MELODY
The 1983 track that, after a missed debut, found a new international life through vinyl reissues, viral charts, TikTok and streaming.
Independent Italian project
PLUSTWO
VENICE / ROME · 1983 / 2026
Plustwo began with four different paths crossing between Venice and Rome, brought together by the search for an original pop language. It was never a straight road: the industry timing and release strategy did not help their debut, and “Melody”, their first single, sold only 605 vinyl copies. The contracts were dissolved after the poor commercial response, and that story seemed destined to remain suspended.
But some songs need time. In 2014, “Melody” was recreated with respect for the original, keeping the instruments, sounds and spirit of that first recording, but giving it a new energy. From there came an unexpected second life: the track has passed 1.5 billion TikTok post views — certified by TikTok for Artists — thanks to DJs, fans and a new generation who made it their own.
Today Plustwo continues as an independent project. Returning to those songs means rediscovering their character, their craft, their original light, and carrying them into a sound that can speak to the present. Not out of nostalgia, but because some stories, when they come back, can still feel alive.
"In 1983, the record did not even reach the shop down the street. Today, the song has travelled around the world."— Plustwo —
“I just came across your single ‘Melody’ and have been dancing in my room all morning. Absolute bop...”
H.C. — Island Records
H.C. — Island Records
“Our team here has been loving the music. We were wondering if you have a label partner yet...”
J.F. — Elektra Records
J.F. — Elektra Records
“Loving this track! Wicked disco vibe! Would love to discuss more...”
H.E. — Capitol Records
H.E. — Capitol Records
“I’m trying to find out who owns Plustwo’s ‘Melody’ — it’s a brilliant track and it’s excitingly catching attention on social media...”
D.M. — RCA
D.M. — RCA
“...it’s amazing to see so many people discovering your music and loving it — I’m a massive fan.”
M.S. — Sony Music
M.S. — Sony Music
01 — Story
THE STORY
The original 12-inch vinyl featured two tracks: “Melody” and “Stop Fantasy”. It was released in 1983 by Mio Records, a small newly founded label distributed by Ricordi, at a time when italo-disco was searching for new shapes between electronics, pop and club culture.
Its first life was brief and uneven. The television promotion began before the record was actually available in stores; by the time it reached the shelves, the moment had already passed. The remaining copies went back to the distributor and were reused to press other records. Over time, the original master also disappeared.
But that record did not disappear completely. In the 2000s, “Melody” began to resurface among DJs, collectors and italo-disco devotees. Not simply as an eighties artefact, but as one of those tracks that seems to keep looking for its audience. Surviving original copies started changing hands for significant prices, while “Stop Fantasy”, the B-side, also found admirers among listeners drawn to funk-boogie and Italian electronic music.
In 2014, with the master gone, Giorgio Costantini brought the group back together and rebuilt “Melody” from scratch. The aim was not to remake it in a modern style, but to recover its sonic body: the same instruments — Korg, Moog, TR-606, Linn — the same arrangement, the same imprint. The mixing took about a month, searching for a difficult balance: making the track feel alive today without erasing where it came from.
In 2020, the new version of the track, titled “Melody (1983 Club Vinyl Mix)”, exploded on TikTok, while the video — built from authentic 1980s material — was often mistaken for a refined contemporary vintage pastiche. Within days, Island Records, Elektra, Capitol, RCA and Sony Music got in touch, convinced they had found a new band. Plustwo listened, considered the offers, and chose to remain independent.
“Survivor”, released on April 26, 2026, comes from that same desire: not to turn back time, but to let a song from the past find a new form, with respect, presence and a voice that remains unmistakably its own.
Timeline
1983
Melody / Stop Fantasy
1984
Mad Radio / New Sensation
12" 45 rpm long version
2014→
Melody / Stop Fantasy / Nightlights in Japan
2020
“Melody” goes viral on TikTok. The track reaches #1 UK, #3 USA.
2026
Release of "Survivor".
Notes
- The relaunch video was genuinely rooted in the 1980s, but many viewers mistook it for a contemporary vintage reconstruction
- Olly Alexander — former Years & Years frontman, with over 4 billion streams — included “Melody” in his personal 2024 playlist for The Guardian
- In 2023, “Melody” was selected for the soundtrack of Good Fortune, the Keanu Reeves film directed by Aziz Ansari. The scene was shot, but the track was cut from the final edit.
Plustwo today
- 26 million Spotify streams (March 2026)
- 1.5 billion TikTok post views — source: TikTok for Artists dashboard
- #1 Spotify Viral UK (November 2020)
- #3 Spotify Viral USA (November 2020)
- Top 50 Viral in 11 other countries: Russia, Poland, Ireland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania
The story of “Survivor”
After Plustwo, Belen Thomas began her solo career. In 1989, “Survivor”, sung with Mike Francis — who wrote the song — and arranged by Giorgio Costantini, brought her third place at Festivalbar and spent two months in the Italian Top Ten. Plustwo now return to the song in a new edition, recorded with instruments from the original period — from Akai samplers to the Korg M1 — in order to preserve its spirit. The parts originally sung by Mike Francis are performed here by Sue Sadlow (Marina Bianchi).
02 — Tracks
MELODY / SURVIVOR
SURVIVOR
A new recording of one of Belen Thomas’s best-known songs, written by Mike Francis and now revisited by Plustwo.
03 — The band
THE BAND
Vocals
BELEN THOMAS
Antonella Bianchi
Belen Thomas is the historic voice of Plustwo, combining energy, elegance and immediacy. Alongside her work with the group, she built a solo career that brought her to a wider audience between the late 1980s and early 1990s, with hits, television appearances and international collaborations, from Mike Francis to Patrick Hernandez. Her voice remains one of the most recognizable signatures of the Plustwo sound.
Vocals
SUE SADLOW
Marina Bianchi
Marina Bianchi, also known as Sue Sadlow, is a highly versatile singer, moving naturally between pop, dance and electronic music. Over the years she has worked as a vocalist and backing singer on many Italian and international projects, also collaborating with artists such as Claudio Baglioni and Scialpi. In Plustwo, she adds colour, harmonies and a vocal sensitivity that is essential to the group’s identity.
Keyboards
GIORGIO COSTANTINI
Producer / Keyboardist
Giorgio Costantini is the musical engine behind Plustwo: keyboardist, composer and producer, with a path that moves through electronic music, pop and piano writing. Over the years he has collaborated with artists such as Renato Zero, Fiorella Mannoia and Peppino Di Capri, always bringing a personal sense of sound and arrangement. He is also the figure who guided the rebirth of “Melody”, bringing the Plustwo world into the present without betraying its original spirit.
Guitar · Vocals
RENZO ZULIAN
Tenor
Renzo Zulian is a multi-instrumentalist who has crossed very different musical worlds, from pop and electronics to an international career as a tenor. After his early years with guitar, instruments and voice, he brought his talent to major opera houses, building a rare and deeply personal artistic path. In Plustwo, he represents a presence that combines musicianship, experience and an uncommon story.
— Contacts