna”. This (semi-)new Emma Marrone has neither the appeal of an Annalisa nor the panther-like bite of an Elodie. With Bresh she dusts off Tiziano Ferro, and it's simple, high-budget karaoke. (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 4

Fiorella Mannoia – “Mariposa”

One of the grandes dames of Italian music brings a song to the Festival this time that you wouldn't expect. On her sixth appearance, Fiorella Mannoia bans melancholy and romanticism, making room for an upbeat track that flirts decisively with the style of Mannarino. Without ever losing a shred of her own style, she lets her more lighthearted side emerge, even during the duets night, visibly enjoying herself alongside Francesco Gabbani. It's hard for someone like her to disappoint expectations. Only fifteenth in the final ranking - she deserved a bit more - but her song wins the Award for Best Lyrics. And she collects it with great satisfaction. (Claudio Lancia)

Score: 6.5

Fred De Palma – “Heaven doesn't want us”

We'll be fine even in hell

Heaven doesn't want us

Full of regrets to the point of overdose

The umpteenth 2024 variation on “Cenere”, sung by a former rapper who then, almost by chance, became very famous as an expert in the kitschiest reggaeton. If you don't know him, thank your bubble. He's got a big voice, he can stay on the beat and he's not short on energy, but nothing he does, not even the semi-quote of De André, will help him be remembered after this Sanremo binge. He could have brought a bit of his deafening, muscular reggaeton - at least it would have been more distinctive. On the cover-duets night he thaws out Eiffel 65, a shame he stuffs the revival with his own verses. Embarrassing freestyle with Fiorello beatboxing in the final: he wanted to prove he was a hardcore rapper and what came out was four verses fit for Sunday school. (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 4

Gazzelle – “Tutto qui”

Flavio Pardini is the Festival's daredevil, burdened with representing the fateful Italian indie scene of the last decade. He shows up with his sunglasses on to make his shyness clear from the start. God forbid he take them off for the whole Festival. “Tutto qui” delivers an honest chorus, a bit Calcutta, a bit third-phase Eels, with predictable verses and a special orchestral touch that reeks of epic grandeur arriving far too late. “Chiudere gli occhi e vedere com’è”, before the first-communion piano closes the curtain on a passable performance that, unlike others, will struggle on the radio. (Giuliano Delli Paoli)

Score: 6

Geolier – “I p’ me, tu p’ te”

Emanuele arrives at his first Festival propelled by Spotify and an endless string of numbers that, whether you like it or not, say a lot about the kid from Miano, all rap and fratm. The track is a variant of Lazza's “Cenere”, with the dialect verse sticking in your head even more than the chorus itself. A Tyson-style hook that in Neapolitan schools, as well as pretty much across the whole peninsula, is already a soundtrack. In the end, Geolier finishes second in a Festival decided by a press room brimming with prejudice, which shamelessly overturns the public vote. Just a few hours before the final night, he also finds himself having to answer accusations of plagiarism leveled at a press conference by a journalist. Backwater verdicts followed by the boos of a stuffy Ariston crowd that won't accept the people's verdict on duets night. A scene straight out of a movie, to which Emanuele, only twenty-three years old, responds like a true gentleman, singing among the audience and shaking hands with those who had booed him. The song? It's a banger. After three listens to the studio version, you can feel Simonetta's touch. Setting aside the melodic redundancy of his typical refrains, the track works regardless - almost always. Because this time it's Emanuele who makes the difference, playing in a different league with his somewhat awkward and “wrong” Neapolitan, in a Sanremo split in two: the younger generation loudly chanting “I p’ me, tu p’ te”, and the older one still fretting over the merits of autotune, a matter on which even Paul McCartney settled the score long, long ago. (Giuliano Delli Paoli)

Score: 7

Ghali – “Casa mia”

Ma qual è casa tua?

Ma qual è casa mia?

