From growing up in a town with a population of 254 to captivating the hearts of Italy at the biggest music festival in the country, Lucio Corsi of Tuscany was the surprise recipient of second place at the 75th edition of the Sanremo song contest, also taking home the prestigious Mia Martini prize.
Born in Grosseto in 1993, Lucio grew up in Vetulonia in the Tuscan Maremma, a place which has particularly influenced his musical path. Lucio became passionate about music in his early teens after watching the film ‘The Blues Brothers’ and started writing songs with references to the rural world he had experienced since childhood, which gave him the opportunity to perform in the squares and bars of his hometown.
Once old enough, he moved to Milan to pursue his music career and in 2015 he began releasing his first work mixing different influences between progressive rock, songwriting, and poetic lyrics, gaining traction for his unique style. He released his first album titled ‘Altalena Boy/Vetulonia Dakar’ the same year and has since often been compared to artists such as David Bowie and Renato Zero.
In 2017 he opened for Brunori Sas, who also participated in Sanremo this year and came third behind Corsi.
Corsi exhibited himself at the 75th edition of Sanremo with the song ‘Volevo essere un duro’ (I wanted to be a tough guy). It was his first time participating in the festival and he finished second, behind Olly, and went home with the Premio della stampa Mia Martini. In his own words, the song is ‘a ballad, the form of song I am most attached to: it allows me to use words in comfort, considering the richness of our beautiful Italian language.’
The lyrics speak of the protagonist’s desire to be ‘tough,’ a strong person without any fears, but he soon realises this is not his reality, and concludes by accepting himself for who he is: vulnerable, with fears and weaknesses. He confronts his own shortcomings, without trying to run away from one’s fears and surrenders to himself, ending the song with ‘non sono altro che Lucio’ (I am none other than Lucio). It is a song that deeply resonates with the human desire to be strong and fearless, but also stresses the importance of being oneself and realising that emotions, both positive and negative, are a part of what make us who we are.
Lucio became a quick favourite with his first performance on Tuesday, February 11, on the opening night of the festival. The sala stampa – which consists of 1487 members of accredited media – placed him in the top 5 alongside household names Brunori Sas, Giorgia, Simone Christicchi, and Achille Lauro and he gained immediate traction from the media. He proceeded to win over the Radio and the Televote on Wednesday, February 12, coming in the Top 5 again alongside Fedez, Giorgia, Simone Christicchi, and Achille Lauro. Night 4 was when he continued winning over the nation’s hearts with his heartwarming and nostalgic duet with Topo Gigio – a puppet – one of the country’s most beloved figures. They sang Domenico Modugno’s ‘Nel blu, dipinto di blu,’ also known as ‘Volare,’ and came second after Giorgia and Annalisa’s cover of Adele’s ‘Skyfall.’
Lucio ended the festival in second place, behind Olly and his ‘Balorda nostalgia,’ winning 25,7% of the televote and only falling 0,4% short of the victory with the combined score between the journalists, media, and televote. (Mina Lozanova)
