“But I am fire” is not just the title of an album, but as Annalisa always does, it is a manifesto of identity, a reminder of the energies that pass through us and shape us.
A statement that is the declaration of those who, faced with life and its cycles, do not give up but transform. “When everything has to be redone / I can transform myself / you think it hurts / but I am fire”: a few words that condense the urgency, determination and inner spark that runs through each track.
Annalisa's fire is not just creative energy, it is metamorphosis, reaction, resilience. The cover itself tells of this journey: the tiger and the river evoke the circularity of time, its inexorable power, and the human being's ability to cross it, to burn and regenerate. Every colour, every gesture, every visual detail is a window onto a path that is never passive: we move, we react, we shape ourselves.
We met her to have her tell us about her evolutionary process, her “But I am fire”.
THE INTERVIEW
Does “But I am fire” bring something different to your previous works?
In reality there are no revolutions, but rather a refinement of what I already do.
We therefore also return in some way to the vortex, that of life, where we find ourselves spinning, but in this journey there is nothing purely passive, rather there is a balance between events and opportunities, and the title of the album, “But I am fire”, fits precisely into this line of thought.
For some years now I have been paying a lot of attention to the use of words: I like to write as one speaks, I find it more honest and direct, and in this album I was even more pungent.
Irony, which has always been my signature, here sometimes becomes provocation, and I like to practice this.
Growing up pushed me to do it even more, and I think the album reflects a path of greater sincerity and incisiveness.
Among the songs, “Exhibitionist” was listed as your and your mom's favorite. What does that piece represent?
It's a fun and ironic song, in which I talk a little about social judgement. The story of how sometimes, even being a respectable girl, we find ourselves victims of stereotypes and clichés.
It is a light piece but with an underlying reflection, a bridge between past and present moments, between irony and provocation.
The underlying theme of the album seems to be transformation: what do you mean by “but I am fire”?
The “but” serves to underline the reaction to events, even negative ones. Transformation is the ability to react, to draw opportunities from what happens.
It's about adapting without denying your essence. This album tells how to face everything that life brings, from the good things to the difficult ones, without losing your identity.
Reflections on the role of women and on tensions in relationships emerge in the texts. How do you relate to these themes?
I tell personal experiences, stories of friends or fictional stories: not a single song is linked to a specific episode. I'm talking about judgment, about missing empathy, about how people can be considered wrong or perfect based on the smallest details. It is an observation of reality, which at times becomes ironic and biting, but remains very authentic.
Compared to your previous album, where you showed different facets, here it seems that “fire” is the central theme. What does this new character represent?
It is not a single character, but many, because the album tells of different emotional transformations. We start from angry pieces, moving on to melancholy, irony, up to more intimate and confidential moments. It is a journey between contrasting emotions, which tells of my complexity and that of those who listen.
In this album you collaborated with Marco Mengoni and Paolo Santo. Is there a woman you would like to collaborate with and why does it seem rare to see female duos in Italy?
There are many female artists, of all generations. I don't think it's rare, how difficult it is to fit together projects and times: finding the right piece, the right moment, the right energy. There are no female collaborations on this album because I wanted it to be literally explosive when there were. Maybe in the future, with experiments or new artists, it will happen, but always respecting the weight and quality of the project.
There is a lot of symbolic density in the cover and in the visuals. Can you tell us about them?
The cover is an attempt to tell everything there is in the album: transformation, fire, reaction. I was inspired by a passage by Borges on time as a river and circularity: the river, the tiger, the fire. The dress resembles armour, to underline inner strength and our active perception of time. We are not passive: life drags us, but we are the ones who live intensely, and I wanted to convey this visually.
Have you ever thought about telling what's happening in the world in your lyrics? Social or contemporary events, such as demonstrations or current emergencies?
Yes, I think about it often, but tackling such complex issues is not easy. Some situations are so big and dramatic that describing them in lyrics requires delicacy and respect: we are talking about lives, suffering, injustices. I always try to find a balance between my artistic voice and the responsibility of dealing with such profound topics without trivializing them.
