Between one concert and another, finally Mahmood and Blanco are together in Turin for the Eurovision Song Contest.
First rehearsal on the stage of the Pala Olimpico, where the European event involving 40 countries will take place from Tuesday 10 May.
"It went quite well - say the two guys, who are presenting Chills, the song gave them the victory at the Sanremo Festival - but we can improve".
At the press conference, Blanco apologized ("I woke up at 8, you understand the situation") and answered the questions in Italian.
"It is a beautiful event for all music, after two years of covid. A wonderful opportunity to share with other super strong artists. We are happy and enthusiastic", he says smiling and explains that from Mahmood, who already in 2019 participated in Eurovision with Money,
he had no particular advice.
"She told me about the hotel sauna," she jokes.
But the stage mate returns to the right path: "So it seems that we don't want to do anything ... The truth is that there is no advice to give, the boy is good and does his own. And then I think the best way to live this experience both with extreme freedom. An experience to make our music known ".
They both agree on one thing: "We don't feel the pressure. We're here to have fun. It's the key phrase of our year."
There is no talk of a record collaboration or a tour together after Eurovision for now.
"We are busy with our respective tours, we'll see if we can do something more together in the future."
Meanwhile they enjoy the moment,
representatives of two different generations united by music.
"In Chills we put our points of view on love and the fear of exposing ourselves - they explain -. Thinking about our lives, we sing of a deep feeling. We did not ask ourselves whether it was between a man and a woman, or three or two men or between two women: love must be free, universal ".
But what is love for them?
"It's complicated - Mahmood replies - but that's what I told in the passage: the difficulty in expressing oneself".
For nineteen-year-old Blanco - who explains that he is at ease in both rap and pop - love "is passion: for music, for life, for a person. But basically everything starts from passion".
With two, everything is easier on stage.
"We compensate, we balance with energy.
We don't have our days, but when one is down, the other is trying to bring it up.
Always ... except today, when we were both pissed ", and they laugh happily. For Mahmood it is the second time on the Eurovision stage, but it is as if it were the first." Alone or in a duo are totally different experiences.
In this case, I'm learning new things, like sharing emotions on stage.
In two it can be better ".
