Blind

Franco Popi Rujan (born 13 January 2000), better known as Blind, is an Italian rapper. He rose to fame in late 2020, when he took part in the fourteenth edition of Italian talent show X Factor, finishing in third place and achieving commercial success with the single "Cuore nero". The said single peaked at number 2 on the FIMI Single Chart and was certified platinum, denoting equivalent units.

Life and career Blind was born to Romanian parents in Perugia and grew up in Ponte San Giovanni, a frazione of his hometown. After going through family issues, he cut ties with his father. During his adolescence, he was charged multiple times for theft and brawl. The Juvenile court entrusted him to the association "Risorse & Talenti", which helped him to pursue his musical goals.

He chose to perform under the pseudonym "Blind", because "it means not looking at barriers, criticism, and everything that can hinder you". Since 2017, he started releasing songs online, including the track "Sotto 'sti palazzi". His first music video was self-produced, with financial help from his friends who collected money to support his music. He also performed as an opening act for Italian rappers such as Izi, Rkomi, Tedua, and Drefgold.

In 2020, he auditioned for the fourteenth series of Italian talent show X Factor, performing his original song "Cuore nero". He was chosen by his mentor Emma Marrone as one of the contestants in the "Boys" category. During the first live show, he performed "Cuore nero", which was immediately released as part of the X Factor Mixtape, together with all the contestants' original songs. The song was also released as a single on 30 October 2020. During the live shows, Blind also performed his own songs "Cicatrici" and "Affari tuoi", as well as reworked hits with original lyrics. After reaching the final, he ended up in third place, behind the series' winner Casadilego and runner-up band Little Pieces of Marmelade.

The single "Cuore nero" was certified gold before the final of the show, and went on to receive a platinum certification. An extended play with the same title was also released in December 2020, featuring studio recordings of six songs originally performed during X Factor, as well as a new original track, "Hola". A new song, titled "Promettimi", was recorded with fellow rappers Gué Pequeno and Nicola Siciliano, and released as a single on 24 February 2021. His autobiography, titled Cicatrici, was released in June 2021.

On 8 February 2022, Blind was announced as one of the ten established artists competing in the final of Una voce per San Marino. However, on 18 February, one day before the final, it was announced that he would withdraw from the contest for health reasons.

In a trio with El Ma and Soniko, Blind was among the ten winning acts of the Area Sanremo contest on 12 December 2025, and the following day the three were selected to compete in the Newcomers' section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2026. Their entry, titled "Nei miei DM", was eliminated in the semi-final.

Discography Extended plays Title Details Peak chart positions ITA Cuore nero Released: 11 December 2020 Label: Sony Music Format: CD, digital download 19

Singles Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album ITA —"Popolari" —"Non mi perdo più" 2022—"Non dormo da una settimana"—"Corro veloce"—"Mala"2024—"Spento"2025—"Game Over"—"The Last Raider"—"Nei miei DM"67 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released.

Featured singles Title Year"Non cambi mai" 2021

Television programs