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 8.5 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 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.

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. 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, Rolling Stone UK and Billboard Italy (links coming soon).

From Self-Funded to Hollywood Representation

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.

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.