🇮🇹 Road to Basel: Italy

Road to Basel: Italy

This is the road to Basel: Italy. As we eagerly anticipate the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, we continue our daily spotlight on this year’s contestants. Today, we focus on Italy.

Lucio Corsi

Lucio Corsi is an Italian singer-songwriter hailing from Tuscany. Known for his poetic lyrics and unique musical style, he blends elements of folk, rock, and Italian chanson. Corsi’s artistic expression often incorporates whimsical storytelling, reflecting on themes of identity and self-discovery. His distinctive approach has garnered him critical acclaim within the Italian music scene.

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Volevo essere un duro (what AI says)

“Volevo essere un duro” (“I Wanted to Be a Tough Guy”) is a track from Corsi’s fourth studio album, released on March 21, 2025. The song features poetic lyrics that explore themes of identity and self-perception. Corsi’s performance combines delicate melodies with a touch of humor, offering a profound reflection on societal expectations and personal aspirations. The song has been praised for its introspective nature and artistic depth.​

National Selection Process

Italy traditionally uses the Sanremo Music Festival to select its Eurovision representative. In 2025, Olly won the festival with “Balorda nostalgia” but declined the Eurovision opportunity due to scheduling conflicts. Consequently, RAI, Italy’s national broadcaster, appointed the runner-up, Lucio Corsi, to represent the country with his song “Volevo essere un duro.” This decision underscores RAI’s commitment to showcasing Italy’s diverse musical talent on the international stage.

The top-10 results of San Remo were:

  1. Olly, “Balorda nostalgia
  2. Lucio Corsi, “Volevo ​essere un duro
  3. Brunori Sas, “L’albero della noci
  4. Fedez, “Battito
  5. Simone Cristicchi, “Quando sarai piccola
  6. Giorgia, “La cura per me
  7. Achille Lauro, “Incoscienti giovani
  8. Francesco Gabbani, “Viva la vita
  9. Irama, “Lentamente
  10. Cuoricini, “Coma con me
Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest

Italy has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since its inception in 1956, achieving three victories: in 1964 with Gigliola Cinquetti‘s “Non ho l’etĂ ,” in 1990 with Toto Cutugno‘s “Insieme: 1992,” and in 2021 with MĂĄneskin‘s “Zitti e buoni.” As a member of the “Big Five,” Italy automatically qualifies for the Grand Final, allowing its entries to consistently showcase the nation’s rich musical heritage.

photo: EBU/Thomas Hanses

A Random Italian Entry

Reflecting on Italy’s Eurovision history, we asked random.org to get one of the former Italian entries out of the archives. It’s a duo, and quite a recent one: Ermal Meta and Fabrizio Moro, San Remo winners, represented Italy in 2018. With Ermal Meta, they brought an Albanian singer on stage for Italy. Their song was “Non mi avete fatto niente”. Enjoy!

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Betting Odds

As of now, Lucio Corsi’s “Volevo essere un duro” has a 12th place in the betting odds. That means Lucio has the 12th chance to win the contest. Will it also mean that, in the final, Lucio might end up around the 12th place? We don’t know.

We eagerly await the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel and look forward to witnessing Lucio Corsi’s performance on the grand stage.

