Franco126 returns with Futuri Possibili: a personal journey across 13 tracks

For a while now, there’s been a shared feeling: the desire to see Franco126 return with a new solo project in the Italian music scene. Pop music—or at least more singer-songwriter-driven music—is carving out space in the charts, even amid the ever-dominant world of rap and trap.

Finally, four years after his last album Multisala, Federico Bertollini, known to everyone as Franco126, returned on March 28 with Futuri Possibili.

An album that flows spontaneously and emotionally, born without pressure or expectations to fulfill. With simple, delicate, and at times heart-wrenching words, it reflects the emotional period in which it was written. The production is handled “in-house,” which adds a sense of community and trust that permeates the record. Most of the production was crafted by Golden Years, along with WISM and Perenne—longtime friends and collaborators of Franco.

Franco126 is one of the most genuine and important singer-songwriter voices in the Italian scene. Futuri Possibili is his third solo project, following his cult debut Stanza Singola and Multisala. However, his journey began even earlier, with Polaroid, an album created with Carl Brave. That record is no longer just a must-have—it’s a generational symbol.

Franco is also part of the Roman collective Lovegang126 (named after the 126 steps of Viale Glorioso in Trastevere), with whom he participated in the 2022 album Cristi e Diavoli, later collaborating on various shared projects.

Compared to his previous work, Futuri Possibili features other voices to add color to Franco’s storytelling: Coez in Bella Mossa, Fulminacci in Due Estranei, Giorgio Poi in Nottetempo, Ketama126 in Vampiro, and Ele A in Occhi Ingenui. As Franco later shared, these artists aren’t necessarily mainstream—they're friends, respected musicians he knows well. Their presence in the album happened naturally and spontaneously.

We met Franco126 on a Thursday afternoon in the Calvairate neighborhood of Milan to chat about how he’s doing and what Futuri Possibili means to him. At first, he seemed shy, but after a walk and a good conversation, he began to open up—at least a little.

Hi Federico, how are you these days?
I’m good, really good. It seems like the album is doing well, so I’m happy. After four years since the last one, of course you get a bit anxious, but yeah—it’s going really well.

It feels like people understood the album for what it is: a sincere project born out of a desire to make music spontaneously, without overthinking it or chasing something. I completely let go of expectations. And honestly, that’s been amazing—fans love it, critics too, and even the radio is behind it. Everyone. So yeah, the vibe is right.

It’s definitely my most honest album. With the previous ones, I had more of a defined idea—like with the second one, I wanted it to be a singer-songwriter album, so I leaned into that thematically. But this one is more gut-driven. I had a lot I needed to get off my chest. I actually wrote nearly 20 finished songs this time. Some of them are still good and just sitting there.

Will you release those later?
I don’t think so. They don’t really belong to the time in my life that this album represents, so it wouldn’t make sense. One might end up in a friend’s album, but the rest we’ll keep on hold.

It’s been a few days since Futuri Possibili dropped—you’ve probably gotten a lot of feedback. Are you someone who follows reactions, or do you try to keep some distance?
I definitely care, of course. But I’ve tried not to let it affect me too much. I think an album captures a moment in your life, with all its ups and downs. The songs that come out of it might be more or less inspired, more or less beautiful.Depending on what you’re going through, you make a different album. This was a pretty emotionally intense period for me, so that’s how Futuri Possibili came to be. If I had made it at another time, it would’ve been a completely different thing.

I decided to make it when I really felt the need. Before that, I just wasn’t into it. That’s why I joined the Lovegang side project, which was super fun—maybe the most fun I’ve ever had. Being on stage with your friends is always a party. You’re not carrying the full weight yourself, even if, of course, that project had its own challenges too.

But yeah, I believe you should make a record only when there’s a real, honest need to do so.

So you didn’t give yourself a deadline?
At first, I put some pressure on myself. But thanks to Bomba Dischi, I relaxed. They told me: “Don’t chase anyone. People are waiting for your music—do it at your own pace.” The album was supposed to drop in September originally, but we took more time to do things right, and in the end, it came out exactly the way it should have.

The sound of this album explores new territory while still feeling like you. Was there a moment when you knew this was the right direction?
Every album has that one song that sets the tone. For this one, it was Angelo. It’s a hybrid of rap and something almost R&B, with a unique vibe. The chorus even feels a bit like Tiromancino. When I played it for him, he flipped out. He said, “Damn, this is a single!” That track opened the door for everything else.

