Occidentali's Karma

"Occidentali's Karma" (transl. Westerners' Karma) is a song performed by Italian singer Francesco Gabbani. The song was released as a digital download on 10 February 2017 through BMG Rights Management as the lead single from his third studio album Magellano (2017). The song was written by Gabbani, Filippo Gabbani, Fabio Ilacqua, and Luca Chiaravalli. It won the Sanremo Music Festival 2017 and represented Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017.[1]

"Occidentali's Karma"
Single by Francesco Gabbani
from the album Magellano
Released10 February 2017 (2017-02-10)
Recorded2016
Genre
Length
  • 3:37 (original version)
  • 3:08 (ESC version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Francesco Gabbani
  • Filippo Gabbani
  • Fabio Ilacqua
  • Luca Chiaravalli
Francesco Gabbani singles chronology
"Foglie al gelo"
(2016)		 "Occidentali's Karma"
(2017)		 "Tra le granite e le granate"
(2017)
Music video
"Occidentali's Karma" on YouTube
Eurovision Song Contest 2017 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Language
Composer(s)
  • Francesco Gabbani
  • Filippo Gabbani
  • Luca Chiaravalli
Lyricist(s)
  • Francesco Gabbani
  • Fabio Ilacqua
  • Luca Chiaravalli
Finals performance
Final result
6th
Final points
334
Entry chronology
◄ "No Degree of Separation" (2016)   
"Non mi avete fatto niente" (2018) ►

Lyrics

The main theme of the song is the superficial lifestyle of westerners, mainly based on materialism and appearance. The lyrics refer to the internet as the opiate of the poor (in reference to Marx), 'selfie addiction', internet know-it-alls, and a society based on conformity and uniformity. As a result, our evolution seems to 'stumble' instead of moving forward.

According to Gabbani, the chorus of the song is a mockery of westerners who believe they can take Eastern cultures and "westernise" them. The song cites such aspects of Indian religions as the Buddha and Nirvana as well as man's evolution from the ape, an idea which he got from reading The Naked Ape, written by British ethologist Desmond Morris.[2] In an interview with La Repubblica, Desmond Morris praised the song for the "clear and fanciful reference to the theories" described by him, and for "the precision and sophistication of the lyrics" like Bob Dylan and John Lennon. Morris also added that he wanted Francesco Gabbani to win the Eurovision Song Contest.[3]

The song begins with a reference to William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Gabbani wants to highlight how modern society is divided between spirituality and appearances, describing people as "selfie-addicted".[4]

The use of the Saxon genitive in the song title and chorus is a further critique of the tendency toward anglicisation of the Italian language, with the song originally titled in Latin as "Occidentalis Karma" (Western Karma).[5][6]

Sanremo Music Festival 2017
Main article: Sanremo Music Festival 2017

On 11 December 2016, Gabbani was confirmed to be one of the artists who would be competing in the campioni ("champions") section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2017.[7]

Gabbani performed the song for the first time on 8 February 2017, during the second night of the contest.[8] During his performance, choreographer Filippo Ranaldi appeared on stage and danced with Gabbani while dressed in a gorilla costume, which reprised the idea of the Naked Ape, also cited in the song's lyrics.[9]

On 11 February 2017, having advanced to the final, Gabbani defeated Fiorella Mannoia and Ermal Meta, winning not only the competition, but also the right to represent Italy at Eurovision 2017.[10]

Eurovision Song Contest
Main article: Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017

Following his win, it was confirmed by RAI and the European Broadcasting Union that Gabbani had accepted the invitation to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest, which is given to the winner of the Sanremo Music Festival, and that he'd be performing "Occidentali's Karma" at Eurovision.[11] As Italy is a member of the "Big Five", he automatically advanced to the final, held on 13 May 2017 in Kiev, Ukraine.[12][13] On May 13, the song finished sixth at the Eurovision 2017 final, and won the Marcel Bezençon Press Award given to the best entry as voted on by the accredited media and press during the event.[14]

The song is the first in Eurovision history to feature words in Sanskrit, while being the second entry to have words in Ancient Greek (the first being "Pia Prosefhi" by Elina Konstantopoulou representing Greece in the 1995 edition.)

