In this morning’s press conference, Amadeus made an interesting comment. He noted that last year’s Top 5 were all male acts, but that the Top 5 of 2024 just might be dominated by women.

If we are to believe the press that got a sneak peak at the songs back in January, Sanremo’s artistic director and presenter just might be right.

Indeed four acts out of the Top 5 press picks are female acts this year. So on night one (of five) it’s worth paying attention to these five entries, especially as they are all very diverse, and none of the artists on this list are previous winners. In fact, tonight some will perform at the Ariston for the first time ever!

Of course, most Eurofans will have their eyes on Marco Mengoni (who will co-host tonight) and previous Eurovision artists like Il Volo, Mahmood, Emma, and Diodato, but don’t let them steal the show tonight! Here are the five performers we’ll be watching closely, and why:

1. Alessandra Amoroso — Fino a qui (Up to here) [Song 13 tonight]

• Previous Sanremo appearances: 0
• YouTube views: 865 million+
• Fun fact: She’s appeared at Sanremo for the Covers’ Night in duets in 2010 (with Valerio Scanu) and 2012 (with Emma Marrone) and she was invited as a guest in 2019 when she sang with Claudio Baglione.
• Fino a qui is a song about the difficulties that one inevitably finds oneself having to face in life, but also about how to get up again from these stumbles and find oneself with a totally new perspective on things.
• Her last single “Camera 209” from 2022 went Platinum in Italy, but she hasn’t had a number one single on the Italian charts since her first two singles “Immobile” and “Stupida” did in 2009. She’ll have something to prove tonight on stage.
• We’ll be watching to see if she can transform the success she’s had in her career so far into success at Sanremo.

2. Loredana Bertè — Pazza (Crazy) [Song 11 tonight]

• Previous Sanremo appearances: 11
• 1986: “Re”, 9th place
• 1988: “Io”, 16th place
• 1991: “In questa città”, 18th place
• 1993: “Stiamo come stiamo” with Mia Martini, 14th place
• 1994: “Amici non ne ho”, 13th place
• 1995: “Angeli & Angeli”, 19th place
• 1997: “Luna”, 20th place
• 2002: “Dimmi che mi ami”, 17th place
• 2008: “Musica e parole” (disqualified)
• 2012: “Respirare” with Gigi D’Alessio, 4th place
• 2019: “Cosa ti aspetti da me”, 4th place
• YouTube views: 4 million+
• Fun fact: Loredana does the Italian voice-over of Gradmama Addams in the Addams’ Family films!
• Now in her 70s, Loredana is no stranger to the Ariston stage. After many failed attempts at Sanremo, her two participations in the 2010s nearly got her on the podium.
• Her career has been gaining momentum again since 2018 when she featured on “Non ti dico no” with Boomdabash. That single went double Platinum in Italy. Her last single (“Che sogno incredibile”) with Emma Marrone is from 2021 and it certified Gold.
• Since the press first heard Pazza last month, there has been a lot of talk that this is her best entry yet.
• We’ll be watching to see if they’re right, and if Bertè will finally get redemption 38 years after her first participation!

3. Angelina Mango — La noia (Boredom) [Song 15 tonight]

• Previous Sanremo appearances: 0
• YouTube views: 55 million+
• Competed in Sanremo Giovani 2020, but was not a finalist.
• She’s a 21 year-old singer from Basilicata, fresh off her second place finish in the popular Amici di Maria De Filippi talent contest in 2023.
• Her song “Ci pensiamo domani” went 3x Platinum in Italy in 2023 and has 20 million views on YouTube.
• We’ll be watching to see how this young and up-and-coming artist handles the pressure of Sanremo’s exposure.

4. Annalisa — Sinceramente (Sincerely) [Song 8 tonight]

• Previous Sanremo appearances: 5
• 2013: “Scintille”, 9th place
• 2015: “Una finestra tra le stelle”, 4th place
• 2016: “Il diluvio universale”, 11th place
• 2018: “Il mondo prima di te”, 3rd place
• 2021: “Dieci”, 7th place
• YouTube views: 706 million+
• Fun facts: In 2009 she graduated with a degree in Physics from the University of Turin and her husband is the Vice President of Global Marketing of Costa cruise lines, one of the sponsors of the Sanremo Festival!
• In terms of singles, her discography is so long it has its own Wikipedia article, but in 2023 she saw her first release, Mon amour, hit number one and go 4x Platinum.
• Annalisa’s most recent album, E poi siamo finiti nel vortice, was released in September 2023, and has already hit number 1 on the Italian charts and was certified Gold. Her previous two albums went Platinum, as we’re sure her most recent album will as well.
• Another superstar of Italy’s music industry who is gaining momentum, Annalisa has struggled to win over the juries and public at previous Sanremo Festivals.
• We’ll be watching to see how she can stand out and get some recognition in a field of 29 other artists tonight, having already participated five times before.

5. Geolier — I p’ me, tu p’ te (Me for me, you for you) [Song 12 tonight]

• Previous Sanremo appearances: 0
• YouTube views: 745 million+
• Fun fact: Geolier is a French word for ‘prison guard’. The artist’s real name is Emanuele Palumbo, 23 year-old rapper from Naples.
• His most recent single, Il male che mi fai (feat. Marracash) went 3x Platinum in Italy and has 27 million views on YouTube.
• Geolier’s most recent album, Il coraggio dei bambini, nit number 1 on the Italian charts (and 8th in Switzerland) and is certified 5x Platinum!
• We’ll be watching to see if this young rapper can get the attention of the juries. Rap hasn’t always done well at Sanremo, but can his massive popularity catapult him to success?

Did me miss anything? Let us know your thoughts in the comments’ section below, and we hope you enjoy watching Sanremo!