Being such a small nation, the talent pool in San Marino is quite limited. In many cases, the nation outsources, with this year no difference. After a mammoth national final, San Marino selected Italian star Achille Lauro with his song, ‘Stripper’.
Anita
Song and Vocals
It’s been many years that I’ve wanted to see Achille Lauro at Eurovision, and the time has finally come. I certainly didn’t expect him to be representing San Marino, but I guess he really does want to go to Eurovision and will think outside the box to get there. Given that he was a participant at Sanremo this year, I found it interesting that he was on the list for San Marino, considering the participations were almost back to back.
I say this in the best way possible, but this song is trash. It’s so trashy that I can’t help but completely love it. This is a lyrically ridiculous song, with meme-worthy lines of ‘I Love Britney’ and ‘Personal Jesus’ among a handful of others. The chorus is simple but catchy, with the use of some English to engage more viewers. That being said, it’s hard to actually discern what he is saying while singing English, but nonetheless it’s an attempt.
Achille is an eccentric singer, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to strong vocals. They are passable, but not fantastic. I think the charm of Achille is the entire package, so I wouldn’t expect pitch perfect vocals.
Performance and Act
Achille is all about the live performances, and the performance in San Marino at the national final was a mere drop in the ocean. I expect something huge from Achille, something so ridiculous that it will be remembered. Whether for the right or wrong reasons remains to be seen. I would be sincerely disappointed if we see something similar to the national final, as this song deserves something totally bonkers.
Conclusions
I’m obsessed with this song, but can totally see how it may not appeal to everyone. For those who don’t know the antics of Achille, this may seem like a rip off of Måneskin, and maybe in that sense it was not the right time for Achille. Also not having Italy voting in this semi-final gives me doubts of his fate. Regardless, I can’t wait to see this ridiculousness on stage live.
Rating
10/10
Dennis
Song and Vocals
I don’t know (no pun intended) what the writer of the lyrics of this song was using, but it’s one of the strangest of this year, haha. Achille is an experienced singer but sometimes his vocals can turn out a bit offkey. He makes up for it with his performance and personality though. It’s one of the better entries in the rock genre in my opinion.
Performance and Act
Achille is not the best vocalist of the year, but is a charismatic performer. I am not sure how the jury will react to this, since it is far from non-offensive. Like at Sanremo, he might scoop in votes in the televote though.
Conclusions
I think San Marino has an entry that will grow on you when you hear it more often. Many funny lines in there. However, at Eurovision, it is about the first impression. And Achille Lauro is also a character that can scare off people at first sight, making it hurt his chances in the competition.
Rating
7/10
Team Scores
Steef: 5/10
Erik: 3/10
Josh: 6/10
Heath: 2.5/10
Kaitlin: 3/10
Selim: 2/10
Morena: 8/10
Average Score: 5.2/10
What do you think of Stripper? Follow our Eurovision 2022 reviews here. You can support your favourite acts in our Eurovision 2021 poll, which you can find here.