Lorenzo Fragola

Lorenzo Fragola, the singer and songwriter from Catania, Sicily, first drew major attention in 2014 after capturing the win on season eight of Italy’s X Factor. While still in school he studied music, joined a choir, and began composing original material during his teenage years. Once he finished high school he relocated to Bologna to continue his education, auditioned for X Factor, advanced on his second try, and was declared the season’s champion. Issued as the program’s winner’s single, “The Reason Why” opened at number one on Italy’s singles chart. His debut album, 1995—named for his birth year and released by Sony Music in spring 2015—also reached the top of the Italian albums chart. Fragola’s follow-up full-length, Zero Gravity, likewise debuted at number one when it arrived in March 2016.