Italy’s representative at the 58th Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö is the 24-year old singer-songwriter Marco Mengoni, who rose to national fame after winning the third series of the talent show ‘X Factor‘. In February 2013, Mengoni competed in the 63rd Festival di Sanremo, and Italian broadcaster RAI offered him to represent the country at Eurovision. In an internal selection, Marco’s Sanremo winning song L’Essenziale, composed by Francesco De Benedittis, Roberto Casalino and Marco Mengoni himself, with lyrics by Roberto Casalino, was chosen to compete in Malmö. After its release, L’Essenziale shot to the no. 1 spot of the Italian singles chart where it stayed for eight consecutive weeks.

Italy was one of the seven nations debuting in the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. The country won the Contest on two occasions, in 1964 with Gigliola Cinquetti (Non Ho L’Età) and in 1990 with Toto Cutugno (Insieme: 1992), finished in second place twice, in 1974 with Gigliola Cinquetti (Si) and in 2011 with Raphael Gualazzi (Madness Of Love).

“L’Essenziale” is the 39th Italian entry to the ESC and will be performed in the Grand Final on 18 May. You can find Marco on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/marcomengoniofficial

Read more to watch the official music video…

Italy’s representative at the 58th Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö is the 24-year old singer-songwriter Marco Mengoni, who rose to national fame after winning the third series of the talent show ‘X Factor‘. In February 2013, Mengoni competed in the 63rd Festival di Sanremo, and Italian broadcaster RAI offered him to represent the country at Eurovision. In an internal selection, Marco’s Sanremo winning song L’Essenziale, composed by Francesco De Benedittis, Roberto Casalino and Marco Mengoni himself, with lyrics by Roberto Casalino, was chosen to compete in Malmö. After its release, L’Essenziale shot to the no. 1 spot of the Italian singles chart where it stayed for eight consecutive weeks.

Italy was one of the seven nations debuting in the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. The country won the Contest on two occasions, in 1964 with Gigliola Cinquetti (Non Ho L’Età) and in 1990 with Toto Cutugno (Insieme: 1992), finished in second place twice, in 1974 with Gigliola Cinquetti (Si) and in 2011 with Raphael Gualazzi (Madness Of Love).

“L’Essenziale” is the 39th Italian entry to the ESC and will be performed in the Grand Final on 18 May. You can find Marco on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/marcomengoniofficial

Watch the official music video here: