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What exactly was Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Vultures Listening Experience” at Milan’s Mediolanum Forum on Thursday (Feb. 22) night? Some sort of pagan mass where the audience celebrated his myth? A branch of the Milano Fashion Week where the important thing was just to be there? Or maybe a huge party where the fans themselves became the protagonists? Well, Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s performance was all that and more.
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Some people expected something particularly crazy to happen, like a Vultures 2 spoiler or a short speech. But during the hour-long show, none of this happened.
Before the eyes of the audience was a completely empty parterre overlooked by only a floating cylindrical LED wall, the only illuminated part of the show. All around there was only smoke and, literally, nothing. An almost dystopian scenario, too minimal to be defined as apocalyptic, in which only silence dominated – that of the music (there was no selection accompanying the beginning of the show) and that of the audience waiting for Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign who, once they arrived, positioned themselves at the center of the scene with their faces completely covered, without even a microphone in hand, moving to the rhythm of their latest album and approaching the crowd.
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With them there was a platoon of top-notch guests, the same ones from Vultures 1. Among these, Quavo, Playboi Carti, Freddie Gibbs, Rich the Kid and Jaden Smith.
Some people might have been taken aback by all this – as it was a gathering to listen to an album exactly as they could have done in their car or bedroom, with the difference of watching Kanye West, Ty Dolla $ign and some of the spearheads of the U.S. rap scene vibe on their own songs without rapping. But true Kanye West fans know this: the only thing you can expect from him is the unexpected, and for many of them the thing that really mattered was just being there, regardless of the content of the show.
The public’s attention was entirely focused on Kanye – on his movements, on his progressive approach to them and then disappearing into the darkness like something elusive, very close and very distant at the same time.
At exactly 10:30 p.m. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign disappeared (not before having gathered everyone for the encore with “Carnival”), and West’s wife Bianca Censori left the bleachers, like the influencers and the fashion addicts of the Fashion Week.
Yet the show was not over — it entered its heart, in a way. There remained the kids who got excited like never before about Kanye’s older hit songs: “Runaway,” the 2010 single with Pusha-T, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and many others.
The audience became the true protagonist for the rest of the listening party – In front of an empty venue, illuminated only by the lights of cell phones. Will this be a new frontier of live performances? Or will it be a unique thing that only Kanye could do in Italy? The show will be replicated tomorrow in Bologna and on Sunday in Paris.
This article originally appeared on Billboard Italy.
It was already understood that the songs of Sanremo 2024 were a success in streaming — in Italy and globally. In the days following its release, the “Sanremo 2024” Spotify playlist was the most listened-to playlist in the world, and seven of the top 10 tracks on the platform’s Debut Global chart came from the song contest.
Now that Billboard has updated its Global 200 and the Global Excl. US charts, the picture is even more complete. In the charts dated Feb. 24, four and seven songs from Sanremo 2024 appear, respectively.
The Global 200 includes Mahmood’s “Tuta Gold” (No. 52), Geolier’s “I p’ me, tu p’ te” (No. 91), Annalisa’s “Sinceramente” (No. 95) and winner Angelina Mango’s “La Noia” (No. 110).
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In the Global Excl. US chart, these same songs appear higher up (at Nos. 19, 33, 36 and 51, respectively), followed by three other songs of Sanremo 2024: Ghali’s “Casa Mia” (No. 87), Irama’s “Tu No” (No. 100) and The Kolors’ “Un ragazzo una ragazza” (No. 179).
Data provided by Luminate allows a more analytical look. The company traced the global streaming trends (audio and video) of Sanremo songs during the festival in the 50 most relevant markets worldwide (Italy and the United States included).
From Feb. 7-10 (the festival started Feb. 6 and crowned a winner Feb. 10), the first three positions were constantly dominated — in various orders — by Geolier, Mahmood and Annalisa. Only on Feb. 11 does winner Angelina Mango make her appearance.
Below are the top three positions day by day.
