Mahmood goes deep on new single ‘Rapide’
Who thought that Mahmood was going to slow down in 2020, could not have been more wrong. The Italian pop star who won San Remo last year, finished as a runner up in Eurovision and has the most streamed Eurovision track in history with his ‘Soldi’, is already prepping his next big plans. After he released the single ‘Barrio’ at the end of summer last year, he kicks off 2020 with another new tune, titled ‘Rapide’. According to Italian media, it is the first track taken from an upcoming second album, supposed to be out sometime in the next few months.

Where Mahmood went all out on proper banger ‘Barrio’, he strips things back a bit more on ‘Rapide’. The song, produced by Mahmood’s long-time collaborator Dardust, opens with just piano and his distinctive and emotive vocals. After the first chorus, a light hiphop beat kicks in in the background, while strings accompany Mahmood’s belting in the second chorus. This chorus is one of the best he has ever written. It is big, instantly catchy and has this vivacious and overwhelming quality about it, which challenges him to go all out vocally too. Lyrically, the song seems to be talking about the end of a love affair, guilt after cheating, while name dropping some of the places he hangs out in his city Milan. This song alone makes me want to learn Italian as soon as possible. Hopefully in time before the album comes out!