Overview
- Corriere della Sera’s deputy editor labeled the Sanremo winner the festival’s most ugly and said it could be the soundtrack to a camorra wedding, then doubled down by calling Da Vinci a stereotype of Naples he rejects.
- TV host Caterina Balivo confronted him live on Rai1 over the camorra remark, which he described as a joke while professing admiration for Naples’ musical tradition.
- At a Naples homecoming, Da Vinci called the attacks provocations for likes, said his song speaks of love, and urged supporters not to retaliate.
- Separate from the controversy, a March 3 filing shows a third party sought to register “Per sempre sì” as a trademark for jewelry, and Da Vinci warned fans that a “Per Sempre Sì Shop” account was not official merchandise.
- Momentum around the hit continues with large street celebrations, a planned city medal on March 11, credited co-writers including his son Francesco, and a viral video of Francesco singing the song with coach Luciano Spalletti.