Belva translates to "beast" or "wild animal". It's a striking and somewhat unexpected word to find in a pop song, making it memorable and intriguing.
In the context of the song, the line "Che tu sia buona che io sia una belva" (Whether you are good, whether I am a beast) suggests a contrast between two natures or roles in a relationship. The singer uses "belva" to describe a wilder, perhaps more untamed or difficult side of himself, adding a layer of raw emotion and self-awareness to the lyrics.
Belva – which literally means “beast” in Italian – captures the messy tug-of-war between tenderness and raw instinct inside a relationship. Gazzelle sings from the viewpoint of someone who feels fragile, ignored, and on the edge of collapse. He begs his partner to look at his face, hold his arms, and stay, even when he loses his head, turns into “half a bear,” and becomes a jerk. The repeated question “Come vuoi che sto?” (How do you expect I’m doing?) hints at unspoken pain, while the promise “Giurami che cercherai di stare qui” reveals a desperate need for reassurance.
Beneath its catchy indie-pop vibe, the song wrestles with opposing forces: order vs. chaos, comfort vs. conflict, sweetness vs. savagery. Gazzelle admits that not everything heals and that sometimes love simply hurts, yet he still offers his partner a place “to sleep inside” him. The result is a heartfelt confession of vulnerability wrapped in gruff honesty – a reminder that even a “belva” just wants someone to hold them before they fall.