He is twenty years old, she is 83.
Blanco and Mina.
The rebel and the tiger.
Everything to divide them, the music to unite them.
A duet, Un briciolo di allegria, to confirm the timeless and borderless space of the seven notes, which comes out tonight accompanied by a video with Hitchcockian atmospheres which will be in the new albums of both artists.
Blanco's coming out tomorrow, Mina's next week.
"And to think that the piece as it was didn't even convince me - says the young man from Brescia, born Riccardo Fabbriconi -. So I proposed trying to put someone else on it. I said Mina and obviously they all told me to fuck off. Instead. .. But I've never met her, I haven't even spoken to her on the phone. She remains an unattainable goddess. It was her son Massimiliano who showed her one of my videos.
A shred of joy is just one of the most precious pieces that make up Innamorato, Blanco's second studio album (after the resounding success of Blu Celeste), anticipated by the single L'Isola Delle Rose.
"If Blu Celeste was a staple, Innamorato is a transitional album - says the young man -, which will lead me to something else. Maybe in three years they will be pieces that no longer represent me. I'm happy with the work, even if I would have wanted to do something bigger, more directed abroad".
But, he adds, "it wasn't the right time: to be credible there must be a path behind it. Is the language a limit? No, the Maneskin sing in English, but abroad they also know their songs in Italian because they are strong. We have to complain a little less and find a stronger identity.
Now Italy is a mixture of many things". The opportunity, not fully exploited, to make itself known abroad came last year with the Eurovision Song Contest, after the victory paired with Mahmood in Sanremo "We got there tired, with a tour behind us and no one came to meet our requests.
No, I didn't enjoy it."
In Innamorato, which confirms the partnership with the producer Michelangelo, Blanco returns with all his authenticity, his boldness, stripping himself of any superstructure.
Twelve songs from in love, "not only of love, but of life, family, of many things", immortalizing in each track a fragment of his past, present and past.
"Without compromising. I know that some songs are not songs that make streams, but they tell me, like My family. I make gut choices in terms of music".
In more than one song the reference to drugs is caught.
"Sometimes I take drugs. What? You can't tell, but no acid", he says smiling, and leaves him in doubt whether to believe him or not before adding: "Drugs of life, emotions".
Among the twelve titles, Scusa also peeps out.
Something to be forgiven?
"No, nothing in particular. Sometimes I feel like an asshole, but I'm good, but sometimes a bad day happens".
Like this year in Sanremo, when he kicked the roses on the Ariston stage, not without controversy?
"I'm sorry to go back to talking about that episode. I had already reported the audio problem in the tests. They told me they would fix it, so it was not. Indeed, when I removed the earphone while singing I was told to go on. Would I do it again? Don't ask me."
In the last year Blanco has won 55 platinum records, 4 gold records, over 2.7 billion streams.
"Too high, too fast? It's not like I've arrived who knows where, I still have a lot to work on - he admits -. Sure, I have a bit
lost my mind and didn't handle success well.
But the great thing is that your music can reach more people."
Blanco presented his record with four surprise "serenades" in Venice, Florence, Naples and Rome.
In the summer he is expected for the first time in stadiums: on 4 July at the Olimpico in Rome and on 20 July at the San Siro in Milan.
"I try to raise the bar. I wish my lives were a party".