Dal cielo è uguale, giuro

With the right song, a mix of disco-funk and mostly pop-rap, Ghali surprisingly boosts his standing, at least as a chart-topping singer: yet another U-turn, just when he seemed to want to go back to his roots. Vocally it's a bit of a mess (especially on the third night), but he moves beautifully on stage, is among the best dressed at the kermesse, and brings a lyric that manages to balance enjoyability with depth. The chorus, which works much better in the recorded version, is already a candidate for lasting success. Seeing Mahmood introduce him on the third night is a gut punch for anyone who believes in slogans like "Italy for the Italians". If you only listen to Sanremo on Spotify, know that it doesn't count and… feel free to add a point to the score. (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 6

Il Tre – “Fragili”

Odio convivere con i demoni fissi nella mia testa

Hopelessly last on the first night, a devastating slot in the running order for a newcomer, he struggles to sustain the dynamics of his song, a bit rap and a bit pop (obviously). When he bites down with a fast, precise flow, he hits harder than when he stretches out his vowels chasing a pitch that occasionally plays hide-and-seek. He's rewarded with the opening slot of the third night, so he tries again with a steadier voice and shows more confidence on a stage that isn't easy to inhabit, partly because of a set full of curves and lights. After listening (and re-listening), the impression that remains is of a song that could have been written exactly like this fifteen years ago too, with lyrics about fragility that by now fit into Sanremo's clichés just as much as the love ballad. Still, it marks a decent, unremarkable presence. (Antonio Silvestri) Score: 5

Il Volo – “Capolavoro”

I never would have said it. And yet it happens that in the most mediocre Festival in recent history, the three pseudo-tenors managed to put together something decent, at least in the verses, which sit somewhere between Massimo Di Cataldo and the least choirboy-ish Paolo Vallesi. The chorus, unfortunately, brings everything and everyone back down to earth. And it's sad, when you think about it. Because mirages are masterpieces. Even in an ironic sense. (Giuliano Delli Paoli)

Score: 5

Irama – “Tu no”

He takes the stage at the Festival for the fifth time with a song dealing with separation and the melancholy of people who are no longer part of our lives. A few years ago it would have been called the classic "perfect song for Sanremo", but things have changed. Irama takes on the challenge showing off his usual powerful, gravelly voice. The song, however, comes across as rather weak, lacking nuance, banally setting an all-too-overused theme to a melody that proves less than effective. On duets night he performs with Riccardo Cocciante on his "Quando finisce un amore". Rather than using the occasion to draw something useful from the pairing, he seems to come out of it eclipsed, overwhelmed by the magnetism radiating from his mentor, without seeking out or finding that crucial chemistry such occasions call for. (Cristiano Orlando)

Score: 5.5

La Sad – “Autodistruttivo”

No one stays forever

except the tattoos on your skin

Appearances only fool the naive and those who didn't already know them: it's been clear since their first singles that La Sad play with a way of dressing and understanding punk that has nothing to do with Black Flag or Germs. With due proportion, they're to Blink 182 or Rancid what Maneskin are to Motley Crue or Guns n'Roses. They never seem to take themselves seriously, in the most tedious sense of the phrase, but that doesn't stop them from sending a message about youthful malaise, even resorting to somewhat heavy-handed placards. They sing rather roughly, sport wildly colored hair and the most carnival-like looks of the Festival. They find an unexpectedly perfect affinity with Rettore on cover night: "Lamette" is a model to aspire to, one they remain very far from. (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 4

Loredana Berté – "Pazza"

Her twelfth appearance at Sanremo - among this year's participants, only Ricchi e Poveri can boast more outings. The audience adores her, chanting her name at the end of her performances; after a long, difficult period, she seems finally back, and finally lucid. Blue hair, undiminished grit, and that innate refusal to fall in line, even in one of the most conformist places in the country. She brought the most "rock" song of this edition to the competition, an autobiographical composition, among her best since the Nineties. On duets night she plays it safe, and to some extent celebrates herself, performing "Ragazzo mio", a song by Luigi Tenco that she already recorded in 1984, in an elegant arrangement by Ivano Fossati, as the opener of "Savoir faire", one of her most successful albums. She doesn't make the final five most-voted, but takes home the prestigious Critics' Award, named for many years now after her sister Mia Martini. (Claudio Lancia)

Score: 6.5

Mahmood – "Tuta gold"

A King Midas of the last five years of the Festival, with two appearances and as many wins. Third time's not the charm this time around, even though the song is certainly among the most interesting presented at the kermesse. Written by the Milanese artist himself, it offers a glimpse into the life that defines the outskirts of big cities, ruthless and steeped in a thousand dangers. Mahmood performs with his usual personality, on a fiery track that carries some harmonic echoes of his multi-award-winning "Soldi" and that would certainly have cut a fine figure at the Eurofestival. Always daring looks - with that physique, I too would still make quite an impression. He'll certainly be among the winners of the post-Festival run. "Tuta Gold" will surely fill up the charts of most-streamed tracks, buoyed also by a pull that grows with every listen. The duet with the fantastic Tenores di Bitti on "Com'è profondo il mare" by Lucio Dalla is among the best of the third night. Alessandro tackles one of the most important songs in Italian music with great respect, charisma and excellent aptitude. (Cristiano Orlando)

