"Cherofobia" ("Cherophobia") is the debut song by Italian singer-songwriter Martina Attili, released by Sony Music on 23 November 2018.[1]
| "Cherofobia" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Martina Attili | ||||
| from the EP Cherofobia | ||||
| Language | Italian | |||
| Released | 23 November 2018 | |||
| Length | 2:51 | |||
| Label | Sony Music | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Martina Attili | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Martina Attili singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Cherofobia" on YouTube | ||||
The song gained popularity during the singer's participation in the twelfth season of X Factor.
Composition
editThe song was written three years prior to her X Factor performance, while she was undergoing foot surgery. Originally, it was dedicated to a boy she couldn't confess her feelings to. As the title suggests, the song addresses cherophobia, a form of anxiety characterized by the fear of happiness.[2]
The song was first introduced to the public during the X Factor auditions and was released as a single a few months later, in November 2018, following her advancement to the semi-finals.[3] The final version was reworked with the involvement of Manuel Agnelli, her mentor on the show, and Enrico Brun, who also handled the production.[4]
Reception
editAttili's performance of "Cherofobia" during the X Factor auditions was well received by both the audience and the jury, and the song went viral even before the live shows began.[5] Although she was eliminated in the semifinals, finishing in sixth place, her single achieved good success, reaching number two on the FIMI chart and being certified a platinum record. The video of her X Factor audition was the most viewed in Italy on YouTube according to YouTube Rewind.[6][7]
The song also helped bringing attention to the condition of cherophobia and anxiety management.[8][9] The term "cherophobia" was one of the most searched in Italy on Google in 2018.[10]
Music video
editA music video of "Cherofobia", directed by Giacomo Triglia, was released on 13 December 2018 via Attili's YouTube channel.
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[11] | 2 |
| Italy Airplay (EarOne)[12] | 64 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Italy (FIMI)[13] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Romanò, Eleonora (22 November 2018). "Cherofobia - Martina Attili (Radio date: 23-11-2018)". EarOne.
- ^ Liperi, Felice (8 September 2018). "Martina ed Elena le giovani emozioni da Roma a X Factor". la Repubblica.
- ^ Manca, Mario (7 September 2018). "X Factor 12: gli Under che ci hanno (già) convinto". Vanity Fair.
- ^ Donvito, Nico (4 December 2018). "'Cherofobia', il curioso caso di Martina Attili". Recensiamo Musica.
- ^ "La paura di essere felici a 16 anni: standing ovation a X Factor per Martina". Corriere della Sera. 7 September 2018.
- ^ Longhitano, Lorenzo (6 December 2018). "YouTube Rewind 2018: un esperimento sociale di Fanpage.it tra i video più popolari dell'anno". Fanpage.it.
- ^ "La cherofobia di Martina Attili perde X Factor ma vince Youtube: è suo il video più visto del 2018". Fanpage.it. 11 December 2018.
- ^ Gasperini, Brunella (9 February 2018). "La cherofobia esiste davvero?". D – Repubblica.
- ^ "Cherofobia, temere la felicità perché poi torna il non senso della vita". UCCR. 18 December 2018.
- ^ "Cherofobia di Martina Attili è tra le parole più ricercate su Google nel 2018". Sky TG24. 12 December 2018.
- ^ "Martina Attili – Cherofobia". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
- ^ "Cherofobia - Martina Attili". EarOne. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
- ^ "Italian single certifications – Martina Attili – Cherofobia" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 29 August 2025.