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Amici 26 contestant plagiarism controversy

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What changed

2026-10-22 18:34 UTC → 2026-10-26 19:30 UTC · added ~~removed~~

During the television program Amici 26, artistic director Samurai Jay confronted contestant Erness regarding the originality of the song ‘Colpa mia’. Technical analysis indicated the track shared the same key, BPM, and harmonic progression as a Spanish urban song released five years prior. While Samurai Jay initially opted to grant the student a second chance rather than pursuing expulsion, the situation escalated following further investigations. Subsequent reviews of Erness’s repertoire revealed additional irregularities, with many audition tracks identified as plagiarized or adaptations of well-known songs. After a one-week suspension intended to allow the contestant to produce new original material, the resulting track failed to meet required standards. Consequently, the artistic directors, including Lorella Cuccarini and Amadeus, reached a consensus to disqualify Erness, citing his behavior as unacceptable and disrespectful to other contestants. Following his removal, rapper Ernesto Esposito, known as Erness, addressed the disqualification on social media. He admitted to his mistakes, stating that ‘to do what I did leads nowhere except to failure.’ He expressed gratitude to the production team and specifically thanked Samurai Jay, whom he described as a person with a ‘heart of gold.’ Samurai Jay responded publicly, offering encouragement and telling the rapper to keep his ‘head held high.’ Erness indicated he intends to use the setback as a starting point for a new musical path.

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