2019 single by Mahmood
For the Italian coin, see
Soldo
.
"
Soldi
" (
Italian pronunciation:
[?s?ldi]
;
transl.
"Money"
) is a song recorded by Italian singer
Mahmood
. It was released on 6 February 2019, as the fifth single from his debut studio album,
Gioventu bruciata
(2019).
[1]
Mahmood co-wrote the song with
Dario "Dardust" Faini
and
Charlie Charles
, who also produced it.
[2]
[3]
Mahmood performed the song for the first time at the
69th Sanremo Musical Festival
in February 2019 and won the competition, receiving the right to represent
Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019
.
[4]
[5]
"Soldi" was later confirmed as his Eurovision entry,
[6]
eventually reaching second place in the final. The song is predominantly in
Italian
, with one line in
Arabic
, making it the fourth time that a Eurovision song features the Arabic language after entries by
Morocco
in
1980
,
Israel
in
2009
and
Bulgaria
in
2012
. "Soldi" topped the charts in Greece, Israel, Italy and Lithuania and reached the top 10 in five more countries. The song became the most-streamed Eurovision song ever on
Spotify
, a record held until late January 2021 when it was surpassed by the 2019 Eurovision winner, "
Arcade
" by
Duncan Laurence
.
[7]
[8]
Background and composition
[
edit
]
Interviewed by
TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
, Mahmood revealed he started writing the song while hanging out with some friends.
[9]
Despite this, it took a long time for him to complete the song.
[10]
Producers Dardust and
Charlie Charles
contributed its sound, renewing it with contemporary elements borrowed from
trap music
.
[10]
[11]
Hip hop sounds are also mixed with Arabic influences.
[12]
The song structure does not include a proper chorus. According to Italian producer and musician Andrea Rodini, the song's hook is based on three different elements: the repetition of the word "soldi" (
money
), the verse "come va" (
what's up?
), pronounced multiple consecutive times, and the sound of clapping hands, which Rodini describes as a "cubistic" chorus.
[11]
"Soldi" is an autobiographic song about Mahmood's "unconventional family".
[13]
Its lyrics explore Mahmood's relationship with his father, who left his family while he was a child.
[14]
It depicts a lying, contradictory and unreliable father, whose main priority is money instead of his own family.
[15]
Money is therefore represented as one of the causes of the end of a father-and-son relationship, marking a strong departure from trap music themes, which usually depicts money as the ultimate goal of life.
[11]
Mahmood explained that the song's lyrics "evoke a memory" and that "there's a lot of anger" in it.
[13]
Its verses reproduce a series of different pictures, often used by Mahmood as metaphors.
[14]
[13]
The song also includes a sentence in Arabic. Although he cannot speak Arabic, Mahmood explained that he remembers how his Egyptian father called him when he was a child, and that he chose to include this verse as a way to bring him back to a particular moment in time.
[16]
Song contests
[
edit
]
Sanremo Music Festival
[
edit
]
In December 2018, Mahmood was one of 24 acts selected to compete in
Sanremo Giovani
, a televised competition aimed at selecting two newcomers as contestants of the
69th Sanremo Music Festival
.
[17]
Competing acts were split in two separate groups, which performed in different live shows. A winner from each group was declared, and Mahmood placed first in the second episode of the show, with his entry "Gioventu bruciata".
[18]
Mahmood also received the Critics' Award among acts performing in the second final.
[19]
"Soldi" was later announced as his entry for the Sanremo Music Festival 2019.
[20]
Mahmood performed the song for the first time during the first live show of the 69th Sanremo Music Festival, which was held on 5 February 2019. He was the 24th and final act to appear on stage, performing after midnight.
[21]
Dario "Dardust" Faini, co-writer of the song, directed the Sanremo Orchestra during his performance.
[22]
During the third live show, "Soldi" was the first performance of the night.
[23]
On 8 February 2019, Mahmood performed the song in a new version, featuring rapper
Gue Pequeno
.
[24]
During the first round of the final, "Soldi" placed 7th in the televote, but was the most voted by the experts jury, and the second most voted by the press jury.