During an interview, Luca Chiaravalli, author and producer of the song, said that the lyrics would probably be changed before the Eurovision live performance. According to the Eurovision rules, in fact, the song cannot last more than three minutes. Therefore, the track must be shortened. A sentence containing the word "Chanel" was one of the things which were removed, as it is a registered trademark.[15] During the TV program Standing Ovation (broadcast on Rai 1) Francesco Gabbani declared that the song would remain with the lyrics in Italian.[16] On 17 March 2017, the official Eurovision version of the song was published.[17]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Gabriele Lucchetti. On 12 February 2017, the video for "Occidentali's Karma" was viewed 4,353,802 times on Vevo, setting a new record for the number of single-day views on the platform by an Italian music video.[18] The video reached 100 million views in YouTube on 24 April 2017, becoming the first ever song from the Eurovision Song Contest to do so and it currently, with over 200 million views, is the most viewed Eurovision entry ever.[19][20]

Commercial performance

The song debuted at number-one on the Italian FIMI Top Digital chart, and it was certified gold during its first week, becoming the fastest-selling single in Italy, with 47,175 equivalent units in its first week, and receiving 2,472,000 weekly streams, the highest number ever reached by any single in the chart's history.[21][22]

Track listing
Digital download[23]
No.TitleLength
1."Occidentali's Karma"3:37
7" single (limited edition coloured vinyl)[24]
No.TitleLength
1."Occidentali's Karma" (Original version) 
2."Occidentali's Karma" (Instrumental version) 
Remixes
No.TitleLength
1."Occidentali's Karma" (Marc Benjamin & DNMKG Remix)4:12
2."Occidentali's Karma" (Benny Benassi & MazZz Remix)4:38
3."Occidentali's Karma" (Gabry Ponte Remix)5:10
4."Occidentali's Karma" (Addal Remix Edit)3:30
5."Occidentali's Karma" (DJ Ross & Savietto Remix)4:17
6."Occidentali's Karma" (Molella & Valentini Remix Edit)2:44
7."Occidentali's Karma" (Tyro Maniac Remix)3:33
8."Occidentali's Karma" (Simon From Deep Divas Radio Remix)3:37
9."Occidentali's Karma" (Ken Holland vs. Mess Remix Edit)3:29
10."Occidentali's Karma" (Wlady Remix Radio Edit)3:19
11."Occidentali's Karma" (DJ Konstantin Ozeroff & DJ Sky Remix)3:56

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[40] 6× Platinum 300,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format Label
Various 10 February 2017 Digital download BMG Rights Management

