Italian representative Mahmood has ruled out including any English lyrics to his Eurovision performance of Soldi.
In an interview with FanPage.it yesterday, the Sanremo winner explained his confident in the current combination of languages. However, he noted that the inclusion of a third could be excessive:
I believe that Soldi is already very European, without having to change too much or add other languages also because there are already two languages and with a third it would seem a ‘minestrone’. Soldi will remain so
Mahmood
Looking back at his win in Sanremo, Mahmood suggests the authenticity of the song was a contributing factor to his victory. The lyrics, which depict how money has led to shifting relationships with his family, his father in particular:
When a message is authentic and true the song arrives regardless of everything, with Soldi I wanted to bring my story, maybe that’s the thing that struck me most of all.
Mahmood
The singer is currently in the studio working on his debut album, while also preparing for the contest.
Romance and the language of love
Since Italy’s return in 2011, only three songs have contained English. However, Mahmood marks the first time the Big 5 country is participating with a song that contains lyrics in Arabic. Italy’s resistance to send a song fully in English has almost always paid off. The boot-shaped country has found itself consistently in the top 10 with the exception of 2014 and 2016, respectively. Italian, one of the Romance languages, is considered to be one of the ‘languages of love’ due to how melodic it sounds. That said, a range of languages – including English – was used as part of the subtitle effect for Ermal Meta e Fabrizio Moro’s passionate performance last year in Lisbon.
Are you happy Mahmood isn’t altering the language(s) of his entry? Let us know in the comments or on social media @ESCXTRA!
