Italian native and hip-hop artist and actor Simone Baldasseroni is better known by his stage name, Biondo, which is Italian for "Blond." When Biondo turned 16, he debuted his first single, 4M, and quickly accumulated a loyal following on YouTube and Instagram. Since then, Simone's career has taken off, and he has two albums, Ego and Dejavu, and two movies under his belt. Vestal sat down with Biondo to discuss his latest single, Non-6ento Nada (loosely translated as "I can't hear a thing"), and his latest movie, Crazy for Football.

PHOTOGRAPHY ALAN GELATI STYLING SAMANTA PARDINI

Violeta Nicola  __ How did you get started in the music industry?

Simone Baldasseroni-Biondo __ I started singing when I was about 12 years old. At the time, I felt that I could express my thoughts through music, and it all started from there. I released my first ever record when I was 16 years old. Fast forward a few years later, and I'm still creating music.

VN  __ You recently released your single with Paris Boy called Non 6ento Nada. What can you tell us about the song and how it began?

SBB __ Non-6ento Nada is a track that talks about the consequences of being a public figure and the various aspects of fame. 

VN  __ Who are some of your favorite musicians? Who would you like to collaborate with?

SBB __ As a musician, I try to keep my ears open to as much music as I can, so, as a result, I have many favorite artists for each music genre. My favorite ones include Drake, Post Malone, Harry Styles, Chris Brown, and ZAYN.

VN  __ You are currently starring in the film Crazy for Football. What can you tell us about your character and the story of the film?

SBB __ 'Crazy for Football ', directed by Volfango De Biasi, is my latest project. I dedicated myself to this role, striving to portray my character with the utmost authenticity. The film delves into important themes such as mental health, and I felt a deep sense of responsibility to honor the character I was portraying. The story revolves around a psychiatrist's dream of organizing the first worldwide football cup for patients with mental illness.

VN  __ Some fans may not know the story behind Crazy for Football. Did you feel extra pressure portraying a character based on a real person?

SBB __ I portray a character named Tommaso, and, as you pointed out, the story is based on reality, so I had to keep that in mind throughout filming. The movie is only about 1 hour and 30 minutes long, but people need to know the period of intense preparation behind the project. I had difficulty detaching myself from the character and getting back to everyday life after we finished filming because I felt emotionally attached to Tommaso and who he was as a person.

VN  __ How did you prepare for the role before filming?

SBB __ My preparation for my character Tommaso in Crazy for Football began three months before filming. I was trying to live my daily life from my character’s point of view to get used to his habits and expressions. I’ve also lost weight to portray my character and practiced football for about 1 hour a day before shooting.

VN  __ How did you react when you got the role?

SBB __ I was thrilled when I found out I got cast for this movie. Around that time, I didn’t feel happy about my career. I can say that I was almost depressed. When I got the news about being cast as Tommaso, I thought it was the right occasion at the right time for me, and slowly, everything turned out well.

VN  __ What is some of the best advice you have gotten, and from whom?

SBB __ The best advice I’ve ever gotten is to never be angry at yourself. It’s from a book I’ve read called Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

VN  __ Who are some actors and directors you would like to work with in the future?

SBB __ Some of my favorite actors are Leonardo Di Caprio and Marco Giallini. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Marco Giallini on a previous project called Per Il Tuo Bene, for which I am incredibly grateful.

VN  __ How do you see your music style evolve in the future?

SBB __ My fans will listen to a new type of music on my upcoming album. In the beginning, I was only doing R&B and Hip-Hop, but over the last months, I started experimenting with new genres such as Soul and Jazz. My album features various sounds and topics, such as personal growth, which fans will relate to and enjoy.

Photography Alan Gelati, Styling Samanta Pardini, Interview Violeta Nicola, Makeup Maddalena Brando,  Hair Ugo Lepre, Press office Mpunto Comunicazione, Fashion Assistant Ivana Candela, Talent Simone Baldasseroni-Biondo.