[25]
As a result, Mahmood gained a spot in the top three acts of the competition. After an additional performance, the song was declared the winner of the 69th Sanremo Music Festival, beating
Ultimo
's "I tuoi particolari" and "Musica che resta" by
Il Volo
, which placed second and third, respectively.
[26]
Mahmood also received the "Enzo Jannacci" Award for Best Performance.
[27]
Eurovision Song Contest
[
edit
]
Following his win, it was confirmed by
RAI
and the
European Broadcasting Union
that Mahmood had accepted the invitation to represent Italy in the
Eurovision Song Contest
, which is given to the winner of the Sanremo Music Festival, and that he'd be performing "Soldi" at Eurovision.
[28]
As Italy is a member of the "
Big Five
", he automatically advanced to the final, held on 18 May 2019 in
Tel Aviv
, Israel. The song finished in second place with 472 points, and won the
Marcel Bezencon Composer Award
.
[29]
[30]
Music video
[
edit
]
The music video for "Soldi" was directed by Attilio Cusani.
[31]
As of December 2023, the video has over 206 million views on
YouTube
.
[32]
Track listings
[
edit
]
Digital download
(Benny Benassi Remix)
[33]
Title
|
---|
1.
| "Soldi" (Benny Benassi Remix)
| 3:00
|
---|
2.
| "Soldi" (Benny Benassi Extended Version)
| 3:40
|
---|
Digital download (Denis First Remix)
[34]
Title
|
---|
1.
| "Soldi" (Denis First Remix)
| 3:00
|
---|
Digital download (Vigiland Remix)
[35]
Title
|
---|
1.
| "Soldi" (Vigiland Remix)
| 2:56
|
---|
Digital download (
Isac Elliot
Remix)
[36]
Title
|
---|
1.
| "Soldi" (featuring Isac Elliot)
| 3:19
|
---|
Digital download (Spanish version)
[37]
Title
|
---|
1.
| "Soldi" (featuring Maikel Delacalle)
| 3:04
|
---|
Charts and certifications
[
edit
]
Weekly charts
[
edit
]
|
Year-end charts
[
edit
]
Certifications
[
edit
]
|
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Mahmood ha anticipato l'uscita del suo album"
(in Italian). Rockol. 14 February 2019
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Chi e Mahmood, il rapper vincitore del Festival di Sanremo 2019"
.
Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata
. 10 February 2019
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
"Mahmood: Videointervista Sanremo 2019. Porto una canzone con un tema forte... e Charlie Charles"
(in Italian). AllMusicItalia.it. 5 February 2019
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
Farren, Neil (10 February 2019).
"Italy: Mahmood to Eurovision 2019"
.
Eurovoix.com
.
- ^
Castagneri, Alice; Pavanello, Roberto (10 February 2019).
"Mahmood vince il Festival di Sanremo"
.
La Stampa
(in Italian)
. Retrieved
11 February
2019
.
- ^
"Mahmood rappresentera l'Italia all'Eurovision Song Contest con la canzone Soldi"
(in Italian). Rockol.it. 12 February 2019
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
"Italy: Mahmood's "Soldi" is now the most-streamed Eurovision song on Spotify"
. Wiwibloggs. 16 October 2019
. Retrieved
14 April
2020
.
- ^
"
"Arcade" passes "Soldi" as the most-streamed Eurovision entry on Spotify"
. ESCXTRA. 29 January 2021
. Retrieved
14 February
2021
.
- ^
"Sanremo 2019, intervista a Mahmood: Il cast di quest'anno e molto originale"
.
TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
(in Italian). 31 January 2019
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
a
b
"Mahmood, ecco il significato del testo di Soldi: Racconta la storia di una famiglia non tradizionale"
.
Il Fatto Quotidiano
. 10 February 2019.
- ^
a
b
c
Andrea Rodini (11 February 2019).
"Mahmood e Soldi: l'analisi della canzone, di Andrea Rodini"
(in Italian). Rockol.it
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
"Sanremo 2019: tutti i testi delle 24 canzoni in gara"
.
TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
(in Italian). 5 February 2019
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Sanremo, Mahmood: Soldi canzone autobiografica piena di rabbia"
.
