Soldi

"Soldi" is a profoundly autobiographical song that delves into Mahmood's complex and painful relationship with his Egyptian father, who abandoned his family when Mahmood was a child. The central theme is not about money in the material sense, but rather how the pursuit of money can corrupt and destroy familial bonds. Money, or "soldi," becomes a powerful symbol for the father's misplaced priorities and the primary reason for the emotional chasm between him and his son. The song is an expression of anger and disillusionment, a way for Mahmood to process the feelings of abandonment and betrayal he experienced.

The lyrics paint a portrait of a father who is unreliable, hypocritical, and emotionally distant. Phrases like "Beve champagne sotto Ramadan" ("He drinks champagne during Ramadan") highlight a perceived hypocrisy and lack of genuine principles. The recurring, hollow question "Come va?" ("How's it going?") signifies the superficial nature of their interactions, lacking any real interest or emotional investment.

The song also subverts typical themes found in trap and hip-hop music. While these genres often glorify money as the ultimate goal, "Soldi" portrays it as a destructive force, the cause of a family's breakdown. Ultimately, the song is a narrative of coming to terms with a difficult past and developing a critical sense of awareness about one's parents and life experiences. It speaks to the pain of losing pride and the suddenness of being left behind, a personal story that resonates universally.

The narrative begins in the sweltering heat of the suburbs, a setting that feels both mundane and charged with tension. The singer reassures his mother that he is on his way home, immediately establishing a core relationship of loyalty and care that contrasts with the one he is about to deconstruct. He reflects on his mother's pain, acknowledging that she was deceived by a man she thought loved her, but whose intentions were something else entirely. This sets the stage for a critical examination of his father's character.

The portrait of the father is built through a series of sharp, judgmental vignettes. He is depicted as someone who indulges in hypocrisy, drinking champagne during the holy month of Ramadan, a clear violation of religious observance. His distractions are trivial, like watching Jackie Chan movies on TV, and his interactions are superficial. He smokes a shisha pipe and casually asks, "How's it going?" a question repeated to emphasize its emptiness. The singer's internal response is one of weary frustration; the father should already know how things are, given his prolonged absence and lack of genuine involvement. This repetitive, hollow question underscores the emotional distance and lack of real communication between them.

A sense of urgency and mistrust pervades the singer's thoughts. He finds himself constantly thinking ahead, trying to anticipate his father's next deception. There is no time for clarification or reconciliation because the father's true nature has been revealed. The central theme crystallizes: the father's primary, perhaps only, motivation was money. The song repeatedly questions if he ever cared for anything other than "soldi" (money). This is not just about greed, but about a complete displacement of familial love and responsibility in favor of material gain. The pain of this realization is profound, described as the agony of losing one's pride and the shock of being abandoned so suddenly. "Yesterday you were here, where are you now, dad?" is a direct, poignant cry of abandonment.

The lyrics also touch on the father's broken promises and the emotional damage inflicted. The betrayal is likened to a "bullet in the chest," a violent metaphor for the deep wound it has caused. The father's insincere expressions of compassion are rejected; the singer wants none of his charity. He continues to lie, but everyone, especially the mother, sees through the facade.

A key moment of vulnerability and memory surfaces with the inclusion of an Arabic phrase: "Waladi waladi habibi ta'aleena" ("My son, my son, my love, come here"). This is a direct quote from his Egyptian father, a memory from childhood when his father would call him while playing. It's a bittersweet recollection of a time when there was a flicker of affection, but it's framed by the harsh reality of the present. The memory "seemed real" but is now tainted by the knowledge of what followed. This linguistic shift is a powerful emotional anchor, connecting the present anger to a past innocence. The song concludes with a firm declaration: the singer never wanted his father's money. The hurt isn't about being denied wealth; it's about being denied a father. The emotional core remains the pain of losing pride and family, a loss that money could never cause or fix.

"Soldi" was co-written by Mahmood with Dario "Dardust" Faini and Paolo Alberto Monachetti (Charlie Charles), who also served as the producers. Mahmood revealed that he began writing the song while casually hanging out with friends, though it took a long time to complete. The track is deeply personal and autobiographical, stemming from the pain and anger of his father abandoning his family when he was just five or six years old. This traumatic event left a deep scar that heavily influenced the song's lyrics.

The producers Dardust and Charlie Charles were instrumental in shaping the song's modern sound, blending pop and R&B with contemporary trap and hip-hop elements, as well as Arabic influences that reflect Mahmood's Egyptian heritage. The song was included on his debut studio album, Gioventù bruciata.

"Soldi" was Mahmood's entry for the 69th Sanremo Music Festival in February 2019. He performed it for the first time on the first night of the festival and went on to win the competition, which was a surprise to many as he was considered an outsider. This victory earned him the right to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, held in Tel Aviv. At Eurovision, "Soldi" captivated audiences across Europe, ultimately finishing in a very close second place and winning the Marcel Bezençon Composer Award.

The rhyme and rhythm of "Soldi" are central to its modern and impactful sound. The song's structure defies traditional pop conventions, particularly in its approach to the chorus.

Rhythm: The song is built on a compelling trap-influenced beat, which gives it a contemporary, urban feel. The rhythm is persistent and drives the song forward, mirroring the singer's restless and troubled state of mind. The most notable rhythmic element is the percussive double hand-clap that serves as the song's main hook. This rhythmic motif replaces a melodic chorus, creating a stark, raw, and highly memorable moment that audiences can easily participate in. It functions as a physical release of the song's underlying tension and anger. The lyrical rhythm is often fast-paced and conversational, especially in the pre-chorus sections with the repeated "come va," mimicking the rapid, anxious thoughts of the narrator.

Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme is not strictly consistent but utilizes a mix of perfect and near rhymes to maintain lyrical flow within its free-verse structure. For example, in the opening verse, "caldo" rhymes with "arrivando" and "bugiardo" with "altro." The rhymes are used to connect the sharp, imagistic vignettes that make up the lyrics. The repetition of the word "Soldi" at the end of key phrases in the chorus-like section acts as an epistrophe, hammering home the song's central theme and title.

"Soldi" is notable for its innovative fusion of genres and unconventional structure. Musically, the song blends Italian pop with strong R&B, trap, and hip-hop influences, creating a contemporary soundscape. A key element is the integration of Middle Eastern and Arabic sounds and melodies, which Mahmood describes as "Moroccan Pop," reflecting his dual heritage.

Literary and structural techniques include:

• Unconventional Chorus: The song famously lacks a traditional sung chorus. Instead, its hook is built from three core elements: the sharp repetition of the word "Soldi," the insistent questioning of "Come va, come va, come va," and a percussive double hand-clap. This creates a "cubistic" and memorable structure that emphasizes rhythm and frustration over melodic release.
• Vignettes and Imagery: The lyrics are structured as a series of vivid, disconnected images and memories rather than a linear narrative. Scenes like "drinking champagne during Ramadan" or watching "Jackie Chan on TV" create a powerful, collage-like portrait of the father.
• Linguistic Code-Switching: The inclusion of the Arabic phrase "Waladi waladi habibi ta'aleena" is a significant stylistic choice. It abruptly shifts the song's linguistic texture, grounding the emotional narrative in a specific, personal memory and highlighting Mahmood's cultural background.
• Repetition (Anaphora): The repetition of phrases like "Come va" and "Soldi, soldi" functions as a rhetorical device, drilling into the central themes of superficiality and obsession with money.
• Vocal Delivery: Mahmood's vocal performance shifts between smooth R&B melodies in the verses and a more rhythmic, almost rap-like delivery in the pre-chorus, conveying a range of emotions from sorrow and introspection to anger and defiance.

"Soldi" had a significant cultural impact both in Italy and across Europe. After its surprise victory at the Sanremo Music Festival 2019, the song became a subject of political debate in Italy, with some right-wing politicians, including then-Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, questioning whether a song with Arabic influences and a singer of Egyptian descent should represent the country. This controversy inadvertently turned Mahmood into a symbol of the "new Italy"—a multicultural and modern nation, challenging traditional notions of Italian identity.

The song was a massive commercial success. It topped the charts in Italy, Greece, Israel, and Lithuania, and reached the top 10 in several other countries. It achieved quadruple platinum status in Italy and became the most-streamed Italian song in Spotify's history at the time. Its success continued after a strong second-place finish at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, where it was praised for its contemporary sound and emotional depth. The song's popularity demonstrated a broad appetite for modern, genre-blending music that challenged the traditional Italian pop sound. "Soldi" is credited with breathing new life into the Italian music scene and remains a landmark song in Mahmood's career, cementing his status as a major European artist.

"Soldi" is rich with symbolism and metaphors that deepen its emotional impact.

• Soldi (Money): The most prominent symbol, the word "soldi" is not about wealth itself but represents the father's corrupted priorities and the reason for his absence. It symbolizes the transactional nature of the relationship and the emotional void left when material concerns replace familial love.
• Champagne During Ramadan: This image is a potent metaphor for hypocrisy. It depicts the father as someone who disregards the traditions and values he supposedly represents, choosing superficial indulgence over genuine faith and commitment.
• Jackie Chan / Shisha: These cultural references serve to build a specific, almost cinematic image of the father. They represent a lifestyle of detached, superficial pleasures that stand in stark contrast to the deep emotional needs of his son.
• The Arabic Phrase "Waladi waladi habibi ta'aleena": This line, meaning "My son, my son, my love, come here," is a powerful and poignant symbol. It is a direct memory from Mahmood's childhood, a moment of tenderness from his father. Including it in the song, sung in a language Mahmood doesn't speak, symbolizes a fractured connection to his heritage and a past that "seemed real" but is now lost. It's a memory of love that now only amplifies the pain of abandonment.
• The Hand Clap: The distinctive double hand-clap that replaces a traditional chorus acts as a rhythmic and symbolic hook. It represents a raw, human, and almost defiant expression of frustration. It fills the space where a melodic chorus would be, symbolizing the unspoken anger and the void in the father-son relationship.

Several recurring phrases and motifs anchor the structure and meaning of "Soldi."

• "Soldi, soldi": The repetition of the title word is the song's most powerful and central motif. It appears at the emotional climax of the pre-chorus, emphasizing that money is the root cause of the conflict and the father's primary obsession. Its sharp, almost accusatory repetition serves as the main lyrical hook.
• "Mi chiede come va, come va, come va" ("He asks me how's it going..."): This phrase recurs to highlight the superficiality and emotional emptiness of the father-son relationship. The triple repetition suggests an insincere, robotic question asked out of habit rather than genuine concern. It symbolizes the communication breakdown between them.
• The Hand-Clap Motif: A non-lyrical, rhythmic motif, the double hand-clap is a crucial recurring element. It functions as the song's chorus and primary hook, offering a moment of collective participation and raw expression that punctuates the narrative with a feeling of defiance and frustration.
• "Waladi waladi habibi ta'aleena": Though it appears only once, this Arabic phrase is a significant emotional motif. It represents a recurring memory—a flashback to a moment of tenderness that contrasts sharply with the song's present-day anger and disappointment. It's a motif of a lost past and a fractured identity.