Fenomeno (album)

Fenomeno is the ninth studio album by the Italian rapper Fabri Fibra. It was released on 7 April 2017 by Universal Music Group.^[1]

The album peaked at number one on the Italian Albums Chart, becoming the rapper fourth record project to achieve it. It was certified double platinum by FIMI. It was promoted by three singles: "Fenomeno", "Pamplona" and "Stavo pensando a te".

Background and composition

After the unpromoted and surprise release of Squallor (2015), the rapper started to work on his ninth studio album.^[2] The album has several producers and songwriters, including Takagi & Ketra, Bassi Maestro, Club Dogo, Davide Petrella, Dario Faini, Theron Feemster and Snipe Young. The project featured less guest artists than his previous record project, collaborating with Thegiornalisti, Laioung and Italian writer and journalist Roberto Saviano.^[3][4]

The tracks deal with themes concerning the rapper's childhood, youth unemployment in Italy, the change of the hip-hop and trap genre in Italy, as well as several debates with his brother Nesli and ironises Fedez's commercial rap.^[5][6][7]

Critics reception

Michele Boroni of Rockol described the album as an affirmation of "the primal success of rap in Italy as redemption for those who thought it was done". Although thematically similar to previous productions, the critic noted that "the complexity of certain convoluted, double-triple-meaning rhymes make way for drier stanzas" while the sounds are set on "much softer instrumental foundations".^[8]

Michele Monina of Il Fatto Quotidiano wrote that Fenomeno is "as far from the hostile Squallor as its logical consequence", who is composed of "straighter, lighter bases, over which Fibra does Fibra, with his highly recognisable flow" and "it is as cutting as perhaps ever, by virtue of a maturity, even of age".^[9]

Personnel

Performers

• Fabri Fibra
• Thegiornalisti – track 6
• Roberto Saviano – track 8
• Laïoung – track 12

Producers

• Neff-U – track 2
• Takagi & Ketra – track 3
• Big Fish – tracks 4 and 10
• Alessandro Erba – track 4
• Amadeus – track 7
• Bassi Maestro – tracks 5 and 8
• Mace – track 6
• Demacio "Demo" Castellon, Mike Turco – track 9
• Rhade – track 10
• Shablo – track 11
• Nebbia – track 12
• Deleterio – track 13
• 2nd Roof – track 14
• Don Joe, Yung Snapp – track 15
• Rey Reel – track 16
• Bot – track 17

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

1. ^ "Fabri Fibra, album Fenomeno esce il 7/4" (in Italian). Agenzia ANSA. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
2. ^ Valtorta, Luca (10 October 2017). "Fabri Fibra: «Rap. Vi spiego il Fenomeno (che sono io)»" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
3. ^ Valtorta, Luca (23 March 2017). "Fabri Fibra: "I ragazzi vivono su Internet? Per forza, non c'è lavoro"" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
4. ^ Giovanni Robertini (13 April 2017). "Fabri Fibra è lo specchio del rap italiano". Rolling Stone
5. ^ "La famiglia, i soldi, il rap e quello che ci gira intorno: Fabri Fibra, il nuovo album 'Fenomeno' in 11 rime chiave" (in Italian). Rockol. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
6. ^ Manca, Mario (8 April 2017). "Fabri Fibra: «La mamma, che mi dava botte. Nesli, che mi stanca»" (in Italian). Vanity Fair Italia. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
7. ^ Raiola, Francesco (9 April 2017). "“Oggi tutti fanno rap” ma il “Fenomeno” resta Fabri Fibra" (in Italian). Fanpage.it. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
8. ^ Boroni, Michele (7 April 2017). "“Fenomeno”: Fibra e il suo disco più maturo e drammaticamente intimo" (in Italian). Rockol. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
9. ^ Michele Monina (11 April 2017). "Fabri Fibra, il suo Fenomeno è qualcosa che lo avvicina al Vasco Rossi migliore". Il Fatto Quotidiano
10. ^ "Fabri Fibra – Fenomeno" (in de-CH). hitparade.ch. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
11. ^ "Classifiche annuali dei dischi più venduti e dei singoli più scaricati nel 2017" (Click on "Scarica allegato" and open the "Classifica annuale 2017 Album combined" file) (in Italian). FIMI. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 9 January 2018.