The final night of the Sanremo Music Festival 2016 gave us plenty of drama. Fan favourites Annalisa and Arisa missed out on the top 3, whilst Stadio went on to win this year’s competition ahead of Francesca Michielin and Giovanni Caccamo & Deborah Iurato.
But after a long night, RAI have confirmed that Francesca will represent Italy at Eurovision 2016. RAI’s short press release seems to suggest that the Sanremo runner-up will sing “Nessun grado di separazione”. However, the official Eurovision website is more coy, saying that the full details have yet to be confirmed.
Francesca excitedly broke the news on Twitter earlier this afternoon.
????È ufficiale: Francesca rappresenterà l’Italia nell’edizione 2016 dell’Eurovision a Stoccolma!!! #Sanremo2016 @Eurovision ????
— Francesca Michielin (@francescacheeks) February 14, 2016
Francesca Michielin “Nessun grado di separazione”
This comes after over twelve hours of uncertainty. Upon their victory, Stadio immediately turned down the chance to represent Italy at Eurovision 2016, as you can see in the tweet below. However, they later said that they would “think about it” and reconsider their decision.
#Sanremo2016 Congratulation Stadio! Stadio won’t take advantage of the opportunity to represent Italy in the next #Eurovision Song Contest.
— Eurovision Rai (@EurovisionRai) February 14, 2016
Another press conference took place on Sunday morning. After the discussion on the show’s overall success from Rai’s Giancarlo Leone, host Carlo Conti spoke to Stadio over the phone. The result? The group clarified that they were still undecided. The final decision was made behind closed doors.
Are you happy with Rai’s decision? Who did you want to represent Italy? Let us know below!
Italy can won with this song and Francesca’s voice. I love it <3
12 Points. In the end a classic italian ballad 🙂
Well, it’s a nice song, maybe a bit boring but i think she will do well, specially with the juries
She sounds like Laura Pausini when she started her career.
Let’s just hope she’ll opt for a different song.
Gratz Francesca Michielin for your wonderful song. Make all the critics wrong because you have the voice to impress Europe with this quiet yet superior song.
1. Malta
2. Belgium
3. Spain
4. Denmark
5. Ireland
6. Switzerland
7. Belarus
8. Austria
9. Cyprus
10. Albania
11. Italy ( really bad singer )
Her Sanremo song reminds me of “Et uuk saaks alguse,” except significantly less interesting. A ballad in C major with a generic chord progression and an unimpressive melody. Maybe if I understood the Italian lyrics I’d appreciate it more, but it seems to me like they’d better choose another song.
There is a song in Francesca’s album in English linguage. Maybe she wants sing that…
http://youtu.be/2cW1Ug-edyE
They should have chosen Annalisa instead but I doubt that could happen with the kind of rules that San Remo has where the runner-up gets chosen in case of the winner if the winner does not want to go to Eurovision. Well, least I can hope for is that Francesca gets a song that suits her because she might be able to keep Italy in the Top 10.
@PaulB that’s an issue with Facebook’s cache. It remembers exactly what was first published, with breaking news there’s often small mixups like this. At the time the story was published all the Italian media were reporting that both the song and singer were confirmed for Stockholm, in fact many outlets still are saying this. Doubt only emerged after the official Eurovision site published their article, well after the news broke.
Anthony, I’ve read the whole article, I suggest you go to the Wiwi Facebook page and follow the link to this article. See what it says about the singer and song then get back to me ????
Creó que le irá bien con el jurado, no pienso lo mismo con el televoto, mucha suerte
Dear PaulB
DONT be so stupid. Good reporting gets the news out their. I’m greatful that wiwibloggs has pointed the song out to me as it would have passed me by. So regardless of if its the song, I now know something about the singer and will probably download the song if available.
Cheers wiwibloggs and up@ours PaulB – take you head out and see the light! X
After comeback in 2011, Italy with man singer get best result 2 nd place in 2011, 7 place in 2013, 3 rd place in 2015. With female singers, in 2012 they are on 9 place , in 2014 only 21 place.
Next year Italy will send another man singer or man group.
The press release doesn’t actually say that the song is “Nessun grado di separazione”. It says, in general, that Stadio will be replaced by Francesca Michielin, because she’s the 2nd classified with the song “Nessun grado di Separazione”.
So it’s not really clear if it means “Francesca, who sang Nessun grado di separazione in Sanremo” or “Francesca, who will sing Nessun grado di separazione at the Eurovision Song Contest”.
Considering the official Eurovision website, I’d go for the first option. And I hope it is the case, she has much more to offer than this song.
PaulB. If you’ve actually read the whole article, you would’ve spotted this on the second paragraph:
“RAI’s short press release seems to suggest that the Sanremo runner-up will sing “Nessun grado di separazione”. However, the official Eurovision website is more coy, saying that the full details have yet to be confirmed.”
I can’t believe they’ve actually chosen this girl over Analissa or even Lorenzo Fragola. This is just so lame, boring, nothing special at all. I hope, at least, the change the song and manage to reach the top 10. As it is right now, I see Italy ending up bottom 5 for the first time since their return.
