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Lucio Corsi

text Martina Olivieri

April 28, 2025

Lucio Corsi tells his story: from Maremma to Eurovision

A journey through music, poetry and gentle rebellion with the Tuscan artist

Lucio Corsi’s world is painted in colours, poetry, roots, and dreams. The 32-year-old singer-songwriter from Castiglione della Pescaia – guided by fellow Tuscan creative Matteo Zanobini – brought his enchanting, fairytale-like vision to the stage of this year’s Sanremo Music Festival, captivating the audience with his unique artistry. His song Volevo essere un duro (I Wanted to Be a Tough Guy) claimed second place and earned him the prestigious Mia Martini Critics’ Award. But this is just the beginning. His fourth studio album, sharing the same title, has just been released, and next up is the Eurovision Song Contest, where Lucio is set to bring his magic to an even bigger stage. It’s a golden chapter for the artist, who often returns to his roots in Macchiascandona – a tiny village in the heart of the Maremma where his family runs a traditional restaurant – to recharge, find inspiration, and continue evolving.

Lucio Corsi (ph. Simone Biavati)

Your new album feels like a journey through memory. How much of it is you, and how much comes from others?

It’s an album that holds my childhood and teenage years, but also those of people I’ve met – or imagined – along the way. I’m fascinated by the idea of reinventing the past through music, because surprises don’t only come from looking ahead. I’ve blended my memories with those of others to uncover new shades even in what’s already been.

What sets this album apart from your previous ones?

In the past, I’ve always explored people through imagery – darkness, the night, waves, dreams, animals. This time, I wanted to change perspective: instead of a drone flying above the scene, I imagined a fixed camera at street level. I wanted to be more grounded, more direct – like the great singer-songwriters I admire – while still leaving room for imagination.

The album cover features a painting by your mother, Nicoletta Rabiti. How did that idea come about?

My mum has been painting as a hobby all her life, and I love having her behind the artwork on my album covers. It all started back in 2020 with the red-haired ballerina on the cover of Cosa faremo da grandi?, a painting that had been hanging in our home since I was a child. I love that something I’d seen every day growing up eventually became an album cover… that it transformed into something new. It’s a tradition that really means a lot to me.

Cover singolo Volo essere un duro, Lucio Corsi

Does art play an important role in your music?

I’ve always loved the paintings of Antonio Ligabue, an artist who, once he’d finished a piece, would ride around on his motorbike with the canvas strapped to his back to show it to the village. There’s something deeply moving about that.

And what about the tour, how have you envisioned it?

There are seven of us on stage, and I switch between electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonica. It’s a rock and roll show, with a mix of songs rearranged in new ways. For the gigs in the racecourses, I’d love to expand the lineup with brass and percussion, but at its core, I’ll be playing with the same band I started out with back in high school. That really fills me with pride. I can’t wait.

After your big success at Sanremo, next up is Eurovision. What’s your mindset going into it?

The same as Sanremo. No fireworks – just music and instruments. I’ll be performing the same song I brought to Sanremo, and the show will be stripped-back and heartfelt. Tommaso (Ottomano, my co-writer, photographer, and video director, who was also with me on stage at Sanremo) will be by my side once again. I might bring an extra harmonica.

One of the key figures in your album is your friend and photographer Francis Delacroix, who also shot the photo you used to announce your Eurovision appearance. How do you see yourself through his lens? I feel completely comfortable around him. His photos have a kind of rhythm, as if they’re not just capturing images, but sounds too. His black and white isn’t still or silent, it has depth, almost like it’s painted in colour. Every shot tells a story, and when I look at them, I can hear a chorus of voices inside.

Lucio Corsi (ph. Tommaso Ottomano)

After everything you’ve experienced, do you ever wish you’d been tougher?

Not at all. I feel calm and content. I’m lucky to be surrounded by friends and people who keep me grounded. I don’t think I ever needed a thicker skin. What matters most is staying focused on the music. That’s what’s guided me all along.

Does your homeland, the Maremma, shape the way you are as an artist?

Very much so. The big city – Milan – gave me the chance to make music and find my path, but the Maremma is where I go to reconnect. I feel lucky to have been born there. In the Maremma, trees grow and dig their own resting place in the same patch of earth – they stay rooted, but always reach for the sky. That’s a lesson I carry with me: keep your feet on the ground, but never stop dreaming.

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