Sanremo 2024, share of 65.1%. Loredana Berté in the lead ahead of Angelina Mango and Annalisa

Amadeus e Fiorello

Luckily there is Fiorello, agitator outside (where he hosts Viva Rai 2, Viva Sanremo) and also inside the Ariston: when he appears, he always succeeds. Whether it's mocking the 'Think yourself free' shawl waved by Chiara Ferragni last year ('Love, think yourself free... it's the last one') or mocking artificial intelligence with his fake Fiorello.

Moment of genuine emotion with the mother of Giogiò, born Giovanbattista Cutolo, the young horn player killed in Naples over a badly parked moped. The woman read an open letter written for her son, whose dream it would be to one day play at the Festival: 'You live tonight through the music you loved. And which is in fact performed by the Ariston orchestra.

Amadeus con la madre di Giogiò

And here we come to the performances of the competing singers. The pre-listening sensation is confirmed: this is the least interesting Sanremo, musically speaking, among Amadeus' five. We start with Clara, the winner of Sanremo Giovani, who performs with Diamanti grezzi. After her comes Sangiovanni with the ballad Finiscimi and that damned desire to take him at his word and turn off the TV. The old guard is immediately represented by Fiorella Mannoia with the somewhat sly feminist anthem Mariposa. Between Mannarino and De André's Princesa.

Ghali

Pop punk with a touch of emo for La Sad, who investigate self-harm with Autodestructive and bring to the stage the #nonparlarne è1suicidio campaign of the Telefono Amico association. Weak and pleasing is Irama's Tu no. Ghali plays the "dancing monkey" joker in the performance of Casa mia: an alien that looks like a dugong arrives at the Ariston. Watch out, however, because the song grows listen after listen. Also convincing was Ricominciamo tutto, Negramaro's comeback ballad. Too bad about Giuliano's less-than-clean singing performance.

Annalisa

Annalisa puts in a bit of light music ("Quando, quando, quando...") in Sinceramente, which proves to be one of the most astute tracks of the edition. Also effective was Mahmood's Suit Gold, someone who always fatally aims high when he comes through here. Diodato returns to the Ariston escorted by a corps de ballet to celebrate the piano ballad Ti muovi. Loredana Berté in purity that of Pazza: 'Prima ti dicon sei pazza e poi ti fanno santa'. An autobiography that the Ariston audience greeted with an ovation. Urban polemic-proof catchphrase I p' me, tu p' te by Geolier. Alessandra Amoroso confirms herself as a credible candidate for the podium with the all-too-sanremese Fino a qui. She will go up, up, up Un ragazzo, una ragazza, a song by The Kolors.

I Ricchi e Poveri

Also promising for the competition was Angelina Mango's Latin-style La noia. Not exactly a hymn to understatement is Volo's Capolavoro. The good intentions of Big Mama in La rabbia non ti basta are not enough. One would have to conjure up the spirit of Gillo Dorfles to get an explanation for the kitsch triumph of the Ricchi e Poveri who take the stage wrapped up, as if we were at the Masked Singer. But instead it's aboutBut not all of life. Winking and dancing Emma in Apnea, intimate and somewhat retro Renga and Nek (Pazzo di te).

Dargen D’Amico

Mr. Rain's 2024 trick is called Two Swings. In the sense of the song's title and in the sense of the two swings he physically brings to the Ariston stage, because he is the singer the little ones like. Unrealistic Punk Government by Bnkr 44. Gazzelle does not put in too much vocals to make the piano ballad Tutto qui stand out. Dargen D'Amico, covered in teddy bears, puts the four-piece crate in the service of a good cause for the High Wave. He sings and closes the performance dedicating it to the children of the Mediterranean who are currently under bombs. Those who are silent are co-responsible. God does not accept a silent scene: cease fire'. Sophisticated L'amore in bocca by Santi Francesi, cursing Il cielo non ci vuole by Fred De Palma. Tender Maninni's Spectacular, full of Brit pop Alfa quotations (between Wonderwall and Song 2). Fragile is Il Tre's song, a bit like the verses he writes.