Gianluca Zanna

https://www.gianlucazanna.com/post/italian-immigrant-storms-music-industry-with-hit-making-label
When Gianluca Zanna left Italy for America in 1998, he had no contacts in the music business, no major label backing, and no clear path to breaking into one of the world's most insular industries. Today, his independent music label Zanna Records has racked up over 9 million YouTube views in the last few months and placed songs alongside Taylor Swift on radio playlists across a thousand stations with Top Hits USA.

Zanna Records, the label Zanna founded, operates outside the traditional music industry structure. Yet in September 2025, the label's flagship track "You Are My Destiny (Future Remix)"—a collaboration between Zanna and singer Claudette Lyons under their duo name "Luca & Claudette"—hit number one on the North American College and Community Radio Chart, dominating airwaves across the United States and Canada.
The song has since surpassed 2.7 million views on YouTube.
Building Credibility Through Persistence
The label's rise hasn't followed the usual playbook. Instead of chasing viral moments or social media algorithms, Zanna focused on production quality and radio relationships. Multi-platinum sound engineer Brian Reeves, who has worked with U2, Billy Idol, and Donna Summer, mixed many of the label's tracks. In 2025, former Mega Records executive Claes Cornelius, the A&R who discovered and launched ACE OF BASE joined the operation.

Gianluca Zanna and Claudette Lyons celebrating the success of You Are My Destiny with their billboard in Times Square NY

Gianluca Zanna and Claudette Lyons celebrating the success of You Are My Destiny with their billboard in Times Square NY
The strategy paid off. In October, "You Are My Destiny (Future Remix)" climbed to number three on Amazon's Best Sellers Dance & Electronic Charts, outranking tracks by Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, David Guetta, and Pitbull.

You Are My Destiny Future Remix by Gianluca Zanna Feat Claudette Lyons Number 3 on Amazon Best Sellers Dance October 14 2025

Top Hits USA added the song to rotation across more than 1,000 stations for two consecutive months. The recognition extended beyond radio. Zanna and Lyons were named finalists at America's Top Next Hitmaker in September, earning a photoshoot at Rolling Stone Magazine headquarters in New York City.

Forbes Magazine Scotland covered their corporate music ventures, while Music Connection Magazine profiled Zanna's journey in a feature titled "When Dreams Cross Borders: The Gianluca Zanna Phenomenon."
Zanna has been featured also on the prestigious magazines Rolling Stone US, as Finalist of the The Next Top America's Hit Maker, Rolling Stone UK “From Italian Boarding School Dreamer to International Music Producer” and “Billboard Magazine Italy” with an article that traces the remarkable journey of a young boy who grew up in boarding school with one dream: to come to America and make it in the music industry and meet the love of his life, Claudette Lyons.
Just recentely, Zanna's song "Wake Up America," originally written in 2005 as a celebration of his U.S. citizenship, is making waves two decades later. The track has skyrocketed to number two on TikTok's charts, featured in over 100,000 unique videos and generating nearly 15 million views. The song has also been licensed for the award-winning radio program "This American Life".
The hit-making duo Luca and Claudette will be special guests on PIX 11 News in New York City on January 8th, 2026, where they will share their inspiring love story and musical journey.
Zanna Records has released over 150 original singles, many featuring Lyons on vocals.
The label's sound draws from 1990s dance-pop with contemporary production, and its music has aired on radio stations in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and throughout Europe.
In December 2025, Zanna and Lyons signed with Jody Jackson of JJ Entertainment, a Hollywood publicist/agent whose client roster has included the Eagles, Madonna, and the Beach Boys. For an independent operation that started without industry backing, the deal represents validation of a different approach to building a music career.
Gianluca Zanna, former Italian Immigrant, International Songwriter, Music Producer, Zanna Records' CEO
Zanna's stated goal is to secure a major label partnership for global distribution and licensing. Whether that happens or not, the label has already demonstrated that chart success and industry recognition don't require the traditional gatekeepers—just persistence, quality production, and a willingness to build relationships one radio station at a time.

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