Chanel Dilecta is a 16-year-old Italian singer. She represented Italy in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest after participating in smaller local competitions. She continues to compose songs in English and Italian, combining singing and dancing, and was recently featured on The Voices of Europe. Let us see how she achieved all of that.
How did your singing career begin?
My singing career started when I was very little. My mom is an opera singer, so she would always bring me to see her concerts. Throughout my childhood, I watched her singing, rehearsing, and performing, and I really loved that world. I wanted to sing too and do what she did. I started singing at a very young age, and she has always been my teacher. From there, I began participating in various projects.
When you started singing, did you expect to represent Italy in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022?
The Junior Eurovision was my biggest dream since I was about seven years old. Every year, I would watch the show and every single performance. It was my absolute biggest dream, but I thought it was very far away from me—something unreachable and impossible to achieve. When I was cast for the auditions, I couldn’t believe it was true. When they chose me, it was even more incredible. My dream came true, and it was something I completely did not expect. It is pretty hard to imagine performing on one of the biggest stages for young people when you are just starting out.
Before competing in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, did you enter any other singing competitions?
Yes. I started when I was five years old, and from day one, I tried to find contests and performances. I did this to build up my experience and practice before the Junior Eurovision, even though back then I didn’t even know I would actually go. I participated in many contests—local ones, obviously, as well as some international ones. I never won anything major, but those experiences truly helped me.
Do you think participating in those other competitions helped you perform in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest?
Definitely. When you participate in so many contests in different places, you get to experience unexpected situations that can happen on stage. For example, you might have a cold one day, feel unwell, or face technical issues inside or outside the theater. After experiencing those moments, you grow older and learn how to cope with those situations. Because of that, you don’t fear something going wrong because you already know how to deal with it.
How did you manage to represent Italy in that song contest?
In Italy, there is an internal selection process. I didn’t even know how to get noticed by the broadcasting company, RAI. The only thing I could think of was to post a lot of content online, hoping to stand out from other people. That is actually what happened. After I posted a lot of videos, the broadcaster called me in for an audition. I didn’t know how many other people were there, but I waited for about three weeks after my audition without hearing anything. I didn’t know if I would be called back or told that I didn’t pass. Finally, they called to tell me that I did pass the audition. That was the best day of my life; I truly didn’t expect it and was incredibly happy.
Why did you choose to sing “Blah Blah Blah” in the Junior Eurovision?
I didn’t actually choose the song personally; it was given to me by the authors from the Italian broadcasting team for Junior Eurovision. However, I really loved the song. When I first listened to it, the version was very different from the final track, but I loved it right away. It had meaningful lyrics and great energy. I loved the energy because it allowed me to combine dancing with singing, so I was very happy with the authors’ choice.
What is the message of “Blah Blah Blah” in your opinion?
The message of the song is exactly what the title says: “Blah Blah Blah.” We talk a lot these days about how to solve the world’s problems, but we actually do nothing to solve them. The song is about talking less and working more.
Why did you choose to sing “Blah Blah Blah” in English and Italian?
I didn’t choose that myself, though I don’t remember if I suggested it to the authors. As I mentioned, the original version was very different from the final one. I really liked the authors’ decision to include some English sentences. It allows international listeners to understand the core meaning of the song through those key English phrases, so I was really happy with that choice.
You recently were featured in the “Voices of Europe.” How did you manage to be featured there?
That happened exactly like the Junior Eurovision selection. I post a lot on social media—many covers, pictures, and other content. I think they noticed me through these videos, so they sent me a direct message on Instagram expressing their interest in collaborating. I was very happy and honored because they are a very big platform.
How do you feel about the evolution of your singing career? Is there anything that surprised you?
Nothing really surprised me, but there are various ways you evolve in a singing career, such as your technical and vocal abilities, as well as your stage performance and learning how to cope with different situations on stage. My evolution is centered around that. Your voice always changes, and how you feel on stage changes too, so I am always evolving.
I will definitely continue to make different songs in the future. I have done many English songs, and now I am also working on Italian songs. I want to build my Italian audience alongside the international audience I gained from Eurovision.
If a young person who is passionate about singing would like to have a successful career, what advice would you give them?
My advice for anyone who wants to start a singing career is to dream big. Dream of the most unreachable thing you can think of, and do everything you can to reach that point. You also have to work hard because you can’t just sit around and wait for it to happen out of nowhere. You have to work hard and do everything necessary to achieve it.
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