"What an honor to be here to represent my country. I am happy and grateful to be the first Italian artist to receive this award."
Thus the singer Annalisa, who received the Global Force Award last night in Los Angeles, on the occasion of the Billboard Women in Music.
The queen of Italian pop, born in Savona in 1985, is the first Italian to enter the Top 100 Billboard Global, the ranking of the authoritative music magazine.
Greeted by long applause from the YouTube Theater (inside the SoFi stadium in Inglewood, south of the Californian metropolis), Annalisa accepted the recognition by quoting three of her latest songs: Bellissima, Mon Amour and Sincerely, with which she placed third in the last Sanremo Festival.
Also responding to the controversy of those who, in her homeland, accuse her of making music that is too frivolous and light, Annalisa said to the audience full of international stars: "This is the magic of pop music: spreading messages with simple words, and with a rhythm that makes you dance the soul. Being here, representing my country and sharing these messages is the greatest victory."
During the ceremony, visible from today on the magazine's YouTube channel and on the Billboard.com website, the singer had the opportunity to meet and take selfies "with some of the artists I respect most", such as Katy Perry, the very young British Pink Panteheress and the Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko .
On the sidelines of her acceptance speech, Annalisa added: "In the Italian music industry, being a woman is still tough, we still have a lot of work to do. but we are on the right track and recognition like this gives strength."
The event awarded, among others, Karol G, Ice Spice and Kylie Minogue.
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