Everything You Need to Know About Giolì & Assia, The Power Couple Taking the Music Industry By Storm

Giolì & Assia are two Italian multi-instrumentalists, singer-songwriters, DJs, record label owners, videographers, artistic directors, editors, graphic designers, and performers who are “in complete control of their creative world.”

Who Are Giolì & Assia?

Before the two Sicilian natives, Giolì and Assia started taking the music industry by storm as, 'Giolì & Assia,' Giorgia ‘Giolì’ Lapari had a solo project already underway along with a social media presence. Giolì's solo videos can still be found on the duo’s YouTube channel from before the artists joined forces. You can also find old videos from Giolì’s solo days where Assia is in the background, singing on Giolì’s bed.

Giolì is a trained musician who has honed her skills over the years with several instruments. Some of these instruments include, but are not limited to the piano (for which she is classically trained,) the cello, drums, and guitar. Most notable is Giolì's handpan which has, over the years, become the iconic signature of Giolì & Assia's music.

Assia comes from the commune of Alcara Li Fusi in Sicily, Italy with a population of about 1,000 people. Although she loved singing and playing the guitar growing up, living in Alcara Li Fusi, it was difficult for her to envision a future centered around music.

How Did the Musical Duo Meet?

Assia started as a fan of Giolì, liking and commenting on Giolì’s Facebook page posts until she gathered up the courage to ask Giolì to record a song together in 2014. As the two began working more closely, they realized that they shared more than just their passion for music but a vision, as well. Messaging each other over the internet and talking about their artistic goals, personal dreams, and hopes for the future, Giolì and Assia began to build a romantic relationship alongside their artistic one. Giolì & Assia’s official relationship began in 2015 although they did not officially come out to their audience until 2020.

Giolì - Stay Closer (feat. Assia) #Live

Giolì & Assia’s Legacy

As of date, the duo, Giolì & Assia has earned millions of views on their YouTube page alone with their most popular video having accumulated over 30 million views.

Giolì & Assia remind us on their website that they “wrote, performed, produced, sang, and recorded their new album - as well as early breakout singles ‘Stay Closer,’ ‘Endless,’ and ‘Blame On Me’ on labels like Spinnin' Records - entirely alone.” They go on to write, “Making such a statement is important [...] in an industry that is still all too dominated by men. The accomplished lyrical themes of [this] album reflect that and represent the highs and lows [...] the challenges of the music industry.”

In 2018 Giolì & Assia decided to found their own record label, Diesis Records.

In 2022 Giolì & Assia released what they refer to as “the first representation of their innermost musical selves,” their third album titled, “Fire Hell And Holy Water.”

Giolì & Assia say about "Fire Hell And Holy Water" that,

"The expression, 'You are like the devil and the holy water' indicates an unpredictable person. We liked how this sentence manages to represent duality, the two sides of our album, the concept behind it, and our art.

We extrapolated the concept of hell, and used it as a metaphor to tell about depression, then combined it with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice from Greek mythology, their journey to the underworld, and their attempted escape from them, as the journey to freedom from depression."

On January 30th, 2024, Giolì & Assia took the music industry by storm once again with the release of their newest song, “The Point of Living.”

With their record label, Diesis Records, Giolì & Assia were able to let their creativity find freedom and break loose from the constrictions of staying in any single genre.

All About Giolì & Assia's Record Label, Diesis Records

Giolì & Assia founded Diesis Records in late 2018. The two say that Diesis Records was "born from the desire to seek perfection in incompleteness." On their website, the duo mentions that the name, Diesis, or 'sharp' "refers to the 36 black piano keys [...] Diesis is the perfect link between the classical, modern sounds and house music vibes."

Both artists have dedicated so much time to their craft, becoming skilled in various instruments and production components across the spectrum that it made sense for them to have complete creative control over their work. The two artists wanted to break beyond the boxes they'd been confined to, as well as, to push boundaries in the music industry. To do so, they needed to be able to have the freedom to experiment with their work fully without the possibility of conflict when it came to aligning their values with another record label's.

Assia jokes, "We are so picky and perfectionist, sometimes we hate ourselves." However, it is Giolì & Assia's attention to detail, technical precision, and emotional drive that make their music so inimitably theirs.

What Kind Of Music Do Giolì & Assia Produce?

Giolì & Assia “blends the styles of techno, house, indie, and pop” in a way that is irreplicable. Each song, cover, remix, and performance is unique to the duo’s electronic, indie, and celestial vibe.

Giolì & Assia layer and play with influences like Coldplay, Alt-J, The Chainsmokers, Stromae, Florence + the Machine, and The xx to name only a few.

With Giolì & Assia’s strong dedication to craftsmanship and explosive passion, the duo knew they were too talented and too motivated to fail. They only needed to get eyes on their work.

Giolì & Assia - #DiesisLive @Milazzo, Sicily [Handpan Set]

Why Giolì & Assia First Went Viral

In April 2019, Giolì & Assia launched #DiesisLive, a livestream on YouTube and Facebook of their live shows with the location of each livestream raising the stakes. The first #DiesisLive livestream took place in Milazzo, Sicily bringing in about 10 million views with Giolì & Assia’s combination of captivating performance, intricate music, and stunning visuals.