Feb. 7: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.4 million global audio and video streams), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (2.6 million)
Feb. 8: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.4 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.2 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (2.9 million)
Feb. 9: “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.7 million), “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.5 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3.1 million)
Feb. 10: “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (3.85 million), “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (3.78 million), “Sinceramente” by Annalisa (3.3 million)
Feb. 11: “Tuta Gold” by Mahmood (4.1 million), “I p’ me, tu p’ te” by Geolier (4.07 million), “La Noia” by Angelina Mango (3.9 million). These are also the highest figures on a daily basis
Since Billboard launched the two global charts in 2020, the most successful songs of Sanremo have regularly appeared. It has been a constant phenomenon since the 2021 edition, the first in which the Global 200 and Global Excl. US charts were active.
Last year, Lazza’s “Cenere” (No. 68), winner Marco Mengoni’s “Due Vite” (No. 80) and Mr.Rain’s “Supereroi” (No. 97) entered the Global 200. In the Global Excl. US, these songs appeared at Nos. 29, 32 and 42, followed by Madame’s “Il Bene nel Male” (No. 104) and Tananai’s “Tango” (No. 195).
In 2022, “Brividi” by Mahmood and Blanco (who won that edition) came close to the top 10, in 15th position. It was followed at a distance by Irama’s “Ovunque Sarai” (No. 118) and La Rappresentante di Lista’s “Ciao Ciao” (No. 158). On the Global Excl. US chart, those songs reached Nos. 7, 56, and 112, followed by Sangiovanni’s “Farfalle” (n. 112), Dargen D’Amico’s “Dove Si Balla” (n. 126) and Rkomi’s “Insuperabile” (n. 149).
The rumors arrived on Thursday (Feb. 15) evening, and now everything is confirmed officially. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign will be in Italy next week to present their joint album Vultures 1 at two listening parties, one in Milan (Feb. 22) and another Bologna (Feb. 24). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See […]
Angelina Mango won Sanremo 2024 on Saturday (Feb. 10) with the song “La Noia” (“The Boredom”). She is the first female artist to triumph at Italy’s historic song contest in the last 10 years; the previous one being Arisa in 2014 with her song “Controvento.” Mango will therefore represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest […]
The third night of the Italian song contest saw the new performances of 15 artists, introduced by the other 15 who performed the night before.
The first night of Italy’s 74th edition of the Sanremo Festival was long, despite ending ahead of time. With Amadeus (host and artistic director of the event for the fifth consecutive year), it is normal to stay up late. It certainly must have been more complicated for the rapper Il Tre, who had to wait […]
Since the rise of streaming, music has been “liquid” because it is pervasive, universally accessible and quickly consumed. But perhaps it has always been. Few other artistic forms have the same ability to interact in such a harmonious and, indeed, fluid way with other creative disciplines, enhancing their expression.
While for some people music is a pleasant soundtrack, for others it is much more. It is the very source of their creativity. The latter is certainly the case of Marco De Vincenzo, 45 years old, of Sicilian origin, and since last year creative director of one of the great Italian fashion brands, Etro.
For De Vincenzo, inspiration starts and is then supported by a musical suggestion. Music is the fundamental ingredient of the character of a collection, as well as the success of a fashion show.
With the latest Milan Fashion Week, the creative director went even further, having a young emerging band, Santamarea (also Sicilian), create a song for the Etro runway. “Acqua Bagnami” provided the perfect sonic extension to the lines and colors of Etro’s “Nowhere” collection, presented on Sept. 20 in Milan.
After the effort of Fashion Week, Billboard Italy reached out to De Vincenzo to talk about the tight connection between music and style that defines his work.
You recently curated Spotify’s “Runway” playlist. What kind of music inspires your creative work?
I discovered many songs that make up my playlists on the radio. As soon as I hear something I like, I save it. Otherwise, I’ll rely on Spotify’s suggestions, doing a sort of scouting. My taste could be defined as “indie”, but I have playlists of various genres. There is no formula. I am a “headphones” person: I like listening to music to lose contact with the surrounding world. I prefer the two-way relationship with music.