Score: 7

Maninni – "Spettacolare"

You've learned to fall with style

The way muay thai champions do

A premise: I watched every night of Sanremo, which means I saw every singer perform four times. I even rewatched a few, thanks to Rai Play, in the days that followed. And yet, as I write these lines, when it comes to Maninni I find myself forced to go hunting for the video of his "Spettacolare", just to scrape together the crumbs of memory. Straight out of a Sanremo from the Noughties - and that's not a compliment - he delivers a piano ballad so predictable and faceless that it puts him in the running for most forgettable act of this edition. When he duets with Ermal Meta, stepping into Fabrizio Moro's shoes, he's completely outclassed. Anyone hoping for a new Tananai can only be disappointed, even though he does sing rather nicely.

(Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 3

Mr. Rain – "Due altalene"

You and I stop the world

when we're together

He came close to winning in 2023, so he's giving it another shot. Having discovered that you can't bring back the same song, he does what he can to change it just enough to convince Amadeus. The children have been replaced by swings, to the delight of the stage technicians. He tinkles away at the piano because it looks very deep-artist, uses autotune for a few lines, and does everything he can to move us, alternating rap verses, melancholic ballad-style vocal stretches and plenty of good sentiment. On the third night he's introduced by Il Volo and, such is the power of comparison, I almost reassessed my opinion of them. After finding out he's been nominated for a spot halfway down the ranking, he performs in the final with the face of someone who had really hoped for more: bummer. (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 2

Negramaro – "Ricominciamo tutto"

The band from Salento returns to the Festival for the second time in twenty years with a song about rebirth, about redemption, that tries to overcome the widespread coldness that reigns today. Sangiorgi shows off his recognisable voice, always precise and well calibrated, through the song's expected ups and downs, written by Giuliano himself, with a rather intense chorus and a verse that, in its approach, recalls the great Lucio Dalla. On the third night, the one dedicated to duets, they're joined by Malika Ayane for a cover of Lucio Battisti's "La canzone del Sole". The result delivers a moment of real precision, with Giuliano and Malika's voices blending nicely in a rather symphonic arrangement. (Cristiano Orlando)

Score: 6.5

Renga and Nek – "Pazzo di te"

Francesco Renga began his career as the talented singer of Timoria, before converting to mainstream pop songwriting; Nek was a pop singer-songwriter with a knack for easy hits: today they attempt a vote-grabbing coup by teaming up. But it's a wasted opportunity, with a song delivered in a very conventional way, performed with vocal abilities that are, moreover, far removed from what they could achieve twenty or thirty years ago. If a friend who hates Sanremo were to pick this song to back up their case, you wouldn't have a convincing comeback. Renga won the Festival in 2005 and is at Sanremo for the tenth time (including his 1991 appearance with Timoria), Nek is on the Ariston stage for the fifth time: this time they bring plenty of experience, but it's not enough. On duets night they celebrate each other with a forgettable medley, tellingly relegated to the dead of night. They finish near the bottom of the ranking, in 25th place. Rightly so. (Claudio Lancia)

Score: 3

Ricchi e Poveri – "Ma non tutta la vita"

Appearing at Sanremo for the thirteenth time, winners in 1985 with "Se m'innamoro", Ricchi e Poveri represent this year's choice for the "over" quota, those contestants picked by the artistic direction to catch the attention of our mothers, the same role recently filled successfully by Orietta Berti and Cugini di Campagna. Reduced to a duo since 2016, Angelo and Angela do their thing, presenting exactly the kind of song you'd expect from Ricchi e Poveri. But beyond a certain undeniable charm, and even though we're riding the eternal Eighties revival, we certainly can't count them among this edition's highlights. On covers night they reinterpret themselves, backed by Paola e Chiara. Half a point extra for the self-deprecating humour on display. (Claudio Lancia)

Score: 5

Rose Villain – "Click boom!"

