She gained popularity in 1993, after winning the Newcomers section of the Sanremo Music Festival with "La Solitudine" note , and later coming third in the Sanremo edition of the following year with "Strani Amori" note . While she mostly sings in Italian or Spanish, she has also performed songs in Portuguese, English, French, and Catalan.
Throughout her career, she has sold over 70 milions albums worldwide, especially in Europe and Latin America, and has won many music awards, both in her home country and internationally. In 2006, she has become the first Italian female artist to win a Grammy Award. She also has been a coach in both the Mexican and Spanish version of The Voice, and a judge in the Spanish version of The X Factor.
Discography:
- Laura Pausini (1993)
- Laura (1994)
- Laura Pausini (1994)
- Le cose che vivi / Las cosas que vives (1996)
- La mia risposta / Mi respuesta (1998)
- Tra te e il mare / Entre tú y mil mares (2000)
- From the Inside (2002)
- Resta in ascolto / Escucha (2004)
- Io canto / Yo canto (2006)
- Primavera in anticipo / Primavera anticipada (2008)
- Inedito / Inédito (2011)
- Simili / Similares (2015)
- Laura Xmas / Laura Navidad (2016)
- Fatti sentire / Hazte sentir (2018)
- Anime Parellele / Almas Paralelas (2023)
Laura Pausini's work provides examples of:
- Break-Up Song: Her trademark. She is well known for her sad songs about the end of romantic relationships.
- The Cover Changes the Meaning: "La Solitudine" is a sad song about a girl and a boy who are separated when the boy has to move away with his family. When sung by notoriously bisexual Brazilian singer Renato Russo, the song appears to be about a young homosexual couple who is kept apart by the homophobia of one of their families.
- Devoted to You: Her songs are often about being hopelessly devoted to a person. Her song "Non C’è" note has the lyrics "I would even go to prison for you".
- Girl Next Door: One of the reasons why she is liked by her supporters. Especially in the beginning of her career, she is pretty modest, and doesn't use much fanservice or sex appeal to attract fans.
- Grief Song: Many. A notable one is "In Assenza di Te" note , which is about grieving over a love lost forever.
- Improperly Paranoid: "Benedetta Passione" is a song about negative emotions and include the lyrics "And if it was just the jealousy that makes me see things that only exist in my mind".
- Love Martyr: Some songs are like this. For example, "Il Mio Sbaglio Più Grande" note are about falling in love with the wrong guy and being trapped in a toxic relationship."You are my biggest mistake but I would do it again!"
- Obsession Song: Many of her songs are about an obsessive love for someone, to the point of being unable to think of anything else.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: "La Solitudine" is about two lovers being kept apart by the guy's family moving away.
- Translated Cover Version: An extreme case, to the point that her career has been built in this trope. After her second studio album, she released a recopilatory of all her singles she sung in Spanish, and that album sold so well than from her third onwards she releases each studio album in Italian and Spanish simultaneously. And a few of those songs have also been recorded in English as well - two in particular appear on her English album, From the Inside.
