Italian singer-songwriter Malika Ayane has released her seventh studio album, titled Cicale, following a seven-month hiatus after the Sanremo Festival, according to music specialist Martina Dessì writing for Libero Magazine. The project reflects a deliberate artistic regeneration rather than a period of stasi, drawing inspiration from cicadas that spend years underground before emerging to sing for a single season.
The Making of Cicale: An Uncompromising Artistic Shift
According to Dessì, the new record moves away from commercial radio pressures and modern production trends like invasive autotune. Instead, Ayane built the album around analog keyboards, a piano, and synthetic basses. Speaking to her recent stage experience playing Grizabella in the musical Cats, the artist developed a vocal presence free from performance anxiety. She describes the project as her “after-work English-style record,” crafted for the pure pleasure of making music with an artisanal spirit.
Track Breakdown: From Sanremo 2026 to Collaborations
The album opens with “Finalmente,” a track that bypasses youth rhetoric and career self-celebration to offer a clear-eyed life assessment. “Animali notturni” was presented at the Sanremo Festival 2026 and serves as the record’s driving motor, capturing adult love and nighttime as a space for work and connection through a layered, travel-friendly arrangement. Other tracks include “È andata così,” which frames human flaws through an economical Icaro metaphor, and “Diversamente,” the album’s sole collaboration featuring Dargen D’Amico. According to Dessì, D’Amico’s sharp writing contrasts with Ayane’s winding vocal style to create a balance between urban singer-songwriter traditions and pop.
Did you know?
The track “Come la prima volta” reunites Ayane with writer Emma Nolde a decade after their collaboration on “Adesso e qui (nostalgico presente)” from the album Naïf, exploring deep relational confidence that requires no spoken words, according to the Libero Magazine report.
Malika Ayane 2026 Theatre Tour Dates
Following an instore tour that kicked off at La Feltrinelli Duomo in Milan, Ayane will take Cicale on a theatre tour across Italy starting in November, with dates produced by Friends & Partners and Magellano Concerti. The live shows feature a five-element formation moving between acoustic and electronic arrangements without pre-recorded sequences, as reported by Dessì.
- 1 November – Fermo, Teatro dell’Aquila (data zero)
- 3 November – Roma, Auditorium Conciliazione
- 4 November – Firenze, Teatro Verdi
- 10 November – Milano, Teatro Arcimboldi
- 11 November – Torino, Teatro Colosseo
- 14 November – Catanzaro, Teatro Politeama
- 16 November – Bitritto (Bari), Palatour
- 17 November – Napoli, Teatro Augusteo
- 19 November – Catania, Teatro Metropolitan
- 20 November – Palermo, Teatro Golden
- 24 November – Padova, Gran Teatro Geox
- 25 November – Bologna, Teatro Duse
- 27 November – Senigallia (Ancona), Teatro La Fenice
- 28 November – Pescara, Teatro Massimo
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Malika Ayane’s album Cicale released?
According to Libero Magazine, Cicale was released seven months after the Sanremo Festival.
Who is featured on the track “Diversamente”?
The track features Dargen D’Amico, representing the only duet on the album.
When does the theatrical tour for Cicale begin?
The tour starts with a preview date on November 1 in Fermo at the Teatro dell’Aquila, before moving to cities including Rome, Florence, Milan, and Turin through November.
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