Thrills and more thrills with eroCaddeo, who at the halfway point of X Factor 2025 confirms himself as one of this season's most compelling revelations. The 27-year-old from Sinnai also shines in Hell Factor, the decisive, high-tension fourth live show with the menacing double elimination.

First round, the Giostra. In the short time allotted to him amidst the spectacular, frenetic, and seamless loop of all nine competing artists, Damiano, precise and clean, stands out with a rendition of Lucio Battisti's "E penso a te." A couple of notes are all it takes, and under the proud gaze of his coach Achille Lauro, the right atmosphere is created. Pierfrancesco Favino, a judge for one evening, also enchants: "It's a gift and a privilege to see all this talent on stage."

But it's during the heats that the former winner of the Radiolina Contest stops the clocks. This week's assignment was once again more than arduous: "La cura" by Franco Battiato, a gigantic masterpiece of Italian singer-songwriter music. But eroCaddeo isn't afraid of anything: standing out against the dazzling backdrop of Laccio & Shake, the duo who have been creating the talent show's stage presence for years, he delivers his most intense performance yet. Amidst white-clad gospel choirs and bright LEDs dancing around him, Damiano dedicates this sublime, dreamlike poem about love and the healing power of music to his sister: "A very important song to me, I thought of her. Ciao Morena, ti amo." She, evidently, is his special self, and she is the person he wants to care for.

"A stab in the heart," commented Francesco Gabbani, his eyes shining . "It moved me." Paola Iezzi also responded without hesitation: "Come on, what can I say? Perfect." Lauro has given him so many compliments that he doesn't know what else to give him: "I care about pushing these guys to go beyond their limits, and Damiano succeeds even with iconic pieces, which he sets at his level without ever making them caricatures. Together we build a world that ultimately is his."

The secret, we've figured out by now, is combining enormous talent with not taking oneself too seriously. "What kind of beast do I feel? A chicken," eroCaddeo jokes backstage. And he also plays with the new look: "Look at me, three weeks ago, I was 12!" The metamorphosis into "Laurism"—tight shirt and pants, leather belt, and gel for my curls—is almost complete: "The key words? Pathos and style."

The dreaded double elimination didn't touch him; by the end of Hell Factor, he was among the top six with the most votes. And that's no small achievement, as he's secured a spot in next week's episode of unreleased songs. And the final in Naples on December 4th is getting closer and closer.

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