Il Sole 24 Ore
(in Italian). 11 February 2019
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Mary Adorno (7 February 2019).
"Mahmood, il testo di Soldi, la canzone che parla di ricordi e ti fa sentire dentro un film"
.
Cosmopolitan
(in Italian)
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
Antonella Nesi (11 February 2019).
"Inviata Adnkronos: Perche ho votato Mahmood"
(in Italian).
Adnkronos
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
"Sanremo 2019, Mahmood: ecco testo e significato di Soldi, la canzone vincitrice"
.
Il Messaggero
(in Italian). 10 February 2019
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
"Sanremo Giovani 2019, ecco i 24 cantanti selezionati per la finale: tanti ex dei talent"
.
La Stampa
. 27 November 2018
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Sanremo Giovani, Mahmood vince la seconda finale e va in gara tra i big. A lui anche il Premio della Critica. La classifica"
(in Italian). Rockol.it. 22 December 2018
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
Giuseppe Candela (22 December 2018).
"Sanremo giovani, Mahmood e il vincitore della seconda serata. Ecco il cast completo di Sanremo 2019"
.
Il Fatto Quotidiano
(in Italian)
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Sanremo 2019: duetti, ospiti e ultime notizie dal Festival"
.
TV Sorrisi e Canzoni
(in Italian). 8 February 2019
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Sanremo 2019, la cronaca della prima serata"
.
Rolling Stone
(in Italian). 5 February 2019
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Mahmood vince Sanremo 2019, l'ascolano Dario Faini ha scritto la canzone"
.
Il Resto Del Carlino
(in Italian). 10 February 2019
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Sanremo 2019, terza serata: date la conduzione del Festival alla Vanoni, gli Zen Circus spaccano"
(in Italian). Rockol.it. 7 February 2019
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
Alessandra Vitali (8 February 2019).
"Sanremo, la quarta serata e dei duetti. Con Ligabue l'Ariston e rock, Anastasio canta gli sdraiati"
.
la Repubblica
(in Italian)
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Classifiche Sanremo 2019"
(PDF)
(in Italian).
RAI
.
- ^
Alberto Mattioli (10 February 2019).
"Mahmood vince il Festival di Sanremo, sul podio Ultimo e Il Volo"
.
La Stampa
(in Italian)
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Sanremo 2019, il Premio Enzo Jannacci assegnato da Nuovoimaie a Mahmood"
(in Italian). Rockol. 8 February 2019
. Retrieved
16 February
2019
.
- ^
"Italy: Mahmood confirms ? he WILL represent Italy at Eurovision 2019"
.
Wiwibloggs
. 12 February 2019
. Retrieved
25 May
2019
.
- ^
"EBU issues statement on Eurovision 2019 Grand Final jury result"
.
eurovision.tv
. 22 May 2019
. Retrieved
25 May
2019
.
- ^
"Here are the winners of the 2019 Marcel Bezencon Awards"
.
eurovision.tv
. 18 May 2019
. Retrieved
25 May
2019
.
- ^
"Mahmood e primo in tutte le classifiche"
(in Italian).
Adnkronos
. 11 February 2019
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
Mahmood
(5 February 2019).
"Mahmood ? Soldi (Prod. Dardust & Charlie Charles)"
. Retrieved
29 December
2019
– via
YouTube
.
- ^
"Soldi (Benny Benassi Remix) ? Single by Mahmood"
.
iTunes
. 8 March 2019
. Retrieved
9 April
2019
.
- ^
"Soldi (Denis First Remix) ? Single by Mahmood"
.
iTunes
. 15 March 2019
. Retrieved
9 April
2019
.
- ^
"Soldi (Vigiland Remix) ? Single by Mahmood"
.
iTunes
. 22 March 2019
. Retrieved
9 April
2019
.
- ^
"Soldi ? Single by Mahmood"
.
iTunes
. 10 May 2019
. Retrieved
10 May
2019
.
- ^
"Soldi ? Single by Mahmood"
.
iTunes
. 10 May 2019
. Retrieved
10 May
2019
.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
(in German).
