It’s really hard to find a photo of Dargen D’Amico without sunglasses. The Italian singer, rapper, author and producer always wears frames, both on and off stage – it’s a sort of ‘visual trademark’ for him. Despite the curiosity about his style choices, Dargen loves eyewear and he recently joined with 23° Eyewear to create a capsule collection soon to be unveiled at Mido. We asked Dargen about the year just gone which was marked by his return with a new record and was full of new experiences, like the Festival di Sanremo, and X-Factor Italy, where he was a judge.

2022 was an important year for Dargen D’Amico. You were a competitor in the Festival di Sanremo – the most important music event here in Italy, then you published your album ‘Nei sogni nessuno è monogamo’ (‘Nobody is monogamous in dreams’) and went on a 20+ dates nationwide tour and, last but not least, you experienced being a judge on X-Factor Italy. Was 2022 more compelling or more challenging?
The most compelling and challenging part of this period was working on the new songs – we’re talking about something like more than 10 new ones. After that, I just faced all the consequences of my work without putting up too much resistance. In any case, 2022 was a year full of days, compared to the previous one that was full of weeks.

The Festival di Sanremo and X-Factor have two main things in common: they are focused on music and both are broadcasted. Beside these two facts, do those two important shows share something else in common?
This question makes me wonder how people who are not involved in these shows could consider them similar. In my opinion there’s a clearcut, easily noticeable difference: Sanremo is a free-for-all competition – and I participated as a competitor – whereas X-Factor is a teamwork race. Although, for sure, they do have one thing in common: the cameras.

You toured Italy this summer with more than 20 dates. What kind of audience attended your shows in the first real summer without the pandemic?
For sure it was very nice touring around Italy last year, and everybody knows that Italy is a beautiful country. The pandemic has created a sort of levelling between people so this summer, both on and off the stage, everyone was in search of the same good vibes. The atmosphere was lively because we are just like animals and we like to stay outside the dens.

You have also worked as a writer for several artists. After many experiences in this role, do you think there are points in common between the artists you collaborated with?
Human beings have, for sure, points in common. The thing is, this job is made of certainties, so when you write a song for another human being you share their strengths and weaknesses at the same time. Writers and artists dedicate a lot of time to the act of writing and not everything we write will be published. Consider also that when something is published, nobody gives you back the time spent. So, if I have to write for others, I prefer to do it alongside them because we can spend good time together without caring too much about the clock.

During what was a very intense year, did you find the time to do a couple of the things you love, like travelling and spending time with nature?
I was lucky enough to move around a lot, from one place to another. I can’t consider this activity 100% as travelling, I know, but it could be a starting point for the future.

Your latest album featured 12 new original songs and a cover, ‘La Bambola’, the famous Italian song originally published in 1968 by Patty Pravo that you also sang during your Sanremo journey. Why did you decide to cover this track?
Simply because it’s an historical attempt to describe with a song what a toxic love relationship is.

You always wear sunglasses; everyone knows this and there’s a lot of curiosity about why you wear them in every context. Recently, during a TV show the famous Italian host Mara Venier asked you the classic Dargen D’Amico question: ‘Why do you wear glasses?’. On that occasion you replied: ‘Because it reminds me that the sun exists also when I can’t see it’. Is this the best answer you could give to this question or is it just one of many?
I can say that even science has difficulties in replying to this question in a unique way, so it’s harder for me for sure!

Regarding eyewear, you recently started collaborating with Italian band 23° Eyewear. How did this new partnership come about?
Everything was extremely natural; I was looking for an Italian eyewear company that was able to work locally with sustainable and recycled materials and I found 23° Eyewear here in Lombardy. What more can I say than... Welcome to Varese guys!