How Giolì & Assia Went Viral

Giolì mentions in an interview with Forbes that “Being a musician today is not what it used to be,” and that “Making music is so different from just 10 years ago. You don’t need to sign a label for distribution, but at the same time, a crowded space demands higher standards when it comes to building your brand.”

In a time when artists are scrambling to find new ways to promote their work online, Giolì & Assia elevated their music by layering their videography and editing skills, as well as their unique flavor of daring and passion to the mix. By adding video and photography, the use of drones, compelling locations, and curated fashion choices to their livestreams Giolì & Assia have found a way to secure their brand, earn respect as artists, and stand out from the crowd. Giolì says, “The reason why we did “#DiesisLive” in general was because we wanted the people to see what we can do and what we want to do live.”

For their second video, Giolì & Assia performed live in Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, a small Italian volcanic island. The video has gone on to attract over 30 million views.

In an interview, when asked about the decision to film on the peak of an active volcano, Giolì says, “We know that the worst thing for an artist is to do the second thing. The second viral video. The second good album. The second hit.” Assia goes on to add, “When we did the volcano it was so special, and everybody was impressed because there was the sunrise, the smoke, the music…we know when a video will be viral because we are the first to feel the emotion.”

Giolì & Assia - #DiesisLive @Vulcano, Aeolian Islands [Handpan Set]

The Secret Behind Giolì & Assia’s Success

It might sound like a simple formula, but the journey to bring Giolì & Assia’s vision to life was anything but easy. Since striking out on their own with Diesis Records they knew they wanted to continue to record, release, and promote their music in a way that felt organic but interesting. They couldn’t rely on mass-level, industry-backed marketing to promote their work or become successful, nor did they want to. Instead, they had to do something much more difficult: keep improving their craft. Assia says, “We think about our music in general, as the shows, as the videos, as the production, as a journey.”

Giolì adds to this conversation about the process by explaining that they pick locations that are breathtaking while also uncomfortable. Giolì goes on to say, “Once we had to climb an active volcano in the middle of the night to be there at sunrise,” [about the Aeolian Islands video] reminding us that success takes more than just great ideas, but also the determination to bring them to life.

Before Giolì & Assia started #DiesisLive they were touring together, picking up gigs wherever they went, and sharing their work on YouTube and Facebook. It was while touring that they met a promoter who invited them to the largest nightclub in Ibiza, a nightclub called, Privilege, to become resident DJs. DJ-ing at the nightclub, Privilege, they continued to strengthen their fanbase as the duo, Giolì & Assia, before starting the #DiesisLive livestreams they are best known for today.

Even after millions of views, streams, and fans, Giolì & Assia are humble about their success and grateful for their audience saying, “People pay for the tickets to see us so of course we feel a great responsibility to deliver an experience every time.” Not only do they respect their art, but they deeply respect their fanbase, as well, and this shines through in their work.

Giolì & Assia’s Obstacles As An LGBTQ+ Couple In The Music Industry

As with any artist, Giolì & Assia’s personal life and experiences heavily influence their music together. Their relationship and love for each other is the foundation on which their music career started, as well as, the magic that continues to mesmerize listeners and challenge the music industry.

Giolì & Assia’s love being integral to their growth as artists came into play especially in 2020 after they decided to “fully share the nature of their relationship” and officially come out to their audience as a couple with the music video, “Feel Good” in which they kiss.

The duo originally hesitated to release this music video as they didn’t want to divide their audience. However, when a performance of theirs was canceled in Malaysia "due to them being an LGBTQ couple," they knew they could no longer keep their love a secret part of their art. It was important to Giolì & Assia to show their audience that the music that so deeply touched their listeners wouldn’t be possible without queer love or queer voices. Giolì & Assia released the video for “Feel Good” in February 2020, emphasizing that “If you like our music, our music exists because we are a couple.”

Giolì & Assia - Feel Good (Official Video)

Giolì & Assia’s Conclusions On the Creative Journey

Giolì & Assia are a romantic, artistic, and professional music duo that creates a unique blend of House, techno, indie, pop, and electronic music. They met through Giolì’s Facebook page in 2014 when Giolì was a solo musician and became an official couple in 2015 before starting their musical duo, Giolì & Assia.

In 2016, Giolì & Assia founded their record label, Diesis Records. In 2019, they launched their first #DiesisLive livestream performance on YouTube and Facebook in Milazzo, Sicily, which went viral, accumulating over 10 million views. Giolì & Assia went on to more than triple that success with their second live performance on top of an active volcano which has accrued over 30 million views to date.

Since then, the couple has experienced explosive success, even in the face of adversity due to the ongoing political and cultural struggle that is imposed on LGBTQ+ love both within and beyond the music industry. Despite this adversity, Giolì & Assia maintain their strong work ethic, consistency, and loyalty to their fans, their craft, and each other.

Giolì & Assia say about their career, “We are who we are now thanks to the things we worked on previously. The music we listened to, experiences, we had, and our love for arts all impacted who we are to this day.”

They continue to say, “You never lose that feeling of anxiety before going up on stage to perform, not even after 100, 200 times,” reminding us of the power passion has to overcome even our greatest fears.

To Listen to More Giolì & Assia:

To Learn More About #DiesisLive: