Strani amori

When Laura Pausini performed at the Sanremo Festival in 1994 with Strani amori, she not only secured third place in the Campioni category but also laid the groundwork for her international breakthrough. The song, released as the lead single, preceded the arrival of her self-titled debut album in February of that same year. The music was composed by Angelo Valsiglio and Roberto Buti, while the lyrics were a collaboration between Cheope, Marco Marati, and Francesco Tanini.

The impact of Strani amori was significant. In the Spanish-speaking market, the song was adapted into Spanish under the title Amores extraños, with lyrics by Badia. This version was included on Pausini’s first Spanish-language album, also titled Laura Pausini, and was released as the third single in 1995 in Spain and Latin America. The original music video for Strani amori was filmed in Florence, Italy, directed by Marco Della Fonte, and featured the artist alongside young people representing different stages of a relationship. Later, in 1999, this video was included in the VHS compilation Video Collection 93–99.

Over the years, Strani amori and its Spanish adaptation Amores extraños have been featured in multiple productions by Laura Pausini. They appeared on the 1995 album Laura Pausini, in a new version on The Best of Laura Pausini: E ritorno da te, and in live format on the DVDs Live 2001-2002 World Tour and the albums Live in Paris 05 and San Siro 2007. Meanwhile, Amores extraños was included on Lo Mejor de Laura Pausini: Volveré junto a ti, also in a new version, and in live performances on the DVD Live 2001-2002 World Tour and the albums Laura Live World Tour 09 and Laura Live Gira Mundial 09. The song has also been covered by other artists; Olga Tañón recorded Amores extraños in 1994, and Renato Russo did the same with Strani amori in 1995. In 2010, Laura Pausini paid tribute to Renato Russo by creating a virtual duet with him, blending her version with the Brazilian singer’s for the album Duetos.