You said, “Music is more than just a simple ingredient of the creative process: It is the foundation of it all.” Could you explain how?
When I start a collection, I’m open to any possibility. Music defines a state of mind and therefore leads me to make choices. Some collections were sad or joyful because of the moment I was going through and that the music supported. I’ve never made a collection that didn’t have important music behind it. When I choose the music for my fashion shows I never want to rely on DJs who don’t know my personal taste. I have always surrounded myself with friends who knew me, until the experience with Santamarea, which was the first time with an unreleased song created especially for the occasion.
As a brand, Etro has always been inspired by the idea of travel, by influences from the world and other cultures. The latest collection is also based on the concept of travelling, but with imagination. This is exactly what music stimulates, isn’t it?
That’s why it is an ingredient. If there is a perfect way to travel non-physically, it is by listening to music. The collection that we presented in Milan is called “Nowhere” for this reason, because the imagination takes you to places you don’t know. The more you let yourself go to this unknown flow, the more interesting the result is, because you haven’t put boundaries on it.
How important is the musical component for the success of a show like a runway?
It’s very important. When the music is not perfect, the show gets penalized. Music manages to connect all parts. The reason for the success of this collection is partly due to the atmosphere that the music created. This hasn’t always happened. Sometimes I regretted the choices I made because they weren’t consistent. These are mistakes I learned from. Thanks to live streaming, runways are no longer a show for the elite and, if the music is wrong, you tell the wrong story. Images and music become one and have the same importance.
Despite its cosmopolitan influences, Etro is one of the symbols of Italian style. Do you also want to convey an idea of Italianness in your work? From your point of view, how are Italian designers considered in the world today?
I always remember what a friend of mine used to tell me after my fashion shows: “You’re so Italian,” probably meaning our predilection for decorum, for maximalism. But that happened ten or fifteen years ago. Today, Italianness has more to do with craftsmanship, with the whole artisanal supply chain, which is a treasure to be protected. As for the taste, it’s all very mixed. I’m careful to look around a lot, not to make Italianness an excessive look at the past. Today, “Made in Italy” is nothing but a voice of global fashion. Luckily there are fashion weeks that are flourishing around the world in addition to the four big ones. They have local designers who produce abroad and have a strong point of view. Given that we bring a lot of our culture into our work, clearly if you are Italian you have an approach that cannot resemble that of someone who grew up in Camden Town in London. I was born in Sicily and moved to Rome at 18. My experience is entirely Italian, but I always keep an open door to look elsewhere. To answer the second question, I think that today Italian designers have some more difficulties than foreigners because Italy is a nation that relies heavily on the past. Young Italian designers find themselves a bit swallowed up by the big names. Today there’s a whole scene of talented young designers who deserve more space. The Italian industry should open up to new things.
Etro fashion show at Milan Fashion Week.
Courtesy of Etro
Billboard Italy met Lazza one morning in early September at his press office, so he could speak quietly in private. He wore wide sunglasses and often ran his hand through his hair, which has been dyed blonde for some time.
He was visibly tired. The day before, he was at the Venice Film Festival and at night he was clubbing in Milan. “I needed to see with my own eyes. I no longer remembered what my city was like,” he says.
He has been touring Italy for months, except for a few days of vacation in Ibiza, and at the time of the interview he still hadn’t performed at the special final concert in Milan. But he never complained of tiredness, not even for a second. “For me, it’s like being on holiday. When I go on stage, I feel good,” he says.
Among singles and albums, he has amassed 70 platinum records, 37 gold records, and 21 weeks atop the Italian albums chart with Sirio, his third album, released in 2022. He also felt like apologizing to the legendary Italian rocker Vasco Rossi for beating his record (19 weeks in 2011). This year, he finished second at the 2023 Sanremo Festival, something truly unexpected.
Despite his success, Lazza has never forgotten his musical origins, namely the academic study of the piano. He also created a special version of Sirio for piano and voice.
The interview began precisely with his love for classical music.
Lazza, you started your musical journey with the piano and you always say you love classical music. But seeing you in a tank top in front of the piano might irritate some people.
