Coez - 1998

Released on June 13, 2025, through Warner Music Italy, 1998 is the artist's seventh studio album, released two years after the collaborative project Lovebars. This project marks a significant shift towards broader, more pop-oriented sounds, temporarily abandoning the street-style approach of previous tracks in favor of a nostalgic aesthetic. Under the guidance of the Italian label, twelve tracks are offered to the public, each steeped in this assumed nostalgia that permeates the entire work. The album is set in a period of regret and painful memories, where time seems to have stopped to revisit a specific year.

The year 1998: a melancholic time portal

The very title of the album acts as a prism, imposing a precise chronological limit that could restrict its universal appeal compared to previous, more open works such as Non erano fiori or Niente che non va. This semantic constraint transforms the project into a journey through time, where the artist paraphrases Max Pezzali to emphasize that the "golden years" are behind him. Beyond this limit, all that remains are regrets, a persistent melancholy, and memories filled with sadness. The phrase "lacrime" appears repeatedly in the lyrics, sealing the dominant emotional atmosphere. The year 1998 is not just an arbitrary date chosen for rhetorical effect; it becomes the conceptual backbone of an album where each title seems to be an attempt to capture what has already passed.

Nessun Tramonto: the call to memory as a starting point

The narrative architecture of the album begins with track number one, "Nessun Tramonto". This opening track serves as a solitary introduction before the chorus of potential guests, who are absent here except for one exception. It immediately establishes a melancholic tone and sets a classic structure that frames the entire album. Between this strong opening and the inevitable conclusion of the cycle, twelve tracks unfold to create a coherent portrait of Coez's mindset in 2025. The first side of the album promises no sudden breaks, but rather a gradual immersion in the wide sound that characterizes this phase of his career.

Il Tempo Vola: the inevitable conclusion of the cycle

The artistic trajectory concludes on the final track, "Il Tempo Vola", which offers a melancholic resolution to the entire journey. This ending of the cycle seals the project by returning to the themes of lost memories and the passage of time. The connection between these two temporal points creates a complete narrative arc, where the emotional states vary but remain faithful to the promise of the title. The album is thus organized as a sequence of varied states, where the title of the album imposes its precise chronological limit, beyond which the universal scope could be restricted.

Roma Di Notte feat. Franco 126, Tommaso Paradiso: the only bridge to the outside

A wide pop turn after Lovebars

This project fits into a trend of returning to broader sounds compared to previous street albums, notably Lovebars (2023). The production seems to be geared towards a wider, pop sound, moving away from more street-oriented approaches to prioritize a more melodic sound. This stylistic evolution is highlighted in reviews, which note that Coez is now exploring a broader form of urban music. The strength of the album lies in its ability to diversify the emotional states covered across the twelve tracks, while maintaining a strong aesthetic consistency.

Twelve tracks for an acknowledged and limited nostalgia

The studio album 1998 is defined by a call to memory, structured chronologically from the opening "Nessun Tramonto" to the closing melancholic "Il Tempo Vola". The critical success lies in the affirmation of a coherent and complete nostalgic message, despite the production choices that move away from the rapper's usual sound. Followed by From The Rooftop 3 (2026), this album represents a major intermediate step where the artistic trajectory prioritizes maintaining a continuous narrative, transforming a specific period into a melancholic journey where the year 1998 serves as a unique lens through which Coez observes his past.

Technical specifications

- Release Date: June 13, 2025 - Label: Warner Music Italy - Number of Tracks: 12 - Opening/Closing: Nessun Tramonto / Il Tempo Vola - Guest Artists: Franco 126, Tommaso Paradiso - Previous Album: Lovebars (2023)