For the first time ever, I was following the Sanremo festival live on television this year and I clearly remember my first reaction to this song. Meh. A bit bland. Nothing really special. Then it ended in second place, got picked up for Eurovision and sort of got pressed against my face and then something happened and the whole song unfolded for me.
This is - by quite some margin - my favourite song of the whole year. There is some sort of raw emotion in a very restrained and sophisticated packaging. A refinement and perfection nobody else comes close to.
I even love the one short chorus sung in English. It allows the song to feel completely Italian and yet underlines how universal and international it feels. And I can't get enough of Francesca herself and her slightly introverted intensity.
Potential winner:
I want to say yes. A song as wonderful as this must have a chance of winning. Maybe I suspect it to be a bit too demanding to hit home on one listening, but I hope the televoting masses will be smarter than I was at first.
My grade: 5/5
Francesca Michielin / No Degree of Separation (Italy 2016 preview clip)
