Italy's Eurovision hope: Angelina Mango shines as a front-runner

With less than a week remaining before this year's Eurovision Song Contest finale, Italy's entry stands out as a front-runner. In recent years, Italy has consistently raised the bar.

One might wonder why Italian entries have been favoured contenders in recent years. There isn't a straightforward answer, but since 2017, Italy has consistently placed in the top ten. The highlight was the band Måneskin's victory in 2021, following which they reached a level of commercial success comparable to that of ABBA.

This year, 22-year-old Angelina Mango clinched the festival ticket to Malmö with "La noia," a pop song enriched with Latin American cumbia influences. Mango is the first woman to represent Italy at this esteemed event in eight years.

Italy's recent success in the Eurovision Song Contest signals a shift in the competition's dynamics. Since the introduction of semi-finals in 2005, it has been noted that performing in a semi-final enhances an entry's chances of winning, allowing the audience to become familiar with and rally behind their favourite performances, ready to support them again in the finals.

Angelina Mango's song has secured second in the European Broadcasting Union's fan association (OGAE) ranking, trailing only behind the Croatian entry "Rim Tim Tagi Dim" by Baby Lasagna. The song also ranks highly among bookmakers.