I did it on purpose. I couldn’t wear a shirt. It would have been obvious. I couldn’t decide what to wear and in the end I thought: “You know what? I’m wearing a tank top! So I’m really comfortable.”
Why did you decide to study piano as a child?
I couldn’t explain it. I was fascinated by the idea of being able to become a virtuoso. Also, I was excited by the idea of everyone looking at me. A healthy bit of exhibitionism, let’s say.
Did your parents push you?
No, it was my decision when I was 9 or 10 years old. I wanted to stand out. I didn’t want to end up playing soccer like everyone else.
How much did it help you?
Classical training always helps me. First of all, I developed an incredible memory.
Do you remember everything?
Well, I remember what interests me. Also, classical music helped me a lot because it is able to change my mood. If I listen to Mozart, I calm my anxiety.
For example, does Debussy also help you?
For me, it’s too far ahead as a historical period. I like him, but it’s not my cup of tea, or at least not all of it. There’s not much I like after Romanticism. I like everything by Chopin, however.
Speaking of Chopin, of whom you have a beautiful tattoo on your calf, you said you love him because he is able to describe true suffering.
I’m sure he was a very emotional person. You can feel it. In my opinion, it is with him that the piano as we know it today was born. Before then, it was all about the harpsichord and the fortepiano. With Chopin, you sense an incredible richness of phrasing. My piano teacher, Alex, is Polish. He’s the one who made me love him. I went to his father’s funeral, and on that occasion he played Chopin’s “Nocturne”: It gave me goosebumps, also because it was one of the pieces he made me practice the most. He told me: “At my funeral you will be the one who plays it.” I don’t know if I could do it, it would be too much of an emotional burden.
Is it banal to say that true art comes from suffering?
It is true. It’s the same reason why artists don’t come from downtown Milan. I always thought that if you are born without money, maybe money will solve your problems. But if you are born with it, what will solve your problems? Probably if you have a negative mood you also need to feel the approval of others, whatever your art is. I do what I do because I had the need to communicate.
Do you still think money solves problems?
You know, it simply allows me to do what I like and to make the people around me feel good. It doesn’t interest me in itself. I don’t know what problems it solved.
When you achieve such sensational results, do you ever think about what to expect next?
The results of this album scared me a little. I tend not to have expectations, but after these numbers I sometimes think with a bit of fear: “What will I do next?”. I had an obsession, which was to reach everyone and let them know what I think. I was happy that others liked what I had to say. But I didn’t want to become famous.
Do you have any other obsessions?
I would like to actually collaborate with the international artists I like. And by “actually” I mean without involving the record company that pays 100,000 euros for a single verse.
Could Italian rap break through abroad?
There are artists who respect you, others who see you as an ATM, others who can’t stand you because they think they invented rap. But I happened to go to dinner with some huge rappers — unfortunately I can’t name them — and their managers, and they told me they had never heard anything like what I did. For them, an album, not a single, that stays atop the chart for 21 weeks and gets seven platinum records just doesn’t exist. Only Drake, Post Malone, The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Rihanna achieve those results.
Well, they also have different parameters.
Absolutely, but my figures impressed them.
What about becoming famous abroad?
I think Italian is an obstacle, because I don’t know how many people want to translate my songs. But I’m planning to study English well.
Why did Måneskin make it so big?
Because they rock! There are some of their songs that I really like, for example “The Loneliest.” They are young, nice, they are rock stars, they have everything it takes. I’m so happy for them. Could you imagine that Damiano wrote to me as a fan in 2017? Recently I proposed to him to do some writing sessions together.
In these last two incredible years, did you also face any difficult moments?
More than one, but all for personal reasons. It wasn’t easy because of the stress and too many things to do. I try to carry on with a smile but I’m human, too. Yes, 2022 and 2023 were crazy. Maybe in 2024 I’ll let the others play, too.