Why write a report saying this is the entry when there is no official confirmation especially on the OFFICIAL website that this is the entry? Terrible reporting once again from this site
Just had a good look at her discography & past XF performances. It’s quite good. There’s definitely a 80% chance they will choose a different song for ESC because I don’t think her San Remo will reach Top 10 unlike Mengoni and Il Volo.
I enjoyed this while I was listening but it really hasn’t made an impact. I can’t remember at all how it goes just minutes after listening to it. Hmm, not a bad song by any means just underwhelming.
beautiful song and beautiful singer. Italy for the top 10 one more year
Happy she’s coming in May. I have to listen to her Sanremo song again cause I didn’t really fall in love with it the first time. Actually, I didn’t feel most of this year’s Sanremo songs.
This song is amazing and would make Italy easily my number one – like last year 😀
So far my favourite is my own country’s song “Loin d’ici”, but I think it is not necessary to win so soon again. I can wait until I am very very old.
Sanremo is not a national final specially having the purpose of sending a winner to Eurovision – and the wise old men who won the Sanremo did the right thing as giving their ticket to Francesca Michielin. Sometimes, Sanremo winner’s standarts fits in the world of Eurovision, but sometimes not. 2013 is a good example – Marco is an amazing singer, but his great Sanremo hit ‘L’essenziale’ wasn’t belong to Eurovision, eventually finished seventh. This year, if Stadio would have sent to Stockholm, Italy couldn’t make it to the top ten. Francesca’s sound is much more Eurovision-friendly. My expectations are… Read more »
Top 10 for sure if they send this song. Absolutely love it.
Lots of Eurovision contestants haven’t won their national finals. Some of them don’t even go through national finals. It’s really not a prediction of their ESC results.
Ann-Sophie didn’t win the German final, she finished last. Loïc Nottet only placed second in The Voice Belgique (which the RTBF has been using as a national final recently), he still placed 4th at ESC. Francesca didn’t win Sanremo, but she won the Italian X Factor. Who knows what she will score at ESC?
Just because a situation happens once doesn’t mean it will systematically repeat.
I hope she keeps her Sanremo song, this is a HUGE improvement on Il Volo imo.
Seems like Germany last year…and we all know how THAT turned out
This isn’t even a good song, for me it’s quiet mediocre… but as we all know, it will be in top 15 for sure just because is Italy.
The song is alright, but nerves get the better of her and so her live performance just isn’t up to scratch. I’d guess middle of the scoreboard in May.
@boringg
So you’d rather have a guy with a terrible song?? As long as the women have quality songs and there is a great variety between the entries i don’t see the problem.
She is the right choice for the ESC. Young and fresh. Italy will not win but another good result is very much possible.
@boringgg – What a disgraceful, bigoted comment.
It’s a strong entry, really pretty but will it be remembered? Italy performed 27th (last) in 2015 and i don’t think they will again. My top 10!:
1. Austria
2. Italy
3. Spain
4. Switzerland
5. Malta
6. Denmark
7. Albania
8. Belarus
9. Belgium
10. Ireland (live performance was verrrrrrrrrrry bad)
If they send this song but cut in 3 minutes, I think Italy wili be between 8 to 12 place in final, thanks to overrated votes from juries.
Next woman? Boring, but OK, gays will be happy 😀
Going from the highs of Il Volo to this mediocre song. Wtf Italy?
At least change it. Good luck.
Will some country offer a good song at last? Or no? Latvia (if Justs) is the ONLY one that I like. And I doubt that it will change in the upcoming weeks. I hope it will.
Yay the quality of esc 2016 just got a little bit higher again! 🙂
OMG YES I’M SO HAPPY!!!!! Love her!!!
It’s not her best song so I hope they change, however this one still is amazing!
One of the worst performances in San Remo, she was often off pitch, tiny voice. Her face showed fear and she was looking scared. This time Italy bottom 5.
Anyway, if not with “Nessun grado di separazione”, I’d really like her to go with “Sons and daughters” or “Tutto questo vento”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cW1Ug-edyE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1VZLMpAVSQ
They’d be great choices, but actually I’m pretty sure she’ll go with her Sanremo song. At least, so is said in almost every italian website.
I doubt we’ll see a more beautiful title in Eurovision this year. That said, the song doesn’t quite live up to the promise of its name.
ooh Italy! you NEVER disappoint me! AMAZING singer and song, I can´t stop litening to it, it´s so classy, elegant, well produced….it´s JUST EVERYTHING, #GoItlay #LatinCountriesFotTheWin
I saw her RT a tweet saying this was her eurovision song, but I think they are going to wait and see if people like it and if it’s not well recieved they’ll change it, that’s how I feel about the non confirmation about the song
You should mention that it’s not been decided yet that her winning song will be the one she will perform in Stockholm. According to Eurovision.tv news about her participation AND the song she will perform will be revealed in the coming days. Whether it will be a confirmation of the song or something new we have to wait and see
The song she will sing is yet to be confirmed, it’s not Nessun grado di separazione yet.
AMAZING song! Well done Italia. So happy! 🙂
Great song! Top 5 for sure, possible winner. My fave so far.
They haven’t confirmed what song she’ll sing.
1. Italy
2. Ireland/Belgium/Denmark
5. Spain/Belarus
7. Albania/Switzerland
9. Malta/Austria