Abstract

This paper deals with the 2019 Sanremo Music Festival's winner, Mahmood. By briefly reconstructing the multiple discursive frames and media debates around his success, as well as their performative effects, this case study offers the possibility to shed some light on some deeper ongoing transformations happening through Italian popular culture and national identity, and on the roles played by «second generation» Italian artists (with immigrant parents). In particular, the paper pays attention to four major dimensions: lyrics, music, television and (social) media, and politics. On this basis, the work suggests further research on «trans-national-popular» culture and TV music festivals as political media rituals.