Mahmood Blanco

“Brividi” is Mahmood & Blanco‘s entry for Sanremo 2022. The duo joined forces specifically for the Festival and have already won the favour of music critics who have listened to the Sanremo songs at a special pre-listening session. Betting agencies have responded to the hype, putting them at the top of the Sanremo odds table. But what do the lyrics mean? And what do the “shivers” of the title refer to?

Scroll down for the “Brividi” lyrics

Sanremo 2022: Mahmood & Blanco “Brividi”

Mahmood returns to the Festival three years after winning with “Soldi“, which went on to place second at Eurovision 2019. Having conquered many fans across Europe and the world, he won’t be intimidated by the Festival stage. Besides 2019, Mahmood previously competed in the Sanremo 2016’s Newcomers category, placing fourth with “Dimentica“.

Blanco was the revelation artist of 2021 in Italy. At only 18 years old, he has already achieved more than one million copies sold and produced 25 platinum records with only one album release — the chart-topping project “Blu celeste“.

What do the “Brividi” lyrics mean?

Mahmood and Blanco wrote the song together with the producer Michele Zocca, aka Michelangelo. It’s an engaging ballad that — through some special alchemy — unites the artists’ distinctive styles. The lyrics emphasize the insecurities and mistakes of those who don’t always know how to love. “Naked with shivers, sometimes I don’t know how to express myself,” they sing in a contemporary track that caresses tradition.

The two singers explain: “Brividi has an important message, that of freedom, which is a universal theme. The desire to express all the love possible, even when there’s the fear of making mistakes and feeling inadequate, unable to convey what you feel.”

“Brividi” lyrics – Mahmood & Blanco (Sanremo 2022)

Written and composed by: Alessandro Mahmoud, Riccardo Fabbriconi, Michele Zocca

Italian text

Ho sognato di volare con te
Su una bici di diamanti.
Mi hai detto sei cambiato,
Non vedo più la luce nei tuoi occhi

La tua paura cos’è?
Un mare dove non tocchi mai
Anche se il sesso non è
La via di fuga dal fondo

Dai, non scappare da qui
Non lasciarmi così
Nudo con i brividi
A volte non so esprimermi

E ti vorrei amare, ma sbaglio sempre
E ti vorrei rubare un cielo di perle
E pagherei per andar via,
Accetterei anche una bugia

E ti vorrei amare ma sbaglio sempre
E mi vengono i brividi, brividi, brividi

Tu, che mi svegli il mattino
Tu, che sporchi il letto di vino
Tu, che mi mordi la pelle
Con i tuoi occhi da vipera

E tu, sei il contrario di un angelo
E tu, sei come un pugile all’angolo
E tu scappi da qui, mi lasci così

Nudo con i brividi
A volte non so esprimermi

E ti vorrei amare, ma sbaglio sempre
E ti vorrei rubare un cielo di perle
E pagherei per andar via,
Accetterei anche una bugia

E ti vorrei amare ma sbaglio sempre
E mi vengono i brividi, brividi, brividi

Dimmi che non ho ragione,
Vivo dentro una prigione,
Provo a restarti vicino
Ma scusa se poi mando tutto a puttane

Non so dirti ciò che provo, è un mio limite
Per un ti amo ho mischiato droghe e lacrime
Questo veleno che ci sputiamo ogni giorno
Io non lo voglio più addosso

Lo vedi, sono qui,
Su una bici di diamanti, uno fra tanti
Nudo con i brividi
A volte non so esprimermi

E ti vorrei amare, ma sbaglio sempre
E ti vorrei rubare un cielo di perle
E pagherei per andar via
Accetterei anche una bugia

E ti vorrei amare, ma sbaglio sempre
E mi vengono i brividi, brividi, brividi



English translation

I dreamed of flying with you
On a bike of diamonds.
You told me, You’ve changed,
I no longer see the light in your eyes

What is your fear?
A sea where you never touch
Even if sex is not
The way out from the bottom

Come on, don’t run away from here
Don’t leave me like this
Naked with shivers
Sometimes I don’t know how to express myself

And I’d like to love you but I’m always wrong
And I’d like to steal you a sky of pearls
And I would pay to go away,
I would even accept a lie

And I would love you but I’m always wrong
And I get shivers, shivers, shivers

You, who wake me up in the morning
You, who dirty the bed with wine
You, who bite my skin
With your viper eyes

And you, you are the opposite of an angel
And you, you are like a boxer in the corner
And you run away from here, leaving me like this

Naked with shivers
Sometimes I don’t know how to express myself

And I would like to love you, but I’m always wrong
And I would like to steal you a sky of pearls
And I would pay to go away
I would even accept a lie

And I would love you but I’m always wrong
And I get shivers, shivers, shivers

Tell me I’m not right
I live inside a prison,
I try to stay close to you
And I’m sorry if I f*ck it all up

I can’t tell you what I feel, it’s my limitation
For an “I love you” I mixed drugs and tears
This poison that we spit every day
I don’t want it on me anymore

You see, I’m here
On a bike of diamonds, one among many
Naked with shivers
Sometimes I don’t know how to express myself

And I’d like to love you, but I’m always wrong
And I would like to steal you a sky of pearls
And I would pay to go away
I would even accept a lie

And I would love you, but I’m always wrong
And I get shivers, shivers, shivers

What do you think of “Brividi”? Could it win Sanremo? Would it work at Eurovision? Comment below.

