"Due vite"
Single by Marco Mengoni
from the album Materia (Prisma)
Released8 February 2023 (2023-02-08)
GenrePop
Length
  • 3:45 (original version)
  • 3:04 (Eurovision version)
LabelSony Music
Composer(s)
  • E.D.D.
  • Davide Simonetta
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)
  • E.D.D.
  • Davide Simonetta
Marco Mengoni singles chronology
"Tutti i miei ricordi"
(2022) 		"Due vite"
(2023) 		"Pazza musica"
(2023)
Alternative covers
Eurovision version cover
Music video
"Due vite" on YouTube
Eurovision Song Contest 2023 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • Marco Mengoni
  • Davide Petrella
  • Davide Simonetta
Finals performance
Final result
4th
Final points
350
Entry chronology
◄ "Brividi" (2022)
Official performance video
"Due vite" (Grand Final) on YouTube

"Due vite" (Italian pronunciation: [ˈduːe ˈviːte]; transl. "Two lives") is a song recorded by Italian singer-songwriter Marco Mengoni for his eighth studio album, Materia (Prisma) (2023). It is the lead single and opening track on the album, released by Sony Music on 8 February 2023. The song was written by Mengoni with Davide Petrella and Davide Simonetta. Simonetta also produced the track together with E.D.D.[1] The song was Mengoni's winning entry for the Sanremo Music Festival 2023, the 73rd edition of the Italian musical festival, which doubled as the selection of the Italian act for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.[2][3][4] It finished in fourth place at the Eurovision final with 350 points. Prior to the contest, "Due vite" reached number one in Italy and San Marino.

A bilingual French-Italian version of the song, titled "La Dernière Chanson" ("The last song"), was released on 13 October 2023.[5]

Background and composition

Mengoni spoke about the meaning of the song:[6]

It is my never-ending story because it is the story of a relationship between reason and the unconscious. I am devoting a lot of hours a week to my thoughts with a professional and I am realising that my unconscious gives me more realistic input than everyday life. I speak about this double life in the song: the life of the night and dreams that becomes more real than the dreams themselves, and the life I live every day. [...] I am a sinner, I am one who makes mistakes. There are slaps and you have to go on in life. There are moments of boredom and downsides that are needed like all things: for me, "Due vite" is this.

Mengoni dwelt on the inspiration for the song, found in the figure of Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla, explaining that:[6]

It is a song full of words, a continuous tension that never seems to explode until the moment I leave my vocal cords there, at Sanremo. It wasn't easy to tackle this piece, but the great thing is that we got carried away by Lucio Dalla, letting him inspire us, remembering him. I approached singing in this way: little breath, lots of words and a lot of tension to then explode.

The song also marks the singer's third participation at the Sanremo Music Festival after "Credimi ancora" in 2010 and "L'essenziale", winner of the Sanremo Music Festival 2013, with which he represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013.[7]

Reception

The song was mostly well received by Italian critics. In its review of the Sanremo 2023 songs, Corriere della Sera gave "Due vite" an 8/10, describing the song as a "classic ballad" that "doses melody and rhythm well", where "thoughts chase each other".[8] Also Valentina Colosimo from Vanity Fair states that the song "allows Mengoni to show off all his singing skills", bringing the viewer "a ton of feelings".[9] Fabio Fiume from All Music Italia rated the song 7.5/10, writing the song is a "modern piece that respects both its vocal beauty and its best prerogatives to be personal".[10] The Panorama critic Gabriele Antonucci gave the song a 8.5 rating, he praised Mengoni's performance as "masterful", with a perfect combination of "voice, words and arrangement".[11] Less enthusiastic was the review by Francesco Prisco of Il Sole 24 Ore, assigning a score of 6-/10, writing that "Mengoni does Mengoni: the thing he does best", suggesting a lack of originality compared to his previous works.[12]

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Roberto Ortu.[13] The filming took place on the dunes of Piscinas in Sardinia.[14]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Due vite"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[31] 5× Platinum 500,000‡
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[32] Platinum 15,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Marco Mengoni - Due vite (Radio Date: 08-02-2023)". EarOne (in Italian). 8 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Sanremo 2023, Marco Mengoni: 'Due vite è la mia storia attuale'". Sky TG24 (in Italian). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  3. ^ "'Due vite', il testo della canzone di Marco Mengoni a Sanremo 2023". TV Sorrisi e Canzoni (in Italian). 30 January 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  4. ^ "La classifica finale di Sanremo 2023, vince Marco Mengoni". la Repubblica (in Italian). 12 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  5. ^ Heap, Steven (12 October 2023). "Italy: Marco Mengoni to Release French Version of 'Due Vite' on Friday". Eurovoix. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Marco Mengoni: "A Sanremo per divertirmi, senza voglia di vincere"". Vanity Fair Italia (in Italian). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Marco Mengoni torna a Sanremo 2023: "Il festival mi ha vestito d'oro"". la Repubblica (in Italian). 7 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  8. ^ Laffranchi, Andrea (2 July 2023). "Oxa pomposa (4,5); Rosa Chemical divertente (7); D'Alessio jr naif (5)". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Sanremo 2023: le pagelle delle canzoni in anteprima". Vanity Fair Italia (in Italian). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  10. ^ Recensioni), Fabio Fiume (Interviste (16 January 2023). "Sanremo 2023: le pagelle ai 28 brani in gara dopo l'ascolto in anteprima". All Music Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  11. ^ Antonucci, Gabriele (12 February 2023). "Sanremo 2023, trionfa Marco Mengoni: le pagelle della finale". Panorama (in Italian). Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  12. ^ Prisco, Francesco (16 January 2023). "Sanremo 2023, tutte le canzoni ascoltate in anteprima (con pagelle)". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Marco Mengoni, ecco il video ufficiale di "Due vite": canzone che ha vinto Sanremo 2023". Gazzetta del Sud (in Italian). 12 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  14. ^ "La Sardegna diventa il teatro di "Due Vite" di Marco Mengoni". Agi (in Italian). Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Single Charts vom 23. Mai 2023". Ö3 Austria Top 40. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  16. ^ "Billboard Global 200: Week of February 25, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  17. ^ "Purple Disco Machine & Kungs preuzeli vrh liste ARC 100 sa suradnjom "Substitution"". HRT. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Download Charts Single – Aktualisiert am: 22.05.2023" (in German). mtv.de. Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  19. ^ "IFPI Charts". ifpi.gr. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
  20. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Classifica settimanale WK 6 (dal 03.02.2023 al 09.02.2023)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  22. ^ "2023 20-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  23. ^ "Malta – Radio Airplay Chart – Settimana 8.2023 – dal 17/02/2023 al 23/02/2023". Radiomonitor. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  24. ^ "Dutch Single Tip 20/05/2023". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  25. ^ "Top 50 – Radio San Marino RTV – 03/03/2023" (in Italian). San Marino RTV. 5 March 2023. Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  26. ^ "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 20". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  27. ^ "Marco Mengoni – Due vite". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  28. ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  29. ^ "Classifica annuale 2023 (dal 30.12.2022 al 28.12.2023)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2023". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  31. ^ "Italian single certifications – Marco Mengoni – Due vite" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  32. ^ Rossini, Federico (3 November 2023). "Marco Mengoni, è platino in Svizzera per 'Due vite'" [Marco Mengoni, "Due vite" is platinum in Switzerland]. Eurofestival News (in Italian). Retrieved 5 November 2023.
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