Maeba (album)

After the released of Le migliori with Adriano Celentano in 2016, Mina came back in 2018 with Maeba, her first solo studio album since Selfie in 2014.^[9] The cover art shows the singer like an alien, an image already used as a hologram during the final of Sanremo Festival 2018 and on the cover of Piccolino, Mina's 2011 album.^[10] The album features 12 tracks and a 'surprise' for fans.^[11] Mina's son, Massimiliano Pani, produced and arranged the songs,^[12] which span many genres ranging from rhythm & blues to electronics, from rock to jazz. The album also contains songs sung in three languages: Italian, English, and Neapolitan. It was recorded and mixed at the PDU studios in Lugano, the strings were recorded at the Officine Meccaniche studio in Milan, while the mastering and transfer were performed by Alessandro Di Guglielmo at the Elettroformati studio.^[13]

The first single released from the album was “Volevo scriverti da tanto”, a striking and emotional melodic ballad creating an atmosphere for the listener only Mina knows how to create: one of those songs that needs a great interpreter to express it fully.^[14] The composer is Moreno Ferrara, one of the most important Italian choristers,^[15] while the lyrics were written by Maria Francesca Polli, who has collaborated in the past with Roby Facchinetti, Claudio Baglioni, and Franco Fasano. The lyrics are a yearning letter to a person who can never read it.^[16]