Chapter 3: CLOSET CONFESSIONALS

Life. A journey filled with trials and tribulations. If there is anything that every single person has in common, it is the inevitable loss that life bestows upon us.

IL GENIO, a.k.a. Julian Genio, is my best friend’s husband and he is also my friend. He is someone who suffered a great loss in his life; that of his father. I know of loss, but I do not know what it is to grieve the loss of a father.
Years ago, Julian lost his Dad, and it has haunted him ever since.

At the end of 2020, his wife, my best friend Stef, reached out to me. Julian wasn’t feeling so good, he was going through a rough patch. Seeing as I was returning to the music scene, and seeing as IL GENIO was also a rapper in his earlier years, she thought that perhaps expressing himself on a new song would help him emotionally and get him feeling better. However, knowing that Julian would not do it to help himself, we devised a plan to make it look like I needed his help to release a song.
So I reached out to Julian, and I asked for his help. Of course, he accepted immediately. I instantly saw that his love for music had the great power of keeping him driven, and I also saw how much he looked after me like a sister. He always encouraged me, no matter his hard days.

We were looking up beats together and finding a common interest through music. He was working on his verses and one day he sent them over. As I read the words, I felt an immense sense of sadness, but I was also impressed and proud to see him put these emotions on paper. I then wrote a chorus to emulate his emotions as best as I could and we were ready to record.
Unfortunately, we found ourselves in the middle of a pandemic and music studios were closed. So we improvised.
I went over to Stef and Julian’s house. I brought my mic and laptop, and we recorded ourselves in the closet, with a big blanket hovering over us, trying to get as much insulation as possible.I can tell you that we each came out of that closet sweating from the heat generated in that little space. We bounced the tracks to Julian’s producer, SkyBeatz and a year went by.

The truth is, I had no expectations because my sole purpose was to get Julian back on his feet and motivated. Every few months, I would receive an apology message from Julian, excusing himself for not having finished the song with his producer. Of course I needed no apology, but Julian really felt that he was helping me in my musical path, and so he was disappointed. I knew that it was not easy for Julian to write his feelings, nevertheless record them, and so I knew that releasing a song like this publicly was a big step for him. It would be a decision that only he could make when he would be ready.

Then, in November 2021, Julian messaged me to let me know that the song had been submitted for streaming and that it would shortly be released. Just like that, here we are, with a new track called “TAKE ME BACK”.

His journey, his feelings and his experience is all encompassed in this song. He was courageous and vulnerable enough to release it to the world and we are so proud of him. This is a true story that is relatable and one that was expressed  from the heart, and when good hearts align, anything is possible.

I wanted you to know the story behind Julian, this song, and the journey of producing it. No matter how broken a heart is, there is always enough space for love. In helping me, Julian helped himself, and we helped each other.

As for my best friend Stefania Dei Tigli, whom we call the wizard, I am grateful because I know that she knew very well that I would help Julian, when I too needed help.

Love makes the world go round and golden hearts keep it alive. Remember to keep the faith.

“Take me Back” – by IL GENIO feat. Claudia Lenti is streaming on all platforms.