After spending 2008 secretly making music, 34-year-old Italian pop singer Laura Pausini has stepped into the spotlight once again with the recent release of Primavera Anticipada, her first collection of unedited songs since her 2004 hit Escucha. However, don’t call it a comeback for the two time Latin Grammy winner because it’s her tenth Spanish album made exclusively for her Latino fans. Pausini, who has sold more than 30 million records worldwide, has been recognized both in her native Italy and Latin America for creating heartfelt lyrics of love found and lost. Fortunately, not all of Primavera Anticipada is tragic. The album, like a telenovela, keeps listeners on the edge of their seats, desperately yearning to know whether Pausini will have a happily ever after of her own. With themes that are dark, yet hopeful, Primavera Anticipada easily captivates audiences from all backgrounds. However, rather than us explain the magic behind her latest creation, Pausini chose to reveal the truth behind her songs, proving that there’s still chapters of her private life waiting to be told.
Primavera Anticipada Track #1: “Mille Braccia (A Thousand Arms)”
This track is a ‘pop tempo,’ a positive song, much like the whole album. It’s dedicated to all people who use their imagination as a remedy for obtuseness and the lack of freedom of expression. ‘Mille Braccia’ is an anthem of self-awareness, conceived as an opener for my live concerts.
Primavera Anticipada Track #2: “Invece, No (Then Again, No)”
Of all the songs I’ve performed in my career, this is the one that scares me the most. But it’s also the one I find most soothing. It was written on the piano, and I composed the music with Paolo Carta. The lyrics, which I wrote together with Nicolo Agliardi, were inspired by the loss of my grandmother, who was a fundamental presence in my life. It made me think of the pain people go through because they might not have been able to say all they wanted to when there was still time. It’s a very important thought for me.
Primavera Anticipada Track #3: “Primavera In Anticipo (Early Spring)” with James Blunt
It’s the last song I wrote for the album. I was lacking a point of arrival, the final message. Here it is: ‘Primavera in anticipo.’ Initially, I hadn’t considered doing a duet with anyone. Then I saw James Blunt on ‘Storytellers’ and, right after the end of the show, I ran to his dressing room and told him I wanted to sing with him. When I got home, I thought of this song and sent it to him by email, and he immediately said yes. I take that as a great compliment from one of the most gifted young singer-songwriters around.
Primavera Anticipada Track #4: “Nel Modo Piu’ Sincero Che C’E’ (As Honestly As Can Be)”
The first verse represents me perfectly, and musically I love this song because it has unexpected notes, not so easy to grasp at the first album. The overall theme is my love story with music.
Primavera Anticipada Track #5: “Un Fatto Ovvio (A Given Fact)”
This is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever sung. It depicts a negative mood I was in for a period, but which I managed to overcome. Now I would never give in to a compromise to accept ‘the best of evils.’
Primavera Anticipada Track #6: “Il Mio Beneficio (My Benefit)”
This was my starting point for Primavera Anticipada. I had written this song for the album Resta in Ascolto and I thought it was wrong to keep it locked up in a drawer any longer. It tells of feelings I no longer have, and I think it shows in my performance.
Primavera Anticipada Track #7: “Prima Che Esci (Before You Go)”
Gianluca Grignani let me listen to a few musical ideas he had. Then we worked on this song together and developed it. It was the first time I saw a singer-songwriter compose right there on the spot, in front of me! This is about a woman who asks her man to reconsider, even though she would no longer be able to accept certain compromises. I don’t relate to that anymore.
Primavera Anticipada Track #8: “Piu’ Di Ieri (More Than Yesterday)”
This song is about an important time in a love story when you have to ask yourself what you’ve done wrong and take responsibility for your mistakes.
Primavera Anticipada Track #9: “Bellissimo Cosi’ (Beautiful As It Is)”
‘Bellisimo Cosi’ describes the beginning of a new relationship, and the curiosity, even in a physical sense, that goes with it. It’s dedicated to all those who have already lived a full life, but manage not to create a sense of guilt or affliction in their new relationship.
Primavera Anticipada Track #10: “L’Impressione (The Impression)”
This is the first song I wrote for this album, and it’s so personal that it will always rank among the most significant in my life. The lyrics are about a couple’s awareness that they can’t go on being together.
Primavera Anticipada Track #11: “La Geografia Del Mio Cammino (The Geography Of My Progress)”
This was initially called ‘Illumina E Non Brucia’ (Shines And Doesn’t Burn) and the music always communicates an extraordinary feeling of freedom to me. These lyrics, which I wrote with Cheope and Nicolo Agliardi, contain in reference to ‘Solitudine,’ or ‘Loneliness,’ the title of my first hit. I don’t mean to disown it! It’s just that I used to fear loneliness, and now I actually seek it at times. It’s not an enemy anymore.
Primavera Anticipada Track #12: “Ogni Colore Al Cielo (Every Colour To The Sky)”
I wrote this during a trip last Christmas. The chorus came to me on a terrace overlooking the sea. It’s a declaration of love that portrays the feelings of a couple who need nothing else, but the love they have for each other.
Primavera Anticipada Track #13: “Sorella Terra (Sister Earth)”
I put this song last on the track list because it has a different atmosphere compared to the others. I find the music fascinating. The words are by no means cheerful, although there is hope at the bottom, which matches the positive vibe of the album as a whole. After all, an early spring lies ahead!
To check out Laura Pausini's current tour dates, visit her official site here.
