It must seem very easy to have a very famous father and grandfather who make music and throw yourself into the magical world of pop. And indeed, it probably is. How many “sons of” have we seen moving in the same directions as the family? In all fields, not just when they sing.
Now that we've done this mental count, ask yourself: how many of the children you visualized gave birth to something interesting? We found one, and it is Paolo Antonacci. His first album was released last Friday. For those who haven't understood, he is Biagio's son and Gianni Morandi's nephew. And in his shoes we would understand performance anxiety. But now that we've gotten the kinship out of the way, it's time to talk about the album that Paolo Santo, his stage name, released last Friday. And that's not bad at all.
Before making our debut, he wrote dozens of the songs that we have hummed while listening to the radio in recent years. The partnership with Annalisa and producer Davide Simonetta led to the birth of the little pop masterpiece that it is Beautiful (whoever says otherwise will be punished) and many other successes of Nali. But Paolo's pen ended up on passages from Tananai (Tango And Casual sexperhaps the best?), Geolier, Fedez etc…
And so if anyone could have thought that he would come up with a record of songs written “with the magic formula of the hit song” they will have to think again. Whoever had the character in mind already knew that his identity goes beyond the profession of the hit. You can imagine it from the first songs published and yes, even from the way Paolo Santo is on social media: ironic, lateral, almost disinterested. And for this very reason it is interesting.
After listening to this album we had the confirmations we wanted. Is called Paolo Santo Superstarand on the cover there is him in the Pop Jesus version watching over the world from a window in the sky. A sort of painting full of symbols, just as his statements in interviews are also full of symbols. Like the one on Sky Tg 24, my favorite, in which he says: «Seven (the number of songs on the album, ed) is the number of creation and in my microcosm it was right to divide the album into seven pieces. The others will take another form in the future. Seven is the birth and death of a man, it is written in the stars. The songs have a domino effect because they make sense in this album and they are the walls of a world. The rest will be seen.” He would have already convinced us, but listening to the songs we were struck on the road to Damascus, to stay on topic.
We talk about love, crisis, nostalgia, all in a vaguely 80's setting that can remind us a little of the world of Giorgio Poi, especially for that thin voice. But there are echoes of his city, Bologna, you can hear the cigarettes, a probable love for Lucio Dalla, but above all there is a writing that will make you think that what you are listening to is real. All on singable melodies, images and poetry. After a few listens I would say that this album could be the soundtrack of a light-hearted, bittersweet, slightly nostalgic summer. “Mom, what a life, you are a superstar, but you want to end it,” he sings in The big fire in via Rialto. Although our favorite track is the penultimate one, in which he manages to make the phrase dreamy “Look what they did to you, you finally realize it wasn't Jesus Christ. He was a fucking zombie.”
Listen to it and then let us know. In the meantime, we are happy to have found a son of art capable of truly deserving this definition.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
