Since Italy’s return to Eurovision in 2011, the nation has proven to be a powerhouse at the contest. They have had considerably more success than their fellow Big 5 members, having finished in the Top 10 a total of 7 times since their return. Hoping to continue that run of success this year was Diodato, who was set to sing his song, Fai Rumore on the Eurovision stage this year. Would this have been another Top 10 finish for Italy?
Anita (Eurovision Union)
Song and Vocals
Being a big fan of Italy at the contest, I always anxiously await their choice for Eurovision. We have had some killer songs in the last few years, and what Italy does best is that their songs are authentic, and not designed with Eurovision in mind. Rather, they are just genuinely good songs which people obviously enjoy, hence the good results over the years. Diodato and his entry Fai Rumore slots into the Italian Eurovision line-up with ease. This is yet another strong entry from Italy.
I’m not the biggest fan of ballads, and find that they really have to be special to ‘wow’ me. Fai Rumore managed to do that right away. The melody is beautiful, and has a storytelling vibe about it. Not all audiences would understand the lyrics, but in a sense, it’s irrelevant. Diodato conveys the emotion of the song with ease thanks to his incredible vocals. The chorus is powerful, and it’s impressive on the studio version, but performed live, it really comes alive. The song itself isn’t groundbreaking by any means, but a nicely composed ballad mixed with powerful vocals is a combination for success.
Performance and Act
There’s two routes I saw Italy going for Eurovision in terms of the staging. They would either mimic aspects of the music video, or stick with the simplicity of his Sanremo performance. Either of those options would have worked at Eurovision. It really would take much for this to be a memorable and spectacular performance, as it all comes down to this song, which is magical.
Next Up: 2021
This is a tough one. Italy hasn’t been consistent with Sanremo as their Eurovision selection. For the most part, it has been featured in some way, whether the participant was selected from the line-up, or whether the winner of the contest gets the ticket for Eurovision. What that means is that Italian broadcaster RAI could give Diodato another chance without interrupting the normal schedule of Sanremo, it’s just that the Sanremo participants will be associated with Eurovision in 2021. I personally can’t predict what will happen with Italy, as they really could go either way with the decision. What is certain is that whether we get Diodato for a second chance, or a whole new act, Italy will remain as a strong competitor.
Conclusions
I absolutely saw Fai Rumore as a dark horse for this year’s contest, and although it might not have achieved top spot, Italy was almost certainly in for another Top 10 finish. I saw this being a hit with juries and televoters alike, as Italy often does score well in the televote. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see this at Eurovision, but nonetheless, we can still enjoy this masterpiece.
Rating
10/10
Dennis (ESCDaily)
Song and Vocals
‘Fai Rumore’ is an empowering Italian ballad. Once again Italy chose a song with musical quality. Diodato’s voice has the power to deliver and give the song an extra emotional load. The lyrics might get lost in translation for a lot of people, because not a lot of people in Europe might understand Italian. Still, this is one of the better and more interesting compositions and vocal deliveries in the 2020 field.
Performance and Act
I guess Diodato would not have changed a lot in his Eurovision performance, when compared to Sanremo. It is a song which needs the focus to be on the main artist solo, to make his emotions in the song connect with the people at home. Diodato knows how to do this. Staging would have been easy for Italy this year.
Next up: 2021
I expect the coronacrisis to be under control when I say that in 2021 I know one thing: Italy will come up for a new Sanremo Festival. It remains to be seen whether it will be used for Eurovision as well. This is not the top priority for Italians. Diodato could take part again, but we have seen that more often with winners, and has nothing to do with Eurovision per sé. He could also get a ticket to Eurovision, fully apart from Sanremo. The prestigious contest will just not be used as a selection method for Rotterdam.
In that case, there is a certain risk. Yes, Diodato did amazing in 2020. Winning Sanremo is not something that happens by accident. And he deserved to take the Eurovision stage as much as all the others. But will his song be as strong as his Sanremo winner ‘Fai Rumore’? The past proves that it is very rare for a Sanremo winner to copy his success and win again. Usually, their winning song really is the best competition-song they have ever delivered. Something to think about for RAI.
Conclusions
Italy is one of the most successful Eurovision nations in recent years and they prove again that it isn’t a fluke. ‘Fai Rumore’ was expected to be the best performing song of a Big-5 country. They had a credible singer, with good vocals, an interesting song with a lovely instrumental climax near the end. It’s sad that they will be denied another almost guaranteed top-10 at the contest.
Rating
9/10
Additional Scores from Eurovision Union and ESCDaily editors:
Brandon: 7.5/10
Steef:: 7.5/10
Joshua: 10/10
Selim: 9.5/10
Heath: 7/10
Kaitlin: 8/10
Average Score: 8.6/10
What do you think of Fai Rumore? Follow our Eurovision 2020 reviews here.