When you bear one of the most well-known surnames in Italian music, the expectations of others (record companies, the public, the press) can be an unbearable burden. Yet one of the immediately noticeable qualities of 25-year-old Matteo Bocelli is an innate serenity, a perfect emanation of those polite manners that contributed to making his father Andrea Bocelli an icon of music and style famous in Italy and around the world.
For the Bocellis, music is a family matter. It was his father who launched Matteo’s career five years ago with the duet “Fall on Me,” a single from the album Sì, which debuted atop the Billboard 200. Not bad for his first public appearance.
Now Matteo Bocelli is ready to fly with his own wings. And he wants to do it in his own distinctive way: In the 12 tracks (14 in the deluxe version) of his debut album Matteo (out now via Capitol Records/Universal Music), his father’s operatic vocal style gives way to a clear pop approach that encompasses Ed Sheeran-style ballads (his great idol) as well as uptempo songs.
How did he come to find his own sound? How is he building his career? Billboard Italy met Matteo in Milan shortly before the album’s release.
Your artistic “baptism” was five years ago with the single “Fall on Me” in duet with your father. What did that moment represent for you, and what have the last five years of your life been like?
“Fall on Me” was unquestionably an important start. It was the spark that started everything, and these years were full of emotions and beautiful experiences. The song opened many doors, for example the possibility of signing a contract with Capitol Records in Los Angeles. The team supported me right from the start, allowing me to work on the project in the best way until reaching this first album. “Fall on Me” was a unique experience. Now it’s time to continue on my own two feet and start a new path with a project that I feel is totally mine.
Despite what one might expect from your surname, your project has a clear pop dimension. Over the years, how have you honed the sound you wanted to achieve?
I have always been close to opera and classical music, but the music I sang at home was pop. But that doesn’t mean you know exactly what you want. You need to work on things, to try, to experiment. These years were very useful in finding the sound I’m comfortable with. In recent years we wrote about a hundred songs, then we selected 14 for the [deluxe] album.
Talking about pop music, who are your idols from the past and the present?
I always say Ed Sheeran. He is not only an incredible artist, but also a beautiful person — at least that’s what I perceived the times I met him. Yes, I could say he’s an idol of mine. Plus, I’m a romantic, and he’s the king of ballads! But at the same time, he’s been able to achieve a huge success with more uptempo songs too. That has always been a dream of mine: to have slow and sentimental songs but also be able to make people jump at concerts. However, I have always listened more to the music of the past, especially Lionel Ritchie, Elton John, Queen, as well as the great Italian artists.
The album starts with “For You,” an uptempo track. Why do you think it is the best opener for the project?
In that case, I asked the record company for advice. Capitol Records focused a lot on that song. When I made a demo of it, I immediately understood that it was a song in which I felt really good from a vocal point of view. Also I perceived it as a “top” song for concerts.
“Chasing Stars,” written by Ed Sheeran with his brother Matthew, talks about their relationship with their father. It seems like a song tailor-made for you.
I met Ed when he released “Perfect Symphony,” the duet he did with my father. He then sent me a couple of ideas. “Chasing Stars” was the one that struck me the most. I was struck by the melody, because Ed has an unmistakable touch, and the message, perfect for my story. Even when a song is written by someone else, you have to see yourself in what you sing. When you sing certain words, you have to feel them. Yes, that seemed like a song written especially for me. We have in common the fact that we have a family that loves music and has encouraged their children to learn about it.
The songs are mostly sung in English but some are in Italian. Why did you want to use both languages?
Having signed the contract with Capitol Records in the United States, I also have to make music in English. But the deep reason why I signed with them is that I grew up singing in both Italian and English. So it has always been my desire to sing in English, and I knew that label would give me many opportunities to collaborate with great international songwriters. At the same time, it is important not to forget your origins. I consider Italian lyrics the deepest and most beautiful in the entire history of music. English-speaking songwriters consider us almost saccharine, excessive. But I think that’s the beauty of our language. We are romantic, there is nothing we can do about it!
Your project has a strong international projection. What idea of “Italianness” do you want to convey abroad?
