Rumors of rock ‘n’ roll’s demise have been spreading around the mainstream press for years now (since rock ‘n’ roll started, really), but true fans know it ain’t so. And now Gen Z is getting rock stars of their very own—among them Italy’s international breakout band Måneskin.
Videos by American Songwriter
This rowdy young quartet revels in the dirty, sexy vibes that made the genre so appealing to past generations (and before political correctness crashed the party). Their gender-fluid image has ruffled conservative feathers at home and abroad, and the male kiss on a Polish TV appearance made national headlines in that über-religious country.
Musically, Måneskin (pronounced MAWN-uh-skin…-ish) have an organic vibe that invokes a lot of classic rock rather than the heavily computerized music of today. Unlike a lot of young rock bands these days, this Italian foursome truly channel old-school vibes while still bringing in their fresh takes.
[RELATED: Behind the Band Name: Maneskin]
School Mates Turned Bandmates
Måneskin was formed in Rome back in 2016 by 15-year-old bassist Victoria De Angelis and 14-year-old guitarist Thomas Raggi while both attended a music-oriented school. They found 16-year-old future frontman Damiano David through friends, while 15-year-old drummer Ethan Torchio responded to a Facebook ad. Not only have they evolved together as musicians, they have grown into adulthood together.
“We met very young, so we really influenced each other and bonded tighter and tighter growing up because we lived all our first experiences together,” De Angelis told Billboard in early 2023. “We became the persons that we are nowadays while we were influencing each other. So it’s really tight.”
With few venues at which to cut their teeth live, the young band originally busked in the streets of Italy to hone their craft and build a fanbase. In 2017, they entered the Italian version of The X Factor and finished as the runner-ups. In December of that year, Sony Music released the Chosen EP, which included two originals and five covers, including “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers and “Beggin’” by The Four Seasons. The release went triple-Platinum (150,000) and sold at least another 50,000 units worldwide. The original title track hit No. 2 in Italy and went double-Platinum there.
They were off and rocking, and their repertoire began to grow from their new ideas and wide-ranging influences such as Radiohead, The Strokes, Iggy Pop, and Tom Morello.
Rise to Success
Over the next four years, Måneskin recorded two albums, Il ballo della vita and Teatro d’ira: Vol. I, featuring songs in both Italian and English. Numerous singles from those releases rose into the Top 5 in Italy, including the No. 1 hit “Torna a casa.” Many also charted high, for some reason, in Lithuania. Both albums hit No. 1 in Italy and charted well in other European countries.
The band’s fortunes soared after they won the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2021 for Italy with the single “Zitti e buoni,” which translates as “quiet and well-behaved,” something that Måneskin certainly is not. The song was their first international hit, selling at least a million copies globally and reaching No. 2 in their homeland, going Top 10 in several other countries, and hitting No. 1 in six countries including Finland, Greece, Sweden, and yes, Lithuania. It also reached No. 7 on Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart.
The follow-up single, “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” first released before their Eurovision victory, was reissued as a duet with punk progenitor Iggy Pop. Collectively, with two different versions of the song, it became a hit globally, going No. 1 in Finland and Slovakia and Top 10 in nearly 20 countries including Italy, Germany, Ireland, and Israel. The single sold a million copies in America and over 2 million more worldwide.
Thanks to their Eurovision success, the band’s cover of “Beggin’” exploded on Tik Tok, as well. It would go on to sell 3 million copies in the U.S. and another 4 million globally, and it has nearly reached 1.5 billion streams on Spotify as of this writing. Whoever came up with the idea for Måneskin to cover The Four Seasons deserves a medal. Their organic approach to rock is highly suited to their more raw, funked-up version of that 1967 pop hit.
From The Rolling Stones to a Big Rush
As noted above, Måneskin’s career shifted into high gear after Eurovision. They performed “Beggin’” dressed in suits for a rapt audience at the 2021 American Music Awards. They opened for The Rolling Stones in Las Vegas. In January 2022, they were the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. They performed their single “Supermodel” at the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022, contributed their cover of Elvis Presley’s “If I Can Dream” to Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis, and won Best Rock Video at the 2022 American Music Awards for “Beggin’.”
The video for “I Wanna Be Your Slave” won the Best Alternative category at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. The band put on a sexy performance of their next single “Supermodel” at the event, complete with David’s assless chaps and a wardrobe malfunction by De Angelis as she jumped into the audience to play. Then they embarked on their Loud Kids Tour Gets Louder, which ran into mid-2023.
Having generated a big buzz at home, abroad, and especially in America, Måneskin faced high anticipation for their album Rush!, a 17-song collection featuring multiple producers and songwriting collaborators. It came out in January 2023 and was reissued with five bonus tracks in November of that year. The band’s various influences emerged on Rush!, from punk (“Kool Kids”) to emo (“The Loneliest”) to garage rock (“Gossip,” with guitarist Tom Morello). Interestingly, the Italian language numbers were among the most engaging of this solid studio release.
Bright Future
Måneskin were nominated for the Best New Artist category for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. While playing Glastonbury for the first time in summer 2023, they performed their single “Honey (Are U Coming?)” from the Rush! (Are U Coming?) album reissue. Taylor Swift blew a kiss to David as she strolled by during the song. Their subsequent Rush! world tour included headlining Madison Square Garden in New York.
[AS OF THIS WRITING: Måneskin Tickets Are Available! – Get ‘Em Right Here]
Måneskin have a sound and image that appeals not only to the Gen Z crowd but some Gen X’ers who support newer rock bands. What distinguishes Måneskin from so many of their peers is their great sense of showmanship and fearlessness onstage. They also embody an interesting dichotomy—highly fashionable and slickly marketed yet also spontaneous and unpredictable in concert. Many critics have suggested they seem manufactured and are more style than substance, but they might want to tell that to their rabid fanbase, their impressive sales stats, and their strong catalog of songs and worldwide performances.
Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV
**Purchases you make through our links may earn American Songwriter a commission.
