5 Tracks that Tell Giolì & Assia’s Love Story Better than Words Ever Could

Music is a powerful medium; it can transport us back in time to the moments that shaped who we are. Imagine how it must feel, then, for a couple like Giolì & Assia to listen to the music they’ve made throughout their touching relationship.

After connecting on social media, the two Italian multi-instrumentalists first entered into a business arrangement in which Assia Nania represented Giorgia “Giolì” Lipari as manager. They couldn’t deny their chemistry, though. Before long, their intense connection blossomed into something much more beautiful.

Giolì’s spontaneous creativity beckons Assia to venture outside her comfort zone. Assia’s discipline and pragmatism keep Giolì down to earth. Between them is a perfect storm of passion and creativity that fuses techno, pop, indie, and deep house into a compelling sound signature.

The music that pours out of such a partnership is naturally brimming with a complex emotional richness that elevates it above the noise of today’s oversaturated market. Read on and listen to five tracks that chart the course of Giolì & Assia’s romance.

1. Stay Closer

2016 saw Giolì & Assia start their own record label, Diesis Records, initially to release the former artist’s music. It wasn’t until the 2017 release of “Stay Closer” that they formally launched as a duo.

As with previous Giolì solo singles like “Istanbul” and “Echo of the woods,” the video depicted a handpan performance by the young artist. Assia’s ethereal vocals ring out in the topline, but she makes no appearance of her own in the video.

2. Borderline

Giolì & Assia strongly alluded to their relationship with the 2017 single “Starry Nights.” They put any lingering doubts to rest with the January 2018 release of “Borderline.”

The single’s haunting melodies perfectly frame romantically charged lyrics like “I’m not enough / Not enough to judge you / Strong enough / To leave you ‘cause I need you.” If that wasn’t enough, their onscreen intimacy in the music video sent the message loud and clear.

3. Diesis (Milazzo, Sicily Live Performance)

Diesis is Giolì & Assia’s instrumental live show, for which they have shot in picturesque settings around the world. Arguably the most notable of these performances is the one they delivered atop the Mount Etna active volcano in Sicily.

In conversation with Out Front Magazine, Assia notes that Giolì convinced her to haul a grand piano atop the volcano for the shoot. “She is the one who always wants the craziest thing, and at first, I always say no because it’s too hard,” she said. They saw it through, however, and the end result came out nothing short of breathtaking.

4. For You

The COVID-19 pandemic posed unique challenges for nearly everyone in the world, and Giolì & Assia were no exception. They channeled these feelings into new music, the end result of which was some of their strongest work to date.

In July 2020 the duo shared one of the fruits of their labor: the slow-burning, contemplative “For You.” It was the lead single off their highly celebrated Moon Faces EP, which arrived in full in February 2021.

5. Fire Hell and Holy Water

The passing years have not made Giolì & Assia any less eager to explore their intense relationship dynamic through music. Their May 2022 single “Fire Hell and Holy Water” stands as testament to how their romance manifests as unforgettable compositions.

The lyrics of the song depict a relationship with fire and hell on one side and holy water on the other. “A relationship where two people are obviously incompatible because of their differences, as black and white, and cause constant mutual harm, without, however, being capable of ever giving up on each other,” reads the duo’s description of the song.