EUROVISION 2019 REVIEW: ITALY - Mahmood - Soldi

New review time!

Today, we turn to Italy, who after another year of Sanremo have decided that 'Soldi' by Mahmood will represent them at the contest.

Here are my thoughts:

What I Like: Let's first of all talk about the elephant in the room: I'm usually not the biggest fan of Italy at the contest overall. I often think they're songs are incredibly overrated and time has moved on from the sound they continue to bring, but this is fantastic because its doing the complete opposite. This feels like one of the most futuristic songs in the contest and we don't hear enough songs like this in Eurovision. 'Soldi' manages to blend a rap-style presenation with a euphoric pre-chorus and chorus with the claps, which you can guarantee everyone will be doing when we go to Tel Aviv. 'Soldi' gets better with every listen, that pulsating production is so nice on the ears and really makes you take notice of him and his song. Other countries should take note of this entry and how high it is in the odds. Songs that aren't created with Eurovision in mind end up being the most impactful because they feel the most genuine and its exactly what we want to hear in modern-day Eurovision. Mahmood doesn't need to have huge stage presence because the song manages to do it for him, and not many acts have that.

Not to mention the most important part of 'Soldi', the lyrical content. This song has literally brought Mahmood and his father closer together and I can't even describe how powerful that is when listening to the song. Context is key here and I hope that commentators make a point about that and don't just say the song's title translates to 'Money', its lyrical depth transcends that and deserves to be explained.

Mahmood is also quite possibly one of the coolest people I have set eyes on and I want to be on his level, but that's neither here nor there...

What I Don't Like: Okay, one TINY thing. In the live performances of 'Soldi', which are improving by the way, he sings the song in a higher key towards the end of the song and I prefer when he doesn't do this in the studio version. I understand why he does it to give the song more rise and fall but its I find Soldi to be an effortless song, therefore I want his portrayal of the song to remain effortless live. That's a personal thing though and it doesn't spoil my enjoyment of the song too much.

Prediction: Okay, initially I did think this would be another example of people overrating Italy and it'll have another top 10 place but not a win, but Mahmood is rapidly improving and for once we're hearing good things from the Italian delegation regarding staging, so I'm not ruling this out anymore. It could win, but this year is very open so I'll wait until rehearsals so solidify that statement.

Final Score: 9.5/10

Summary: A fantastic entry that manages to pack heartfelt emotion into a catchy hook and cool beat resulting in an entry and sound that brings the contest forward. This song is a massive 'egg on your face' moment to all the Eurovision haters that think the contest is still full of 'dated' 00s diva moments and songs that nobody would respect outside of the Eurovision bubble. The contest has evolved, and its all thanks to artists like Mahmood who sit firmly in 2019 and present a song that is relevant at present. I applaud you, Mahmood *clap clap*.

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