[5] The lyrics of the opening song "Un soffio caldo" were co-written with renowned Italian songwriter Guccini, while "Oltre le rive" was written with Pacifico.

The lyrics of the last song "God bless the child" were written by Roland Orzabal from the band Tears for Fears, Chaz Jankel, and Derek Hussey.

[6] "È un peccato morir" is a stirring ballad with nostalgia of days gone by, "Un soffio caldo" is a lyrical adventure through the Italian landscape, "Vedo nero" is a joyous tongue-in-check romp about adolescent eroticism.

The first single was certified Gold by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana, and was #1 for six weeks at the radio Music Control Italia tracked by Nielsen SoundScan.

Mariano Prunes from Allmusic gave the (Italian edition) album 4/5 stars, praising "its stylistic and thematic consistency and, of course, Zucchero's emotive singing".

The "first three songs, for instance, constitute almost a mini-suite of quiet, hymn-like ballads that set the mood for most of the album", and it "is only when the day reaches noon that loud guitars and soul background vocals come back to announce a double dose of old-school Zucchero", with "the last three tracks progressively slow things down, drawing closed a perfect circle".

He concluded that as "the list of collaborators is both impressive and key to the album's success", Zucchero "looks like an artist capable of reinventing himself in a poignant and dignified manner".

[14] Frank Lähnemann from German Rolling Stone reviewed the European edition and gave it 2/5 stars, noting that there few outliers, not enough for the market and entry in the books of innovations, and questioned why Brian Wilson was only used in the choir.