When the elegance meets pop: Ok. Respira di Elodie

Elodie rose from the ashes and established herself as the main Italian pop girl

Promotional picture of Elodie for Ok. Respira. / Photographed by: Giampaolo Sgura

While in the middle of the Sanremo Music Festival, Elodie, one of the competing acts and the second highest placed woman, decided it was time to release her fourth studio album Ok. Respira. It is also her second album after This is Elodie, her rebirth in the music industry as well as in the music charts. When Elodie seemed to be just another singer to come out from a talent show, she established herself as one of the pop girlies of Italy. And with Ok. Respira she is establishing herself as the main Italian pop girl.

At 32 years old, she keeps having fun with pop music, but also opens a door to more dark and matured sounds. Ok. Respira is a pop album, without a doubt, but it is heavily influenced by jazz, electronics and even urban genres. And this is thanks to her inseparable teammates since her rebirth, the producer and songwriter Dardust, the songwriter Davide Petrella and the singer-songwriter Alessandro Mahmoud, also known as Mahmood. Their hand is visible in several songs, but they adapt themselves to what is Elodie as an artist. Federica Abbate must have an honourable mention. She is the one behind Due, Elodie’s competing song in this year Sanremo Festival and of course included in the brand-new album, a perfect example of this stylish and elite pop Elodie offers.

And though it is a perfect pop album, it is also a very well-planned concept album. The transitions between songs are excellent, the visuals accompanying the songs are also brilliant and a perfect match to Elodie’s more matured sound. And last but not least, we will have the chance to witness how everything was created through an Amazon original docuseries. This is how you built an era. A pop era. And this is what Italy very much needed.

This year only nine acts are performed entirely by one or more women in Sanremo from a total of 28. The statistics are much worse when it comes to the winners of the past festivals. In the past 22 years, only six women (including Victoria de Angelis, Maneskin’s bass player) have won the festival. This year will be no different. Currently, five men are occupying the top five positions. And Sanremo is just the reflection of the Italian music industry. That is why Elodie sets an example and a reference. Though she would need a miracle to win this year festival, she will probably will brag another hit with Due and her album will be one of the bestsellers of the year.