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Italy never sleeps: One life, two Eurovisions for Marco Mengoni

09 May 2023 at 19:46 CEST
Marco Mengoni from Italy in the Eurovision 2023 studio Corinne Cumming / EBU
Marco Mengoni returns to the Eurovision stage with his entry for Italy, ‘Due Vite.’ After finishing in 7th place at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö and a hit career ever since, this won’t be the Italian singer’s last song.
Marco Mengoni rehearsing Due Vite for Italy at the Second Rehearsal of the Grand Final at Liverpool Arena Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Due Vite won its place on the Eurovision stage following the Sanremo Music Festival. After competing against 27 other acts across 5 days, Marco came out top, winning the hearts of both the jury and public as he sang under twinkling star lights to a packed-out audience. After his win, he was offered a second chance at reaching for the Eurovision crown. A decade on from Malmö, he’s back on the Eurovision stage.

Marco returned to Eurovision for his First Rehearsal on Thursday 4 May, and he stole Liverpool’s heart — he might have indeed caused the moon to explode, as his song suggests. The platinum-selling artist started off strong with smooth and confident vocals, wearing a sequinned silver top and suave black leather trousers. To add to the atmosphere, there was a serious smoke machine moment.

Marco Mengoni rehearsing Due Vite for Italy at the Second Rehearsal of the Grand Final at Liverpool Arena Corinne Cumming / EBU

The Official Eurovision Live Blog got caught up in the emotion of Marco’s performance, noting: "It's an emotional rollercoaster of a song, taking us all on a musical journey from pianissimo to pounding drums and back again. Marco is a master of vocal light and shade, and he makes this performance look effortless - Due Vite means 'two lives', and even in English the lyrics are hopelessly romantic."

Marco might be more ready for Liverpool than he knows. At Sanremo in 2023 (the same festival where he got his Eurovision ticket) he sang a cover version of Beatles’ classic Let It Be — you can’t get much more Liverpudlian than The Beatles. And to make it even more UK-focused, he sang it with London-based gospel group, The Kingdom Choir.

Marco has an eclectic taste in music — a few classics, and a few recent chart hits. He loves Aretha Franklin’s Respect and John Lennon’s Jealous Guy just as much as Seinabo Sey’s Hard Time and Pharrell Williams’ Come Get It Bae.

The Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast caught up with Marco once he'd arrived in Liverpool. He told us: "I've never seen a stage like that. Gorgeous, it's incredible. I don't know how many lights are on stage..." And he feels a lot more relaxed about Eurovision this year, compared to how he felt a decade ago. 

You can hear more from Marco on Episode 20 of the Official Eurovision Song Contest Podcast.

Marco Mengoni rehearsing Due Vite for Italy at the Second Rehearsal of the Grand Final at Liverpool Arena
Chloe Hashemi / EBU

You can learn more about Marco Mengoni from Italy right here.