"Pazza musica" is a duet recorded by Italian singers Marco Mengoni and Elodie for Mengoni's eighth studio album, Materia (Prisma) (2023). Sony Music released the song as the second single from the album on 26 May 2023.[1] It peaked at number ten of the Italian singles chart, becoming Mengoni's 18th and Elodie's 7th top-ten song.
Subsequently, "Pazza Musica" has been added on the streaming edition tracklist of Elodie's fourth studio album Ok. Respira.[2]
Background and composition
"Pazza musica", written by Paolo Antonacci, Davide Petrella, Davide Simonetta and Stefano Tognini, is the first collaboration between Marco Mengoni and Elodie.[3][4] In an interview for TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, Mengoni explained the meaning of the song and the decision to collaborate among the two artists:[5]
"We had been planning to do something with Elodie for a long time, and going into summer, we chose a song with sounds that are a little bit against the grain compared to the "Latin-sounding" songs we usually hear during the season. It is a wish for ourselves, because we are quite similar in character, to be able to gloss over our fears and constant anxiety of life through our greatest passion."
Critical reception
Mattia Marzi of Rockol wrote that although the song has been denigrated by the two singers as an "anti-summer catchphrase," it "won't wink at Latin rhythms, [...] but it has the right characteristics to become one." This is according to Marzi thanks to "a catchy woodwind riff" and that "the repartee between Marco Mengoni and Elodie, [...] works. The song is a hymn to the saving power of pop music."[6] Alessandro Alicandri of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni described Pazza musica as "a warm and engaging song" in which "you can breathe the humanity of those who sing it." The journalist also stated that the song "tells their story in a way that is not even too subtle," united by "careers that did not start off immediately with a bang, they are two 'artistically shy' people who have had to make room for themselves over the years."[7]
Music video
A music video to accompany the release of the song was first distributed on YouTube on May 26, 2023. It is directed by Roberto Ortu and filmed by Francesco Piras.
The video shows a diverse group of people having a 2000s styleblock party.[8]