References
  1. M. Escudero, Victor (12 February 2017). "Francesco Gabbani to represent Italy in Kyiv!". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  2. "Cosa vuol dire il testo di Occidentali's Karma? Ecco la spiegazione di Gabbani" [What is the meaning of the lyrics in Occidentali's Karma? Here is Gabbani's explanation]. cultora.it (in Italian). 12 February 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  3. "DESMOND MORRIS, THE ETHOLOGIST WHO INSPIRED "OCCIDENTALI'S KARMA", WANTS FRANCESCO GABBANI TO WIN EUROVISION". Wiwibloggs. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  4. Gagliardi, Selene (13 February 2017). "Sanremo 2017, Francesco Gabbani si ispira a Desmond Morris e William Shakespeare per la sua "Occidentali's Karma"" [Sanremo 2017, Francesco Gabbani is inspired by Desmond Morris and William Shakespeare for "Occidentali's Karma"]. huffingtonpost.it (in Italian). The Huffington Post. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  5. Rotondo, Roberto (14 February 2017). "Il ritratto di Pasolini, i pomodori. Ecco l'autore di Occidentali's Karma" [The portrait of Pasolini, the tomatoes. Here is the author of Occidentali's Karma.]. Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  6. Gabbani, Francesco (21 February 2017). "Quella scimmia non è Eraclito" [That ape is not Heraclitus]. la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  7. Granger, Anthony (20 October 2016). "ITALY: 22 campioni artists in Sanremo 2017 are revealed". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  8. Massimo Poggini (8 February 2017). "Sanremo 2017: cronaca (e pagelle) della seconda serata" (in Italian). Spettakolo.it.
  9. Claudia Fascia (13 February 2017). "Sanremo 2017, è Filippo Ranaldi il ballerino-scimmia di Gabbani: Ho sdrammatizzato un brano che fa riflettere". Huffington Post (in Italian). Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  10. Royston, Benny (12 February 2017). "Italy sends rising star Francesco Gabbani – and an ape – to win Eurovision 2017". Metro. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  11. Jiandani, Sanjay (12 February 2017). "Italy: Francesco Gabbani will fly to Kyiv!". esctoday.com. ESCToday.
  12. Jordan, Paul (9 September 2016). "Kyiv to host Eurovision 2017!". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  13. Jordan, Paul (21 January 2016). "Semi-Final Allocation Draw on Monday, pots revealed". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  14. "Winners of the Marcel Bezençon Awards 2017". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. 14 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  15. "Eurovision: in che lingua deve cantare Francesco Gabbani?" [Eurovision: in what language should Gabbani sing?]. Eurofestival News (in Italian). 16 February 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  16. D'Aquino, Gigi (21 February 2017). "Francesco Gabbani a Standing Ovation: "Eurovision? Occidentali's Karma in italiano"" [Francesco Gabbani during Standing Ovation: "Eurovision? Occidentali's Karma in italian"]. Visto Magazine (in Italian). Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  17. Halloun, Ahmad (17 March 2017). "The Official Occidentali's Karma is Out!". escbubble.com. ESCBubble. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  18. "FRANCESCO GABBANI, "OCCIDENTALI'S KARMA" VIRALE: IL VIDEO È DA RECORD" [FRANCESCO GABBANI, "OCCIDENTALI's KAMRA" IS VIRAL: THE VIDEO IS A RECORD BREAKING]. Radio Italia (in Italian). 14 February 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  19. Davies, Megan. "ITALY: FRANCESCO GABBANI PASSES 100 MILLION VIEWS". Eurovoix. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  20. "Francesco Gabbani - Occidentalis Karma". YouTube. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  21. "Gabbani vince il disco d'oro con Occidentali's Karma". La Nazione (in Italian). 21 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  22. Simone Bosio (20 February 2017). "Certificazioni FIMI: è record per Francesco Gabbani e Sia" (in Italian). RnbJunk.com. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  23. "Occidentali's Karma - EP". iTunes. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  24. "Occidentali's Karma (edizione limitata Festival di Sanremo 2017)". musicbrainz. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  25. "Austriancharts.at – Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali's Karma" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  26. "Ultratop.be – Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali's Karma" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  27. "Ultratop.be – Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali's Karma" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  28. "Chart Search - Francesco Gabbani - Euro Digital Song". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  29. "Francesco Gabbani: Occidentali's Karma" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  30. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 20, 2017)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
  31. "Gabbani Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  32. "RÚV - Vinsældalisti Rásar 2". RÚV. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  33. "Italiancharts.com – Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali's Karma". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  34. "dutchcharts.nl - Dutch Single Tip | 20 May 2017". Dutch Single Tip. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  35. "San Marino Airplay Chart" (in Italian). San Marino RTV. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  36. "Spanishcharts.com – Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali's Karma" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  37. "Sverigetopplistan - Sveriges Officiella Topplista". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  38. "Swisscharts.com – Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali's Karma". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  39. "Classifiche annuali dei dischi più venduti e dei singoli più scaricati nel 2017" (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original (Click on "Scarica allegato" and open the "Classifica annuale 2017 Singoli digital" file) on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  40. "Italian single certifications – Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali's Karma" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 20 May 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Occidentali's Karma" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli online" under "Sezione".
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