Uncle crazy about the festival, Calcutta’s influence, love between two women. Aries to Sanremo 2023: I don’t want to be a Lgbtq+ icon – The interview

It’s only two years since I started watching Sanremo. The first one I watched was the one in 2021 because Madame, my friend, was participating. This is how singer Arianna Del Giaccio, a.k.a. Aries, describes her look as a 20-year-old artist who will take the Ariston stage for the first time. My parents were never big TV viewers either, but of TV in general. Except for my uncle Marco: every year, since he works, he takes a week off just to follow the Festival. He’s a huge fan … I just let you imagine his reaction when I told him I would be in the competition. The song the artist will bring to the Amadeus stage is Mare di guai: a love story between two women that has come to an end. I hope that in 10 years’ time there will be such sensitivity that no one will be affected or care if I go out holding hands with a girl, the singer comments to Open, stressing that she is a big fan of the motto ‘live and let live.’ She has always fought for issues affecting the Lgbtqia+ community: Everything I do in support of civil rights I do because I’m Arianna, not Aries. I was behind it even before I was a singer, but I don’t want to become any icon because of that. I think the more we mouth about the issue, the more we emphasize its diversity. The message of my song is meant to be inclusive, but in the sense that it addresses everyone, not just the Lgbtqia+ community.

Why did I choose Sea of Trouble? It’s because of Calcutta

Sea of Trouble was written together with Calcutta and was produced by Dardust. But the choice was not immediate, the singer reveals. There was also another track that sounded interesting to me, but Calcutta’s influence played a big part. He is one of my favorite artists, as is Dardust, and when he told me, ‘This is the track for Sanremo,’ I trusted him. It is, however, a lyric that was not designed specifically for the Festival. Aries had already written it in July and then left it aside several months. But then listening to it several times, with the shutters closed, I realized it was the right choice and I was convinced.

The sharks I mention in the text? They are my paranoia

The lyrics are melancholy, Aries readily admits. There are many melancholy songs I’ve done. But this lyric is different from the others because I’ve never done such a deep focus on myself and the people in my life, the artist continues. At one point in the song the cantante uses the shark metaphor. They are nothing but all the paranoia and insecurities of a 20-year-old girl, adding to this surreal situation I’ve been in for a couple of years: the music world. A firecracker that exploded in my hand, Aries explains.

Clues about FantaSanremo

Finally, the singer partly confirmed what she has already anticipated in recent weeks on her social media. Fanta Sanremo is a nice thing to play with. I also talked to the guys behind it, who also made the hat malus joke to me. What I can tell you is that we are working on it. Aries is, in fact, known to always wear a cap in her public appearances. Will she have it on the Festival as well? Will she remove it to let whoever put her on the FantaSanremo team win? It is not yet known. What is certain is that she is sowing some clues. After she already made a tweet last Dec. 18 announcing, Yes I read the FantaSanremo rules. I will do everything I can to make sure you win it all.

The Sanremo 2023 special

• The rules of the Sanremo 2023 Festival
• Sanremo 2023, who are the Festival guests?
• Sanremo 2023, who are the co-hosts of the Festival?
• Sanremo 2023, the covers and duets of the fourth night of the Festival

The lyrics of the songs

• Anna Oxa – Sali (Song of the Soul)
• Aries – Sea of Trouble | Colla Zio – Non mi va
• Coma_Cose – L’addio
• I Cugini di Campagna – Lettera 22
• Elodie – Due
• Gianluca Grignani – Quando ti manca il fiato
• gIANMARIA – Mostro
• Leo Gassmann – Terzo cuore
• Mara Sattei – Duemilaminuti
• Marco Mengoni – Due vite
• Mr. Rain – Superheroes
• Olly – Dust | Ultimo – Alba

Eloise Bouton

Eloise Bouton is a French independent journalist, feminist, sex life coach, author, a specialist in LGBTQI+ issues, founder of the website Madame Rap, co-founder of the House of Consent project, and former activist of the Femen movement.