From ancient trees to childhood bullies, the Tuscan songwriter transforms memory into melody on his vulnerable yet powerful fourth album.
Just days after gracing the Eurovision stage in Basel, Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Corsi has unveiled his fourth studio album, Volevo essere un duro. Released today, March 21, 2025, via Sugar Music, the album builds on the momentum of the title track, which earned him second place at Sanremo 2025 and the prestigious Mia Martini Critics Prize, ultimately leading to his selection as Italy’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.
The single Volevo essere un duro (“I wanted to be a tough guy”) debuted on February 12, 2025, and quickly resonated with critics and audiences alike. Co-written by Corsi with Tommaso Ottomano and produced with Antonio Cupertino, the glam-rock ballad explores identity, emotional vulnerability, and the weight of expectations.
During Sanremo, Corsi described the song’s message in an interview with Corriere della Sera: “It talks about the idea that this world would like us to be infallible, solid as stones and perfect as flowers, without telling us that flowers hang by a thread… Often, it is also easy not to become what one dreamed of.”
Since its release, the track has reached #3 on Italy’s FIMI Singles Chart, #6 on national airplay charts, and entered the Swiss charts at #35 following Corsi’s Eurovision performance. It has also been certified Gold in Italy, with over 100,000 combined units sold and streamed.
The accompanying music video, directed by Ottomano, features Italian actors Massimo Ceccherini, Leonardo Pieraccioni, and Laura Locatelli. As RaiNews reported, the video includes references to The Exorcist, Back to the Future, Michael Jackson’s Black or White, and Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, reinforcing Corsi’s flair for theatrical, surreal visual storytelling.
Now, with the full album available, listeners can explore the broader world behind the song. In an interview with TG1 Rai, Corsi explained: “After about two years, I found nine different songs and convinced them to live in the same building.” The album’s characters include Francis Delacroix, a possibly fictional photographer from Volpiano, and Rocco, a childhood bully—part of a cast drawn from memories, imagination, and in-between.
Corsi further told RaiNews: “In this album, I tried to express a transformation—especially lyrically—while keeping my feet on the ground. I tried to sing clearly and directly about people.”
The album has garnered praise from Italian music critics. Andrea Laffranchi of Corriere della Sera described the title track as having “the delicacy of Ivan Graziani and the panache of glam rock.” Rockol praised its “arrangement that, between strings and guitars, has a 70s flavor almost like Elton John.” Meanwhile, All Music Italia noted that the track opens Corsi up to a broader audience through its melodic accessibility and lyrical clarity—a departure from the more eccentric songwriting of his previous albums.
The full tracklist for Volevo essere un duro includes:
- Tu sei il mattino
- Sigarette
- Volevo essere un duro
- Francis Delacroix
- Let There Be Rocko
- Il Re del rave
- Situazione complicata
- Questa vita
- Nel cuore della notte
While Eurovision 2025, held March 17 at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, gave Corsi a major international platform, it’s in this album that his storytelling voice truly unfolds. Drawing inspiration from figures like Lucio Dalla, Ivan Graziani, Edoardo Bennato, and the narrative songwriting of Enzo Jannacci, Corsi continues a tradition that celebrates the overlooked, the eccentric, and the deeply human.
Though the Eurovision trophy eluded him, Corsi’s performance left a lasting impression—marked by poetry, vulnerability, and quiet brilliance. It’s a rare artistry that resonates long after the stage lights fade.
