Stupida

Within weeks of winning first place on the television show Amici di Maria de Filippi, Alessandra Amoroso unveiled her solo debut EP, Stupida, which is partly comprised of familiar material. Three of the tracks were previously released on the Amici di Maria de Filippi various-artists compilation Scialla (2009), and the title track had been debuted by Amoroso live on the show's season finale episode on March 25, 2009. Though it's brief at only seven tracks, and several of the songs are familiar, Stupida is chock-full of highlights and makes for an impressive debut release by the 22-year-old singer. The three previously released songs from the Amici di Maria de Filippi compilation are all impressive. "Find a Way," originally sung in English, is sung in Italian here and retitled accordingly as "È Ora di Te." The other two songs, "Immobile" and "Stella Incantevole," are ballads credited to the songwriting tandem Daniele Coro and Federica Camba. Amoroso absolutely shines on "Immobile," taking the power ballad to magnificent heights of intensity on the chorus. She also shines on "Stella Incantevole," a sedate piano ballad with an ornate string arrangement and a laid-back drum track. As great as these performances are, the title track is the real highlight of Stupida. Like "Immobile" and "Stella Incantevole," it's a power ballad written by Coro and Camba and follows in more or less the same style as the former song, with soaring vocals by Amoroso on the chorus. While the remaining four songs on Stupida aren't as notable as these highlights, they're still quite good and a bit more upbeat than the aforementioned songs, which are all ballads. Amoroso fans eager to hear her transition from reality television to recording star could hardly ask for a more promising start than this seven-track EP, which is all the more impressive given its quick release.