Female artists returning to Sanremo: Paola and Chiara, Giorgia, Anna Oxa

The countdown to Sanremo 2023, which will take place from February 7 to 11, has officially begun. Now that the date of the first night is getting closer and closer, we already know several details about this 73rd edition starting with who will join Amadeus as host and who, on the other hand, will perform trying to win the festival and enter the radio heavy rotation. On stage as co-hosts will be, in addition to Gianni Morandi, Chiara Ferragni who will dress Schiaparelli and Dior, Francesca Fagnani, Paola Egonu and Chiara Francini; while 28 artists, with very different styles and backgrounds, will arrive at the Ariston to participate in the competition. There will be debuts as will happen, for example, to Aries and Mara Sattei, but also important returns of personalities who have made the history of the event and who have long been missing from Italy's most famous stage. Among them are three women who stood out in the past editions for their talent, sound, and style and whom we look forward to seeing perform again with new projects, curious to know what they will have in store for us, both in terms of songs and outfits, in the next evenings of the show broadcast by Rai 1: Paola and Chiara, Giorgia, and Anna Oxa. 

Paola e Chiara

Ten years after their breakup and 18 years after their last time at the Ariston, the Iezzi sisters are back together with an unreleased song, ready to win over the many fans who have long been calling for their reunion and who can't wait to see them on the Ariston stage. And what better occasion than the Festival to reboot a collaboration that characterized the sound and style of many of us in the early years? After all, this is exactly where their career started back in 1996 when they took part in Sanremo Giovani with the song In viaggio and, then in 1997, when they won in the Nuove Proposte category, conquering with their coordinated outfits and their way of singing in chorus of two, facing each other. From there came the first record, Ci chiamano bambine, the role of opening act at Michael Jackson's HIStory World Tour and many other milestones. True popularity, however, coincides with the sexy turn and a more pop and dancey sound of early 2000s hits such as Festival, Kamasutra and, above all, Vamos a bailar (Esta vida nueva), whose video clip was shot by future Oscar winner Luca Guadagnino. Despite their many successes, the relationship between the two artists frayed until in 2013 they decided to separate and pursue solo careers. Paola and Chiara are no longer an artistic couple, but their hits continue in the following years to ignite the dance hall in revival nights dedicated to Y2K music and style of which the Iezzi sisters still remain the original Italian trendsetters. It is precisely the many fans who regret their sense of style and soud, combined with Gen Z who discovered them thanks to social media and late-night events, who are calling for their reunion. At last, the Iezzi girls have listened to them, and after taking part in two dates of Jovanotti and Max Pezzali's tours last summer, they are ready to get back in the game at the Festival. At Sanremo 2023 they will bring the previously unreleased Furore, a catchy rhythmic song that, as they explained, the performers themselves «it's about a moment when we feel like giving all of ourselves to the world because it might be the last time.» We also know that on the night dedicated to covers they will duet with Merk & Kremont, a duo of DJs and producers of international hits formed by Federico Mercuri and Giordano Cremona. There is a lot of expectation also for their outfits, which will be curated by Nick Cerioni, while the make-up should be done by Letizia Maestri (will it be glittered as in the cover of Furore?). It is not known which brand will dress them, but in the Sanrem warm up they chose Dolce&Gabbana, will they continue also in the competition?

Giorgia

Along with Laura Pausini, Giorgia is one of the most famous and beloved Italian singers in our country, and many hoped to see her again on the Ariston stage, from where she made her debut in the Giovani section in 1993, triumphing among the Nuove Proposte with E poi and winning first place among the bigs in 1994 with the song Come saprei. Since then the career of this Roman girl with an androgynous and simple look, raised on Nutella and rhythm&blues, has exploded. Her songs, alternating ballads and more rhythmic pieces, entered national pop culture, enhanced by her powerful and versatile voice. Over time, thanks also to her collaboration with Luca Tommassini, her on-stage looks become increasingly sexy and glamorous, going hand in hand with her artistic maturity, an evolution that is the fruit of constant research and experimentation. These are just some of the reason why the public has come to love her, the others are related to Giorgia's personality that has always stood out for being down to earth, simple, ironic and able to take herself lightly despite her success over the years. Her last participation in the Sanremo Festival was in 2001, when she earned second place with Di sole e d'azzurro, beaten by Elisa's Luce (tramonti a nord est). By a strange coincidence, Giorgia chose precisely her Friulian colleague for the duets night. Instead, in this 2023 edition of the competition, she brings Parole dette male, a refined and romantic unreleased song about a love gone wrong that will be part of the new album Blu, produced by Big Fish and due out next February 17. Unfortunately, the song was inadvertently spoiled causing the singer to risk elimination from the Festival. Danger fortunately averted. What brand will she wear for her performance at the Ariston? Most likely, Giorgia, at the suggestion of stylist Valentina Davoli, will sport a Dior creation designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, who also came up with the concept for the cover of Blu, an image inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian man.

Anna Oxa

With no less than 14 appearances behind her, including 2 wins and one edition as co-host, Anna Oxa is definitely a veteran of the Festival. It was back in 1978 when, just 16 years old, she debuted with Un'emozione da poco and a punk look curated by Ivan Cattaneo complete with Siouxsie Sioux-style make-up. Since then, like a true chameleon, the singer has changed her style with each appearance on stage, going from an algid, almost ethereal creature in cut-out dresses, jumpsuits that seem to have come out of the latest Saint Laurent collections to the minimal chic and sparkling Versace models, up to the iconic outfit signed Gucci by Tom Ford: black top and vaguely country pants, studded with crystals and small bangs, from which a black thong sprouted. Oxa as wild remains iconic, and all audiences have become accustomed to being amazed by her studied aesthetic choices, which, especially in recent years, have seemed more incisive than her songs. Unfortunately, recently, Oxa has almost disappeared from the scene, making people talk about her no for her velvety, scratchy voice or her vocation for transformism, but only for some controversial statements. Sanremo 2023 represents an opportunity for the artist to return to the glories of the past, presenting a new project that on paper already looks interesting. The song he will propose, in fact, is titled Sali and has "mystical" atmospheres, while the lyrics are by Francesco Bianconi from Baustelle and read "Libera l'anima, come rondini la sera, volare libero nitida come il canto dell'anima." No indiscretions, however, about the look she will have. During Sanremo Giovani she showed up in a blazer, baggy jeans combat boots and an eco fur hat. What will she have in store for us for the competition? Who knows...we look forward to being amazed once again by Anna's charm and style.