Italy in Eurovision 2025: Singer Lucio Corsi took the stage for his first rehearsal with the song “Volevo Essere Un Duro”. Stay updated with all the reports from Basel, Switzerland…

The Italian singer Lucio Corsi was the fourteenth act to rehearse today on the Eurovision 2025 stage with her song “Volevo Essere Un Duro“. He will perform in the first semi-final on May 13th between song number 9 (Belgium) and song number 10 (Azerbaijan), and in the grand final to be held on May 17th.

Italy’s first rehearsal for Eurovision 2025 features Lucio Corsi performing his glam rock ballad “Volevo Essere Un Duro.” Lucio, a 31-year-old singer-songwriter from Tuscany now living in Milan, has a unique style that pays tribute to 1970s glam rock and David Bowie’s piano ballads. The song’s title means “I Wanted to Be Tough”, and if you don’t speak Italian, it’s worth checking out the translated lyrics on Lucio’s Eurovision profile – this is a beautiful anthem for anyone who feels different or struggles with their identity. The lyrics explore the narrator’s inner conflict and his desire to overcome his weaknesses and become stronger. He expresses frustration and a longing to be someone who isn’t worried about the future or affected by the difficulties around him.

Italy at Eurovision 2025: More details about the rehearsal performance

The staging is very similar to what was seen at Sanremo. Lucio starts out at a very long piano, wearing a bolero jacket with huge shoulders, probably yellow like in the official video. He performs the first third of the song there, joined by guitarist and co-writer Tommaso Ottomano, and then moves with his guitar to the center of the stage.

There are some clear differences for Eurovision. Two oversized retro speakers are set at the back-one is a large square about four meters wide and tall, and the other is slightly smaller. The television broadcast uses a sepia filter, giving everything a 1970s feel. English subtitles are added so the message of the song reaches millions of viewers who don’t speak Italian. Before the final chorus, Lucio plays a harmonica solo while both he and Tommaso are on stage – a rare live instrumental moment for Eurovision.

Lucio brings his usual charisma to the performance. It’s completely unlike anything else at Eurovision this year, which has already been especially varied.

Italy at Eurovision 2025

“Volevo essere un duro” (in English: “I Wanted to Be Tough”) is the song performed by singer Lucio Corsi, which came second at the 75th edition of the Sanremo Festival. The song was written by the singer himself along with Tommaso Ottomano. This was the singer’s first-ever appearance at the festival. The song is performed in Italian.

Who is Lucio Corsi?

Lucio Corsi, born on October 15th, 1993, in Grosseto, Italy, is an Italian singer-songwriter and musician. He grew up in the village of Vetulonia near where his family runs a restaurant. His mother is a painter, while his father has worked in various roles including as an employee of the Italian national broadcaster Rai and as an artist working with leather. Corsi’s love for music was sparked by watching the movie “The Blues Brothers” as a child, and he began writing songs at a very young age, performing in bars and squares of his hometown from 2011.

He began composing instrumental pieces of progressive rock before turning to lyrical writing. After finishing his high school studies in Grosseto, he moved to Milan with the aim of developing his musical career, initially living near Naviglio Pavese, then in Via Ripamonti, and eventually in Niguarda. This participation was the singer’s first ever in the Italian Sanremo Festival.

Eurovision 2025: This will be Italy’s 50th participation in Eurovision. Italy joined the contest in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won three times over the years. Italy’s most recent victory was at Eurovision 2021 with the song “Zitti e buoni” performed by the band Måneskin.