Aspettative (feat. Medy)

At its core, Aspettative (which translates to Expectations) is a raw exploration of emotional disillusionment, survival, and the toxic intersection of street life and romantic love. The song delves into the psychological toll of growing up in an unforgiving environment where vulnerability is an extreme liability. By explicitly stating that he no longer holds onto expectations, the protagonist adopts a profound defensive mechanism against inevitable disappointment and heartbreak.

The central theme revolves around the duality of pain: the physical and existential danger of the streets (la strada) versus the emotional devastation of a flawed relationship (l'amore). Both elements demand intense loyalty and energy, yet both ultimately cause profound suffering. The song also touches upon themes of jealousy, the corrupting and transactional influence of money, and the fleeting nature of human loyalty. The artist acknowledges his own mistakes and toxic behaviors, creating a complex, anti-heroic narrative where he desperately craves intimacy but continuously pushes it away out of a realistic fear that his chaotic lifestyle will ultimately ruin it.

The narrative begins with the protagonist acknowledging his gritty reality on the streets, expressing that he has navigated through extreme hardships, metaphorical "death," and immense suffering. He directly addresses his romantic partner, confessing a heavy truth: he has stopped allowing himself to hold onto any expectations because they invariably result in deeper disappointment and heartbreak. He candidly admits his toxic and flawed traits, such as intensely hating all of her friends and suffering from an agonizing, possessive jealousy that brings him endless pain.

As the story progresses, the protagonist reveals that in his harsh world, the pursuit of money supersedes everything else. He notes the deeply transactional nature of human relationships, observing that people only flock to you when you possess wealth, and promptly disappear the moment you hit rock bottom, leaving you with absolutely nothing. He expresses a profound sense of disgust with his surroundings and the people in it. He explicitly compares the pain inflicted by street life to the pain of romantic love—stating that both forces demand a massive emotional and physical toll, give a lot temporarily, but ultimately leave him suffering. He feels entirely suffocated by the problems that constantly surround him, unable to even breathe.

In the later verses, the narrative shifts to a highly intimate, late-night setting. He reflects on a midnight rendezvous, feeling an intense physical and emotional coldness seeping into his bones. The relationship is marred by missed calls and repetitive, exhausting arguments that mirror their past mistakes. He acknowledges that life is moving far too fast and admits to making a catastrophic mistake. Out of sheer desperation, he begs for a tighter, more forgiving embrace to weather the current storm. However, he immediately follows this plea by warning her once again not to hold onto any hope or expectations, bleakly stating that his life "doesn't smile." He poetically compares their tragic, chaotic relationship to an unreleased indie movie, accusing his partner of playing childish games and pretending not to know him in public. Finally, he notes that her name in his life is written only in pencil—a poignant realization that their bond is incredibly fragile, highly unstable, and can be easily and permanently erased.

Aspettative was officially released on May 10, 2023, via Columbia Records and Sony Music Entertainment Italy. The track is a collaborative effort between Italian rap artists Néza and Medy, both of whom have built their respective careers on delivering deeply personal, street-oriented narratives infused with melodic trap elements. The song was produced by DummkaProds, with official writing and composition credits belonging to Anes Mihoub (Néza), El Mehdi El-Marbouh (Medy), and Gilotin Hugo.

The track emerged during a period when the Italian urban and hip-hop scene was increasingly blending harsh drill and trap beats with highly vulnerable, emotionally charged lyricism. It quickly became a significant release for both artists, showcasing their ability to transition seamlessly from aggressive street anthems to more introspective, melodic compositions aimed at a broader audience.

The rhythmic structure of Aspettative is anchored by a mid-tempo, highly melancholic trap beat characterized by heavy 808 basslines and skittering, syncopated hi-hats. The rhyme scheme is largely free-flowing but heavily relies on AABB patterns and slant rhymes (such as rhyming deluso with geloso). This imperfect rhyming technique gives the lyrics a raw, unfiltered, and spontaneous quality, perfectly mirroring the chaotic and messy emotions of the narrator. The interplay between the fast-paced, syncopated vocal delivery and the slower, atmospheric instrumental track emphasizes the suffocating feeling of being trapped in a life that is moving far too quickly to process.

The track utilizes several distinct stylistic choices that significantly enhance its melancholic atmosphere. The artists brilliantly blend Italian street slang with French loanwords (such as merde and faire) and Spanish terms of endearment (mi amor), reflecting the multicultural, polyglot reality of modern European suburbs and youth culture. The vocal delivery alternates seamlessly between aggressive, rhythmic rapping and auto-tuned, melodic singing, creating a perfect sonic representation of the protagonist's internal conflict between hardened street survival and vulnerable romantic longing. Furthermore, the use of rhetorical questions and direct, second-person address creates an incredibly intimate, conversational tone, making the listener feel as though they are eavesdropping on a private, painful argument.

Aspettative resonated incredibly strongly within the Italian youth culture, particularly among fans of the contemporary urban trap scene. It taps directly into the suburban subcultures—a demographic that heavily identifies with authentic stories of street struggle paired with raw romantic heartbreak. The song achieved millions of streams across major platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music, significantly solidifying Néza and Medy's reputations as highly capable artists who deliver viral, emotionally resonant hits. Additionally, the track's atmospheric audio found immense popularity on platforms like TikTok, where users resonated with the lyrics about dashed expectations and toxic romance, using snippets of the song to soundtrack their own personal, introspective videos.

The lyrics are rich with urban imagery and poignant metaphors that elevate the emotional weight of the song:

• "Il tuo nome riscritto a matita" (Your name rewritten in pencil): This metaphor beautifully illustrates the extreme fragility of their relationship. Unlike ink, which is permanent, pencil can be easily erased or smudged, suggesting that the partner's place in his life is temporary, highly unstable, and easily wiped away by circumstances.
• Parallelism of Street and Love: The recurring lines comparing the pain of the streets to the pain of love serve as a core allegory for the protagonist's entire life. He equates emotional vulnerability with physical danger, viewing both as inevitable and unavoidable sources of suffering.
• "Freddo in casa" (Cold in the house): This symbolizes not just physical poverty or a lack of heating, but a deep emotional void and a lack of familial warmth that has forced the narrator to grow up too fast and harden his heart to the world.

The most crucial motif of the track is the repetition of the word "aspettative" (expectations) itself. Its constant recurrence serves as a grim mantra, reminding both the protagonist and his partner to abandon all hope for a traditional, happy resolution. Another significant recurring phrase is "mi amor", which paradoxically and sharply contrasts with the bitter, toxic nature of the lyrics that immediately follow it. The repeated assertion that both love and the streets "fanno male" (hurt) acts as the structural and philosophical spine of the track, constantly returning the listener to the core thesis that the narrator's world is fundamentally built on unavoidable pain.