24 Comments
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Mexo
Mexo
2 years ago

I really, really hope this won’t turn out to be just another example of queerbaiting.

Maria
Maria
1 year ago
Reply to  Mexo

I afraid that, unfortunately, this song is queerbaiting in action – many people will spot it immediately. It won’t win.

Aarwel
Aarwel
2 years ago

Next year in Rome! This song is probably the winner of 2022! What a great song!

Scorpion
Scorpion
2 years ago

the english lyrics don`t make justice to the italian lyrics. For example, in the english lyrics, the gender is not visible, but in the italian lyrics, it shows that 2 men are in love but are fighting over their love. the italian lyrics are more poetic and tell a story. the english lyrics loose their humanity. this is a story about gay love

Joe Lestingi
Joe Lestingi
2 years ago
Reply to  Scorpion

I don’t really see it, the only gendered phrase in the song is “sei cambiato” referring to a guy, whoever says that could be another guy or girl, there’s no specific. The song is in the point of view of a guy, talking about whoever the other lover is. But if you see it that way, then ok. I see it as a guy who can’t get himself to love his girlfriend anymore.

Blanco is straight, Mahmood is fluid.
To each, their own interpretation.

Edoardo
Edoardo
2 years ago
Reply to  Joe Lestingi

If you watch their live performance you can understand they represented gay love, which makes this song incredibly powerful since something like this never happened in Sanremo before. The song itself can of course be applied to whatever type of love, but their interpretation left no space for the doubt. The fact that Blanco is straight just makes all of this even more meaningful. He looks like the most beautiful redesign of what masculinity should be, somehow, to me. Tears.

Daxp
Daxp
2 years ago
Reply to  Joe Lestingi

The gender is explicit for both interlocutors actually. These are definitely 2 men talking to each other. Mahmood sings “sei cambiato” (“you’ve changed”) at the start, but also “sono uno fra i tanti” (“I’m one of many”) towards the end of the song, meaning he’s male and the person in front of him also is. When Mahmood and Blanco harmonise, and sing to each other simultaneously in the chorus, the lyrics include “mi lasci nudo” (“you leave me naked”). Again “nudo” is a masculine adjective (“a naked man”), so they are both male.

Last edited 2 years ago by Daxp
There is a light guiding my way
There is a light guiding my way
2 years ago
Reply to  Scorpion

I definitely got some gay vibes from their performance, but was unsure whether I read it right, so I went to look up the story of the song. Tbh the translation didn’t help me much. But if you guys say so in the comments, then I guess I gotta believe you. And glad to see I’m not the only one who got those vibes.

Dyssomnia
Dyssomnia
2 years ago
Reply to  Scorpion

Had you watched the video carefully, you can see that Mahmood is hanging out with a guy and Blanco with a girl. They share the sentiment, but have different people in mind when singing. This is a song about love, period. All kinds of it.

Dan
Dan
2 years ago

I’m Italian and I’m extremely disappointed specially because both of them are amazing artists. We were expecting something full of energy (even if it was a ballad) but this was just… Bland.

Gogi
Gogi
2 years ago
Reply to  Dan

I’m Italian and I don’t know what are you talking about, THEY ARE PERFECT

John
John
2 years ago

I love their voices and the two together, but the song is probably not strong enough to win.

Maria
Maria
1 year ago
Reply to  John

This song is queerbaiting in action – many people will spot it immediately. It won’t win.

Serafina
Serafina
2 years ago

They’re both so iconic, it feels like they already won and the song isn’t even out yet so I just hope it matches our high expetations lol

Matt Church
Matt Church
2 years ago

This is the one in Sanremo I am most anxious to see.

Isabella
Isabella
2 years ago

I love this duo. they’re my winners idc

Ukraine stan
Ukraine stan
2 years ago

I can’t express how much I love this promo photo. Mahmood is all serious and Blanco is doing this stupid little dance. Almost looks like Blanco wasn’t told that this was a ballad while Mahmood is struggling to figure out how to tell him. This picture is pure art I want it on my wall.

Rich
Rich
2 years ago

Is there YouTube video?

Vincenzo
Vincenzo
2 years ago
Reply to  Rich

There will be a youtube video only after the song is presented on the stage. So probably tomorrow or wednesday after the performance of all the songs on the stage, all the videos will be released on youtube.

ete sech
ete sech
2 years ago

It’s either them or Elisa for the win, and it’s sensible to say both entries would be actual contenders for the win in May. I can’t wait to hear this year’s entries!

Tzs
Tzs
2 years ago

Vaiiiiii Italia – fingers crossed

Ukraine stan
Ukraine stan
2 years ago

If any country would win twice in a row in the 21st Century, it would be Italy and it would be these two

Aja
Aja
2 years ago
Reply to  Ukraine stan

Most probably

Escvegi
Escvegi
2 years ago

Mahmood and Blanco are my two favourite Italian artists right now and them collaborating is a dream. They will win Sanremo and Eurovision for sure.