To put it simply, I’m very proud to be Italian. I hope that beyond our national borders, people can appreciate the songs I sing in our language. Italy is so loved around the world; there is no need for Matteo Bocelli to push that.
In 2019 you performed at the Sanremo Festival in a duet with your father. Now your album is out: Is it the right moment to go there again, as a contestant this time?
It’s a question they’ve been asking me ever since… [Laughs] I understand that in Italy, the Sanremo Festival has a fundamental importance, it is the best thing an artist can aspire to. And I don’t deny that it would be a great emotion for me too to go on that stage — not alongside my father as a guest, but on the frontline as a contestant. But in my opinion you must go there when you are truly convinced, with a song that really identifies you.
Last year you collaborated with Sebastián Yatra. Do you also wish to step into the Latin market too?
One of my biggest fanbases is the Mexican one, so it’s important to keep an eye on that market. But you have to get there starting from the assumption that you must do what you like. I will never [do] something just because that’s what the market expects. If a collaboration with another Latin artist were to happen and convince me, then why not?
Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire Italian entrepreneur and former prime minister who died Monday (June 12) in Milan at age 86, will be remembered as one of Italy’s most controversial leaders. But before his career in politics, record labels he formed in the 1980s and 1990s helped launch the careers of popular Italian artists like Cristina D’Avena, Sabrina Salerno, Ambra Angiolini and Francesco Salvi.
In the 1950s, Berlusconi performed as a young crooner on cruise ships, where he met his friend and lifetime professional partner Fedele Confalonieri, who would later become chairman of Mediaset, Berlusconi’s media giant.
Music played a big role in the origins of his media empire. In the 1980s and 1990s, Berlusconi was an influential executive in the Italian music industry. In 1981, after founding Fininvest, the holding company that owned Mediaset, he launched his first record company, Five Record (renamed RTI Music in 1991).
Inspired by American songwriters, French chansonniers and the melancholic, existentialistic style of singers and songwriters from Genoa, the label initially commercialized the theme songs of the TV series and programs broadcasted by Mediaset, from cartoons to variety shows, from quiz shows to telenovelas. Then it expanded and released albums by Italian artists such as Gino Paoli, Orietta Berti, Patty Pravo and Bruno Lauzi.
Within such a wide artistic spectrum, Berlusconi’s enterprises launched the careers of artists who quickly became immensely popular (and transgenerational) in Italy: D’Avena, Angiolini, Salvi, Sabrina Salerno (her song “Boys” became a hit in Europe), Lorella Cuccarini, Giorgio Faletti and singer/comedian Fiorello.
Five Record had a strong connection with dance music. Take Change, an Italo-disco project produced by Italian musician and arranger Mauro Malavasi, saw their album The Glow of Love (1980) reach No. 29 on the Billboard 200 — a first for an Italian dance production.
The label also released Joe Smooth’s “Promised Land” in Italy and works from Double Dee (house music from Ancona, Italy) and Novecento.
After leaving office in 2011, Belusconi briefly revived his music career, releasing a new album, True Love, with longtime musical collaborator Mariano Apicella. The three-time Italian premier didn’t sing on the album but co-wrote all 11 songs, which were a collection of love songs and jazz arrangements.
Berlusconi’s biggest success in the music industry was D’Avena, the queen of theme songs for cartoons in Italy. In a career spanning 40 years, D’Avena has stayed relevant and sold more than 7 million copies of singles and albums, including compilations such as Fivelandia and Cristina D’Avena con i suoi amici in TV. The single “Kiss Me Licia” alone sold over 200,000 copies, reached No. 7 on the Italian chart and was certified Gold.
D’Avena’s biggest hit was “Canzone dei Puffi,” the theme song of the Italian version of The Smurfs cartoon. Released in 1982, it sold 500,000 copies and became her first Gold record.
“I always hoped this moment wouldn’t come,” D’Avena tells Billboard Italy about Berlusconi’s passing. “To me, he was immortal. But watching his last interviews you could tell that he was sick. … I’m feeling a huge loss. … An important piece of our country is gone.”