Hear my heart, it goes like this: "Boom, boom, boom"

I run to you on my "vroom, vroom, vroom"

She's not exactly a newcomer, but for Rose Villain too, this Sanremo 2024 is more about positioning herself in the mind of a broader audience than competing for the win. "Rose, do you want to bring a ballad or a Tik Tok-ready track?" "Yes": that's evidently the conversation that must have taken place while prepping for the Festival. "Click Boom" is, as the title suggests, a heartfelt ballad crashing into a silly chorus, perfect for striking poses on social media. Partly due to her lack of experience, she struggles to shift personality between verse and chorus, also because it's not easy to be convincing when you have to go, in a matter of seconds, from melancholic thirty-something to teenager chasing views. She finds more nerve on her second attempt. Gazzelle really struggles to introduce her on the third night, and when she touches his shoulder he nearly faints. Her hair, styled in a "just climbed out of the swamp" look, leaves some doubts. (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 5

Sangiovanni – "Finiscimi"

Io non so come si controllano le emozioni

Perciò delle volte ho fatto un po' il coglione

During Sanremo week he confessed to feeling crushed by his own success, which came when he was still too young. Instead of the sparkling "Farfalle", this time round at the Ariston he offers a ballad about emotional struggles, closing on a whisper that contrasts happily with the belted high notes of so many of his colleagues. The lyrics, while lacking any real flashes of brilliance, land thanks to their simplicity and sincerity, but he genuinely seems to be struggling and the performance suffers a lot because of it. The cheeky duo Rek & Renga introduce him on the third night in a way that only highlights the contrast in mood even further: them going full throttle on every high note, him fighting a battle inside his own head. (Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 5

The young Turin duo make their Festival debut, after winning the qualifying edition of Sanremo Giovani. The song, written by singer Alessandro De Santis, is a collection of snapshots piecing together his own life and that of others, without dwelling too much on explanations. It's one of the most enjoyable tracks in competition, built on vibrant synth-pop patterns that even brush up against some Daft Punk-style rhythms, and it thrives on the frontman's excellent performance. Their version of "Hallelujah", the great Leonard Cohen classic, performed with Skin during the duets night, remains one of the high points of the entire 2024 Festival: touching, intense, almost mystical, built on the vocal interplay between the Skunk Anansie singer (immense) and De Santis's excellent showing. Keep an eye on these two, they could well be harbingers of some rather interesting things to come. (Cristiano Orlando)

Score: 6.5

The Kolors – "Un ragazzo una ragazza"

E lo sai, l'amore non si può cantare

in una strofa da otto

Barred by the rules from bringing a previously released song, The Kolors try to redo "Italodisco" to cash in on their incredible 2023 success. For good measure, they throw in a holiday-resort-style dance routine that would be perfect for a John Travolta comeback. While you're hypnotized by Stash's ceramic-white teeth, their funk-pop hooks itself into your head straight away and sticks around thanks to that mix of simplicity and a touch of imagination (though there's no surprise reference as good as the one to the "Righeira bassline"). A performance from true stage veterans, with Stash — between little dance moves, winks, and a guitar played a bit for show — acting as a magnet for the eyes alongside the drummer, his brother Alex Fiordispino, who looks like he just walked straight off the set of "Mad Max".

(Antonio Silvestri)

Score: 6

1. Angelina Mango – La noia
2. Geolier – I p’ me, tu p’ te
3. Annalisa – Sinceramente
4. Ghali – Casa mia
5. Irama – Tu no
6. Mahmood – Tuta gold
7. Loredana Bertè – Pazza
8. Il Volo – Capolavoro
9. Alessandra Amoroso – Fino a qui
10. Alfa – Vai!
11. Gazzelle – Tutto qui
12. Il Tre – Fragili
13. Diodato – Ti muovi
14. Emma – Apnea
15. Fiorella Mannoia – Mariposa
16. The Kolors – Un ragazzo una ragazza
17. Mr.Rain – Due altalene
18. Santi Francesi – L'amore in bocca
19. Negramaro – Ricominciamo tutto
20. Dargen D'Amico – Onda alta
21. Ricchi e Poveri – Ma non tutta la vita
22. BigMama – La rabbia non ti basta
23. Rose Villain – Click boom!
24. Clara – Diamanti grezzi
25. Renga Nek – Pazzo di te
26. Maninni – Spettacolare
27. La Sad – Autodistruttivo
28. Bnkr44 – Governo punk
29. Sangiovanni – Finiscimi
30. Fred De Palma – Heaven doesn't want us

Winner: Angelina Mango

Critics' Award "Mia Martini": Loredana Bertè

Press Room Award "Lucio Dalla": Angelina Mango

"Sergio Bardotti" Award for Best Lyrics: Fiorella Mannoia

"Giancarlo Bigazzi" Award for Best Musical Composition: Angelina Mango

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