MEET ANDREA
He’s Italian but lives in London. He’s gay but gender fluid. Say ciao to Andrea Di Giovanni, who wants to be “free from the chains of shame”.
He’s Italian, gay but genderfluid, and wants to be “free from the chains of shame”.
DNA: Is it fair to say the turning point in your life was when you were 19 and moved to London from Italy?
Andrea: That’s right. I moved to London after doing a TV show in Italy, but I didn’t feel accepted by society so I decided to have a big jump and move to the UK. I started studying and did a degree and while I was at uni I released seven singles.
Why not just go on The X Factor and make your dreams happen faster?
It’s not really part of my plan in that I’ve done my TV show experience already. I make no judgment against people who want to do that, but the problem I have with TV talent shows is that they give you a quick spotlight and then in most cases they drop you and you are left with this “X Factor reject” tag. I would rather start from the ground up and build my fan base by myself and then in a few years have a strong platform and say the things I want to say.
What do you want to say?
Things that are not very TV-friendly.
You define yourself as gender-fluid, correct?
I want to be one of the first voices that talks about issues within our community more, and to keep on discussing how it is to be gender fluid and what it feels like. We talk about it a lot but we don’t show people enough. For other queer people to see someone who is making waves being themselves is a great example.
There’s a revised definition of gender that suggests you can have three different genders at the same time – in your head, in your heart and your genitals. Do you agree with that? Absolutely. You don’t have to necessary stick to one box. There is a big difference between gender and sexuality. Gender is the way you feel inside and how you identify. Non-binary and gender fluid people bring that idea forward. Gender need not be fixed. You could be one or the other or you could be everything in between, which is why I identify as gender fluid. It wasn’t enough for me to be a man, because I feel I am also a woman. There are two extremes that I fluctuate between.
But you do define yourself as gay?
Yes. Sexuality is about who I like to sleep with, while gender identity is about who you are inside and in your heart.
Who were your heroes when you were growing up and finding your gender identity? My dad, with his hard-work ethic, taught me how to dream big and achieve my goals. And my mom showed me how to be a kind and loving person. When it comes to gender identity I’m totally in love with Jamie Windust, editorin-chief of Fruitcake magazine and LGBTQIA+ activist, and Travis Alabanza, a trans-nonbinary performer and artist.
You’ve also been influenced by fashion icons like Versace and Alexander McQueen.
I have loved fashion since I was a kid growing up in Italy and looking at Vogue. I love the aesthetics of those people you mentioned because they challenged the status quo and tried to bring something different every time. That’s what inspired me to blur the lines of gender. My music is a reflection of who I really am, so I like to play around with pronouns and put forward something that wasn’t there before in my unique way, which I do through gender expression, fashion and also through singing in my low or high registers to create this duality. How would you describe your music?
Dark art pop. I’m trying to deliver art with every song, so it embodies more. Isn’t this something Lady Gaga was pushing for a long time, too?
Gaga has been massive influence, especially the old stuff. She was pushing the boundaries of music and I was very inspired by her, and also by David Bowie.
Have you called Gaga to do a duet yet? [Excitedly.] Yes! That could be on the plan, especially as we’re both Italian. Madonna could do our backing vocals!
Do you have a plan to be a global pop star in 18 months?
My greatest ambition is to perform and touch as many people as I can. I would love to break into the mainstream. I am honest and open and educate parents that [their children] can be whoever you want to be and can be successful with that.
Do you identify with gay pop stars like Troye Sivan or Olly Alexander?
I love what they are doing, especially Troy’s aesthetic. But I want to be even more vocal than they are. As a queer person, I want to “spill the t” on what’s going on. Olly is the person I look up to the most because he talks about mental health and the idea of “toxic masculinity” in our society. We need to talk about more that, especially for trans and non-binary people because they have it really rough.
Does your song Shame Resurrection deal with that issue?
It tackles the mental health issues I went through while I was dating this guy who wasn’t very open. I wanted to grab his hand in public and he was scared of that. I wanted to be free of the chains of shame but I understood where he was coming from. Being Italian, I developed this form of internalized homophobia, and that’s what the song is about.
When can we expect an album from you? That’s on the way, either this year or in 2020. I also want to bring some great collaborations with voices that need to be highlighted and to share my platform.
Sexuality is about who I like to sleep with, while gender identity is about who you are inside and in your heart.
MORE: For more on Andrea find his page on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. His music is available on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music and all other major music services with a new EP due at the end of March.