From the dark sides of Ed Sheeran, however illuminated by the gold and platinum records that the red singer-songwriter from Halifax is already ready to collect with “Eyes closed”, to the western epic of Vinicio Capossela and his “The part of the wrong” , passing by the sexy turn of the former “Amici” winner Gaia, the return of Tommaso Paradiso to the winning sound of Thegiornalisti and much more: we have selected some of the most relevant new singles of today’s New Music Friday, Friday 24 March, and we listened to them for you. Here are our sensations.
Ed Sheeran – “Eyes Closed”
But wasn’t the new record of the red Halifax singer-songwriter supposed to be his “Nebraska”? The sound changes, a little more minimal, but the writing remains the same.
That of a pop star who aspires to monopolize radio programming, to grind millions of streams on platforms and fills large arenas, with fans singing his ultrapop refrains at the top of their lungs, including that of a song in which he talks about his dark sides ( “I thought a few drinks might help me,” Ed Sheeran sings in a verse of the song, in which he alludes to the excesses with which he tried to fill the void left by the untimely death of one of his best friends – it’s keeping his “eyes closed ” who tries to avoid seeing the latter’s ghost everywhere). Aaron Dessner thought he could do the same with Ed Sheeran as he did with Taylor Swift for “Folklore” and “Evermore”: he must have given in the moment he realized that his vision would meet – or collide – with that of Max Martin and Shellback, the producers of Katy Perry, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. Great professionals, eh, but with a pedigree that isn’t exactly indie or alternative. (MM).
Vinicio Capossela – “The part of the wrong”
A song with a refined western atmosphere, lasting over five minutes, in which the singer-songwriter tells “the wrong side” and his advance: “Neither right, nor left. Purchasing power only. We will be your mirror. On the wrong side. You complexists, pacifists. You holy ecologists. We will get you.” A piece that will be part of the album “Thirteen urgent songs” which will be released on April 21 and which comes after the publication of “The children’s crusade”, a touching song about the war. A (too) long-winded Capossela who doesn’t want to give up his commitment. (CC)
Tommaso Paradiso – “Journey around the sun”
Paradiso returns to the scene of the crime. Compared to “Space Cowboy”, a record released in March 2022 and born in the pandemic period, “Viaggio giro il sole”, which anticipates a new recording project, is a more open electro-pop song, with nostalgic but lively sounds. A piece that recalls the journalists of “Fuoricampo” and “Complemente Sold Out”. It is no coincidence that the production is by Matteo Cantaluppi. To restart you need this (and more), it’s a good start. (CC)
Carl Brave – “Remember”
After the lightheartedness and carefree summer of “Makumba” and “Hula-Hoop” for the former associate of Franco126 the time has come to demonstrate that his writing is also capable of becoming melancholy and reflective.
Not a novelty, for those who have listened to his records. But it’s a novelty that the singer-songwriter from Trastevere inaugurates a new record chapter with a piece like this. In “Remember”, which Carl Brave self-produced, we are from the parts of “Je m’appelle” and “Glicine”: the sound is acoustic, melancholic, between guitars and wind instruments, at the service of a ballad with a nostalgic flavor, which speaks of the end of a story. He waits for her to get back in touch, but every time the cell phone rings and an unknown number appears on the screen, a call center answers on the other end: “And nothing, nothing, nothing / it’s just another call center / too many weeks that haven’t your name appears on the display”. Banal? In reality, the text also contains interesting images: “You will remain forever on you like a fossil / on the crystalline bottom of these toxic waters”. (MM).
Gaia – “Ecstasy”
Now taken under her protective wing by Shablo (behind the successes of – among others – Blanco, Rkomi and Irama), the Italian-Brazilian singer-songwriter returns to singing in Italian, inaugurating a new phase in her career with “Estasi” after the album “Alma”. Now she plays with a slightly more sensual image: “I need to enjoy, consuming you gives me pleasure,” she sings in the single’s verses. “Ecstasy” is a bit 70s funk, a bit pop, with electronic nuances and a radio refrain at its best: behind it are Merk & Kremont and their team ITACA, who recently relaunched Paola and Chiara producing for the duo of “Vamos a bailar” the Sanremo hit “Rumore”. Has the former winner of “Amici” finally found a place for her? (MM)
Nitro – “Outsiders”
Welcome back Nitro. rap, rock, crude and ironic analysis of society, the claim of an art that cannot be bought. After the release of “Control”, the rapper presents himself with “Outsider”, the title track of his new album to be released on April 7th. A piece with different sound nuances, but textually direct. It’s important, today more than ever, that artists like Nitro, like it or not, continue to release unapproved rap songs with now stereotyped themes and sounds. (CC)
Fabrizio Moro – “All the will to live”
Currently grappling with the theatrical tour that sees him retrace his twenty-year career resounding acoustically the songs that have marked the main stages, the Roman singer-songwriter returns with a raw and immediate ballad. “All the desire to live” is exactly what one can expect from Fabrizio Moro: a portrait, somewhat Vaschia, of a strong, courageous and determined woman who rolls up her sleeves day by day, between hours of fresh air – the video, directed by Daniele Tofani, is set in a women’s prison – and gaps to fill. The narrative is always poised between the personal and the universal. The usual Moor. (MM)
Anna – “Energy”
After the killer bars on “Cookies N’ Cream”, a single in collaboration with Guè Pequeno and Sfera Ebbasta, the Ligurian rapper releases another unscrupulous single, in which she raps with ever more credibility, mixing English and Italian, all with a taste of overseas also thanks to the production of SadTours and Kiid. On self-empowerment Anna is growing into a young queen with few rivals. When will a piece in which, coming out of the usual club dynamics, tell us more about who he really is? (CC)