It’s about love at first sight—when you fall for someone you see on the street. It’s autobiographical. That song made me say: “Okay, this is the direction we’re going in.” The album’s full of variety—some tracks lean hip-hop, others R&B. Vampiro with Ketama126 has a vibe almost like 883. Due Estranei with Fulminacci feels a bit like early Jovanotti.

Golden Years produced the entire album. He’s a Roman producer who also worked on Love Bars. He really gets songs—when something works, when to pull back. He understands structure, which not all producers do. Some are more focused on sound or effects, but he serves the song. That made all the difference.

Then there’s WISM and Perenne, who produced a few tracks too. They’re in my band. We tried to keep everything “in the family” because we love making music with friends. It was super fun.

Anything else you’d like to share about the creative process?
Every track has its own story. But in general, these songs came more instinctively than usual—less from a fixed idea, more from the gut.

Compared to your past albums, there are more features this time. How did those collaborations come about?
I felt like this kind of storytelling needed other voices too. Often, the songs were already done—for example, the one with Fulminacci originally had a second verse by me. Same with Ketama. But then I thought they’d really fit there.

I called people with a similar musical vision. It all happened pretty naturally. These are artists I respect, who I know personally. And they’re not exactly the usual names popping up everywhere—more like outsiders, in a way, and I liked that. Ele A is maybe more underground, but I respect her a lot and really like her work. The song we did together is fire—very much her vibe, though the chorus is super pop. She’s closer to the rap scene in her sound.

AI is entering the music world more and more, from writing to production. What’s your take—threat or opportunity?
Depends. I think AI lacks a couple of things—like human error, imperfections. That’s where the poetry is, at least for now. When I ask AI to write a song in my style, it never really nails it. There’s nothing worth stealing.

It doesn’t reflect you?
Exactly. It doesn’t capture the heart of my style. Maybe it will one day—it’s going to evolve for sure. But right now, it just does mechanical stuff. Creative processes aren’t linear, so it’s hard for AI to truly replicate that. Still, it’s both a threat and an opportunity. We’ll see. We’re just at the beginning—soon it might become crazy powerful.

Lately, Italian music seems to be heading toward simpler, more direct storytelling about everyday life, while instrumentals are getting more layered and sophisticated. Have you thought about where the industry is going?
Not really. I’ve kind of stopped asking myself that. I’m part of a slightly different scene than classic Italian pop, so I just try to follow my own path without overthinking. That was the spirit behind this album.

How’s Lovegang126 doing in 2025?
Ups and downs, but we’re working on stuff. With Asp126, we’ve always done things collectively. I helped with the artistic direction of his album. Now we’re working on Ugo Borghetti’s. We’ve got a great team, and that energy also carried over into Futuri Possibili, with Gio Macedonio and Beatrice Chima handling the visuals.

We love this "family" way of doing things. We’ve realized we can do professional-level projects together, like Cristi e Diavoli. It’s exciting to have a collective vision as a group of friends. Hopefully we’ll do another Lovegang project eventually—when the time and energy are right, and we all have something to say.

Was there a special place—Italy or elsewhere—that played a role in writing this album?
I wrote a lot in Rome, but also spent a month in Buenos Aires. I have a friend there, Giovanni De Cataldo, who’s signed some of the tracks. He’s a visual artist and sculptor. I went to visit him, and then the producer Golden Years joined us, and we wrote some stuff there. It was great to change the air, soak up that atmosphere. That city gave me a lot. I’ve already gone back and will return again—it’s beautiful, but also weird, in a good way. It has its own very unique vibe.

When you’re not in the studio or on stage, how do you unwind?
I like reading, watching movies, hanging out with friends—just keeping it chill.

What are you reading now?
I like gothic and horror vibes. Right now I’m reading a thriller from the Blackwood saga. Pretty weird, but I’m enjoying it. I mostly read for entertainment—thrillers and novels.

What excites you most about taking Futuri Possibili on tour?
Singing the songs live. They’re personal stories, so I’m curious to see what emotions they spark in people.

Any track in particular?
I’m attached to all of them in different ways. When you write a song, you always remember the moment it was born. Over time, some may stand out more than others. Usually, the ones with a personal story stick with me more than the ones that are more imagined or conceptual. The personal ones stay strong—especially on stage.

What do you hope people take away from Futuri Possibili?
I don’t know. Songs are meant to be felt individually. Everyone hears their own experiences in them. That’s what music does—it creates empathy. So I just hope they move people. That’s the whole point of music, right? To move you.

Interview by @benedetta.borioni

Press @bombadischi

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