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Eurovision 2025

Top Finalists React to Their Results

Top finalists react to their results at the Eurovision Song Contest. We have collected the reactions of some of the artists.  Austria (JJ) Austria’s JJ won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with his ballad “Wasted Love.” He said he was “so pleased” that people connected with the song. JJ, trained in opera, had taken a break from the Vienna State Opera to join the contest. He explained the meaning behind the song: “There’s no wasted love… it’s the strongest force on planet Earth.” After the final, JJ thanked fans for their support. He said he was proud to bring classical music to a large pop audience. “This is the biggest pop stage in the world,” he noted. JJ appeared humble about his victory. When asked how he would celebrate, he smiled and said he needed sleep after the long night. Estonia (Tommy Cash) Tommy Cash placed third for Estonia with “Espresso Macchiato.” He received 356 points, just one point behind the runner-up. He spoke openly about the result. “Too bad we didn’t get that one point. Things got a bit political there. Sorry we came in third, but second and third place are pretty good too,” he said. Estonia had a modest jury result with 98 points, but the public gave him 258 points. Cash thanked his fans for the strong televote. He also joked that now he could say he could sing, as even the jury gave him nearly 100 points. “Estonians, we’re still the most popular and the most famous in this game,” he added with a smile. news.err.ee. Sweden (KAJ) KAJ from Sweden ended in fourth place. Their song “Bara Bada Bastu” was seen as a favorite before the final. They scored 321 points. Axel Åhman from the group said, “It’s clear one is a little surprised. You can’t deny that.” The band received 126 points from juries. Finland gave them only 10 points, even though KAJ has Finland-Swedish roots. “We’ll probably have a serious talk with [Finland’s] government,” Åhman joked. Still, they were happy with the 195 televote points. “We had a great time on stage,” they said, thanking their supporters. svt.se. Italy (Lucio Corsi) Lucio Corsi placed fifth for Italy with “Volevo Essere Un Duro.” He got 256 points. Corsi had said before the final that he did not expect to win. “Music is not a competition,” he told reporters. “It goes beyond the ranking. I care about my song and giving a good performance.” After the final, Corsi said he was happy with the top-5 result. He outperformed expectations and thanked his listeners. Lucio was glad that people liked his Italian-language ballad. The Italian singer ended by saying that the experience mattered more than points. “This journey was a success for me,” he said. spettacolomusicasport.com Greece (Klavdia) Klavdia came sixth for Greece with “Asteromáta.” She earned 231 points, one of Greece’s best scores in recent years. After the show, she was emotional and thankful. “I feel the luckiest, most blessed, happiest, and most protected person on the planet right now,” she said. “I feel like a winner.” Klavdia said she had dreamed of fifth place. “But sixth is also a victory,” she added. Greece came second in the “Rest of the World” vote and got a strong televote overall. She thanked everyone who voted and supported her. “We did this together,” she said. “This night was unforgettable.” en.protothema.gr. Share

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Eurovision 2025
Martijn

Top Finalists React to Their Results

Top finalists react to their results at the Eurovision Song Contest. We have collected the reactions of some of the artists.  Austria (JJ) Austria’s JJ won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with his ballad “Wasted Love.” He said he was “so pleased” that people connected with the song. JJ, trained in opera, had taken a break from the Vienna State Opera to join the contest. He explained the meaning behind the song: “There’s no wasted love… it’s the strongest force on planet Earth.” After the final, JJ thanked fans for their support. He said he was proud to bring classical music to a large pop audience. “This is the biggest pop stage in the world,” he noted. JJ appeared humble about his victory. When asked how he would celebrate, he smiled and said he needed sleep after the long night. Estonia (Tommy Cash) Tommy Cash placed third for Estonia with “Espresso Macchiato.” He received 356 points, just one point behind the runner-up. He spoke openly about the result. “Too bad we didn’t get that one point. Things got a bit political there. Sorry we came in third, but second and third place are pretty good too,” he said. Estonia had a modest jury result with 98 points, but the public gave him 258 points. Cash thanked his fans for the strong televote. He also joked that now he could say he could sing, as even the jury gave him nearly 100 points. “Estonians, we’re still the most popular and the most famous in this game,” he added with a smile. news.err.ee. Sweden (KAJ) KAJ from Sweden ended in fourth place. Their song “Bara Bada Bastu” was seen as a favorite before the final. They scored 321 points. Axel Åhman from the group said, “It’s clear one is a little surprised. You can’t deny that.” The band received 126 points from juries. Finland gave them only 10 points, even though KAJ has Finland-Swedish roots. “We’ll probably have a serious talk with [Finland’s] government,” Åhman joked. Still, they were happy with the 195 televote points. “We had a great time on stage,” they said, thanking their supporters. svt.se. Italy (Lucio Corsi) Lucio Corsi placed fifth for Italy with “Volevo Essere Un Duro.” He got 256 points. Corsi had said before the final that he did not expect to win. “Music is not a competition,” he told reporters. “It goes beyond the ranking. I care about my song and giving a good performance.” After the final, Corsi said he was happy with the top-5 result. He outperformed expectations and thanked his listeners. Lucio was glad that people liked his Italian-language ballad. The Italian singer ended by saying that the experience mattered more than points. “This journey was a success for me,” he said. spettacolomusicasport.com Greece (Klavdia) Klavdia came sixth for Greece with “Asteromáta.” She earned 231 points, one of Greece’s best scores in recent years. After the show, she was emotional and thankful. “I feel the luckiest, most blessed, happiest, and most protected person on the planet right now,” she said. “I feel like a winner.” Klavdia said she had dreamed of fifth place. “But sixth is also a victory,” she added. Greece came second in the “Rest of the World” vote and got a strong televote overall. She thanked everyone who voted and supported her. “We did this together,” she said. “This night was unforgettable.” en.protothema.gr. Share

Share
Read More »