I like to insert veiled provocations or subtle observations, small windows into what is happening, without turning the song into a reportage, but stimulating the listener to reflect. Sometimes I take notes, other times I accumulate sensations and images to make them emerge naturally in a piece, as part of a broader discussion on collective emotions.
Recently, for example, I saw the participation of people in the Pro Palestine demonstrations, their energy, their determination, and this touched me deeply. It's not easy to transpose all this into light or pop music, but I try to do it with respect, trying to bring out empathy and humanity. In the end, I think that the artist's role in these cases is more to evoke sensations, to make the presence of people and their stories felt, than to tell news.
In this sense, some songs also arise from reflections on what I see around me, on social tensions, on injustices, on the contradictions of society. They don't always become album-ready songs: sometimes they remain ideas, sometimes they become part of a larger text, because I want them to have a real emotional impact and not just a descriptive value.
Are you already thinking about the Palasport tour, how is the work on the live arrangements progressing?
Yes, this tour requires a lot of work. We've already been working on the live arrangements for a while, which is also one of the things I like to do most and which I enjoy a lot. I haven't entered the rehearsal room with the musicians yet, but we have dedicated several days in the studio to defining the pieces. It will be an intense show, not too long, about thirty songs. I think it will last a couple of hours, including everything. I found it very difficult to give up some songs because I care about them, and I know that the public also appreciates them, especially some songs that are not singles on the radio, but important moments for me and for them. There will be a special stage, with visuals, dancers and many scenic elements: there will be a way to both get excited and have fun.
THE TRACKLIST
DEPENDS
PIAZZA SAN MARCO feat Marco Mengoni
DISAPPOINTED
EXHIBITIONIST
MALE
POISONED feat Paolo Santo
EMANUELA
NAILS
I AM
FRIEND
A TIGER ON THE BED KEEPS TALKING TO ME
In terms of numbers, Annalisa confirms her golden moment: with “St. Mark's Square” entering the top 10 of the Fimi/GfK chart, the artist becomes the woman with the most singles at the top of the chart (19 in total). Added to this are 52 platinum records, 14 gold records, over 250 thousand tickets sold in 2024 and a constant positioning among the most listened to Italian artists on Spotify.
IN STORE
To celebrate the release of the album, a photographic exhibition, “Art Gallery & instore”, will be set up in some art galleries in the main Italian cities. This will be a unique opportunity to meet the artist. Entrance to each exhibition is guaranteed with the purchase of the album on location which will be autographed on site.
These are the six special meetings:
Friday 10 October @ MILAN – 5.00 PM BOSSSPACE Via dei Bossi, 2
Saturday 11 October @BOLOGNA – 2.00 PM GALLIERA E20 Via Galliera, 18/C
Sunday 12 October @TURIN – 11:00 AM ROOM via delle Rosine 18,
Monday 13 October @ROME – 4.00 PM HORTI SALLUSTIANI Piazza Sallustio 21
Tuesday 14 October @NAPLES – 2.00 PM MADE IN CLOISTER Piazza Enrico De Nicola, 48
Wednesday 15 October @BARI – 2.00 PM BAART GALLERY – via Calefati, 35
THE TOUR
Furthermore, Annalisa will be live from November 15th with “CHAPTER I” of her new journey in the main Italian sports halls
Saturday 15 November @Jesolo (VE) – Palazzo del Turismo (date zero) SOLD OUT
Sunday 16 November @Jesolo (VE) – Palazzo del Turismo
Tuesday 18 November @Padua – Kioene Arena
Friday 21 November @Rome – Palazzo dello Sport
Saturday 22 November @Rome – Palazzo dello Sport
Monday 24 November @Florence – Nelson Mandela Forum
Friday 28 November @Milan – Unipol Forum SOLD OUT
Saturday 29 November @Milan – Unipol Forum SOLD OUT
Tuesday 2 December @ Eboli (SA) – Palasele
Friday 5 December @Bari – Palaflorio
Saturday 6 December @Bari – PalaFlorio
Wednesday 10 December @Bologna – Unipol Arena
Click to purchase tickets on TicketMaster
Click to purchase tickets on TicketOne
WEB & SOCIAL
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