È Marco Mengoni, with the song Two lives, the winner of Sanremo Music Festival 2023. The 73rd edition closes with records, ratings and of revenues, but as per tradition also to the sound of controversy.
Musically speaking, the predictions have been fulfilled. The singer who has dominated the rankings since the first evening won, also conquering the evening of duets and covers. Mengoni dedicated the victory to the "women in the race", a way to counteract a five-man ballot, in which there was not even the shadow of a woman.
Sanremo 2023: Mengoni wins, the complete classification and the prizes
For Marco Mengoni it was the third participation in the festival and the second victory. The first had arrived exactly 10 years ago, in 2013, with The essential. It will therefore be him, with the song Due Vite, to represent Italy in May at theEuro Vision Song Contest, the most important and followed European music competition, won last year by Ukraine and two years ago by Maneskin with Shut up and Good.
It takes second place Lazza, followed on the third by Mr. Rain. Fourth position, and this was a surprise, the other super favorite of the eve Ultimo . Fifth Tananai, with the song Tango, which had the merit of bringing the war in Ukraine to the stage at a more suitable time than the one to which the letter from the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was relegated.
The rest of the ranking from sixth to twenty-eighth place is composed as follows: Giorgia, Madame, Rosa Chemical, Elodie, Colapesce and Dimartino, Modà, Gianluca Grignani, Coma Cose, Ariete, Lda, Article 31, Paola and Chiara, Leo Gassmann, Mara Sattei, Colla Zio, Cugini di Campagna, Gianmaria , Levante, Olly, Anna Oxa, Will, Shari and Sethu.
E the other prizes? Colapesce and Dimartino won the Mia martini and Lucio Dalla prizes (Critics and Press Room), while the Sergio Bardotti prize went to Coma Cose for the best text.
Zelensky's letter
“Ukraine will definitely win this war. He will win together with the free world. You will win thanks to the voice of freedom, democracy and, of course, culture ”. It is a passage from the letter of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky read last night by Amadeus on the stage of the Sanremo Festival. “I wish success to all finalists and from the bottom of my heart I want to invite this year's winners to Kyiv, Ukraine on Victory Day. On the Day of our Victory,” writes the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky
«This Victory today is created and obtained in extremely difficult conditions. Thanks to our defenders! Thanks to their courage, indomitability, invincibility. Hundreds of songs have already been written about this, and you'll be hearing one today." While Amadeus read Zelensky's words, the Antytila band took the stage to perform the song Fortezza Bakhmut.
“I am sure that one day we will all listen to our victory song together!” concluded the Ukrainian president.
For Sanremo 2023 audience records
Even the ratings of the final evening confirm the records of this edition: the last evening of the Festival was seen by 12,2 million viewers, with a share of 66%.
The highlights of the evening
In addition to the letter from the Ukrainian president and the announcement of the winner, another highlight of the evening came shortly before 22 pm with the performance of the international super guests. After i Black Eyed Peas and Maneskin, which have now become a global phenomenon, with the legend Tom Morello, on the stage of the Ariston have arrived the Depeche Mode with the new single Ghost Again and the iconic Personal jesus. The two Italian guests are also legendary: Gino Paoli with A long love story, Taste of salt and Heaven in a Room, and Ornella Vanoni with Go Valentina, The Appointment and a medley of Eternity e One more reason.
And then, of course, the controversies and political aftermath: the kiss between Rosa Chemical and Fedez that infuriates the government is likely to blow some heads among Rai executives.