O3 Austria Top 40
. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
(in Dutch).
Ultratop 50
. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
(in French).
Ultratip
. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
- ^
"ARC 100 ? datum: 3. lipnja 2019"
. HRT. Archived from
the original
on 4 June 2019
. Retrieved
4 June
2019
.
- ^
Nestor, Siim (28 May 2019).
"EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: Rammstein ja Tyler lomastasid Billie Eilishi 0"
.
Eesti Ekspress
(in Estonian)
. Retrieved
30 May
2019
.
- ^
"The week of February 23, 2019"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
13 August
2019
.
- ^
"Tops de la Semaine ? Top Singles ? Semaine du 23 aout 2019"
(in French).
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
. Retrieved
26 December
2020
.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? {{{song}}}"
(in German).
GfK Entertainment charts
. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
- ^
"Official IFPI Charts ? Digital Singles Chart (International) ? Week: 21/2019"
.
IFPI Greece
. Archived from
the original
on 3 June 2019
. Retrieved
3 June
2019
.
- ^
"Lagalistinn Vika 27 ? 2019"
(in Icelandic). Tonlistinn
. Retrieved
8 July
2019
.
- ^
"Irish-charts.com ? Discography Mahmood"
.
Irish Singles Chart
. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- ^
"Year 2019, Week 24"
. Media Forest Israel. Archived from
the original
on 5 November 2016
. Retrieved
16 June
2019
.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
.
Top Digital Download
. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^
"M?zikas pat?ri?a tops Latvij? 21. ned??a, 2019. gads, singli"
(in Latvian). LaIPA. Archived from
the original
on 14 February 2020
. Retrieved
17 February
2021
.
- ^
"2019 21-os SAVAIT?S (gegu??s 17?23 d.) SINGL? TOP100"
(in Lithuanian).
AGATA
. 24 May 2019
. Retrieved
10 October
2019
.
- ^
"Chart Search ? Mahmood ? Luxembourg Digital Song Sales"
.
Billboard
. Archived from
the original
on 29 May 2019
. Retrieved
30 May
2019
.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
(in Dutch).
Single Top 100
. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
.
VG-lista
. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
.
AFP Top 100 Singles
. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
- ^
"Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
Canciones Top 50
. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
.
Singles Top 100
. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^
"
Mahmood ? Soldi"
.
Swiss Singles Chart
. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^
"Official Singles Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- ^
"Tonlistinn ? Log ? 2019"
(in Icelandic). Plotutiðindi
. Retrieved
29 November
2021
.
- ^
"Top of the Music FIMI/GfK 2019: Un anno con la musica Italiana"
(Download the attachment and open the Singoli file)
(in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana
. Retrieved
10 January
2020
.
- ^
"Top 100 Canciones + Streaming Anual 2019"
(in Spanish).
Productores de Musica de Espana
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 4 February 2020
. Retrieved
27 January
2021
.
- ^
"Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2019"
.
hitparade.ch
. Retrieved
31 December
2019
.
- ^
"French single certifications ? Mahmood ? Soldi"
(in French).
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
. Retrieved
23 January
2020
.
- ^
"Italian single certifications ? Mahmood ? Soldi"
(in Italian).
Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana
. Retrieved
12 August
2019
.
Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Soldi" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
- ^
"Wyro?nienia ? Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku"
(in Polish).
Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry
. Retrieved
13 August
2021
.
- ^
"Spanish single certifications"
(in Spanish).
Productores de Musica de Espana
. Retrieved
1 October
2019
.
Select Canciones under "Categoria", select
2019
under "Ano". Select
10
under "Semana". Click on "BUSCAR LISTA".
- ^
"IFPI Charts ? Digital Singles Chart (International) ? Εβδομ?δα: 21/2021"
(in Greek).
IFPI Greece
. Retrieved
7 June
2021
.
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Studio albums
| |
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Singles
| |
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Featured singles
| |
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Related articles
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Participation
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- Note: Entries scored out signify where Italy did not compete
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Semi-finals
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Withdrawn
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Artists
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Songs
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List of Eurovision Song Contest 2019 jurors
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