Clockwise from the top: Damiano David, Victoria de Angelis, Thomas Raggi, Ethan Torchio.
Influences:
- David Bowie, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Arctic Monkeys, Black Sabbath, Marlene Kuntz, Afterhours, Nirvana, Radiohead
Måneskin is an Italian rock band.
Consisting of lead vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi, and drummer Ethan Torchio, Måneskin initially achieved fame as the runners-up of Italy's The X Factor in 2017. They released their debut album Il ballo della vita a year later in 2018, as well as a documentary film (This is Måneskin) about their career up to that point.
Ahead of their sophomore album's release in 2021, Måneskin competed in the Sanremo Music Festival with the song "Zitti e buoni" note and emerged as the winning act, beating out stiff competition from the likes of Ermal Meta (co-winner, 2018), Francesca Michielin (co-runner-up, 2016 & 2021), and Fedez (co-runner-up, 2021), the latter of whom served as a judge on their season of X-Factor.
With their victory at Sanremo, they also accepted RAI's invitation to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. They ultimately finished in first place, giving Italy their first Eurovision victory since Toto Cutugno's "Insieme: 1992" in 1990 and third overall. They are also the first Sanremo winners to also win Eurovision in the same year (and with the same song) since Gigliola Cinquetti in 1964. They also became the first X Factor alums to win Eurovision.
Discography:
- Chosen EP (2017)
- Il ballo della vita note (2018)
- Teatro d'ira: Vol. 1 note (2021)
- Rush! (2023)
Filmography (as themselves):
- The X Factor (2017)
- This is Måneskin (2018)
Måneskin's career provides examples of:
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Among those 'seeking redemption' in "I Wanna Be Your Slave" are a devil, a monster, a killer, a bad guy, a lawyer and... a blonde girl.
- Bowdlerise: The original version of "Zitti e buoni" included some cursewords that had to be removed when the song was selected for Eurovision. After the band won the contest Damiano sang the original, uncensored lyrics during the reprise.
- Chick Magnet: Damiano David has built a reputation as one in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, with Sanja Vučić of Hurricane - Serbia's entry for that year - publicly admitting her attraction to him. Moments after their winners' performance, Damiano was momentarily dragged away by all three members of Hurricane to celebrate him with a group hug.
- Cluster F-Bomb: A lot of their songs are full of F-bombs and other swear words.
- Cover Version:
- Outside of the title track, the Chosen EP features covers of "Beggin", "Let's Get It Started", "Vengo dalla luna", "Somebody Told Me" and "You Need Me, I Don't Need You".
- They have also covered "Amandoti" by CCCP Fedeli Alla Linea alongside Afterhours frontman Manuel Agnelli for the 2021 Sanremo cover night.
- At Global Citizen Live in Paris in 2021, they covered "Bury a Friend" by Billie Eilish.
- Determinator: The narrator of "La Paura del Buio", who refuses to give up or be afraid no matter what happens.
- Drugs Are Bad: The band is against drug use, which they had to clarify after the perspective on a camera shot of Damiano yelling in excitement at their booth at Eurovision made it look like he was snorting a line of cocaine off their table. The entire band even volunteered for drug tests the next day to head the controversy off.
- Female Rockers Play Bass: Victoria does, anyway.
- Foreign Language Title: Måneskin (Danish for "moonshine") comes from De Angelis, who is of half-Danish ethnic background.
- Funk Rock: Some of their songs are written in this style, which isn't surprising given their influences described above. "Chosen", "Supermodel", "For Your Love" and some songs from Il ballo della vita (like "L'altra dimensione" and especially "Morirò da Re") are good examples.
- Heavy Meta: "Chosen" is an almost auto-biographic song written in the band's point of view and how they want to impress their fans.
- Icarus Allusion: Both inside and out of their music, no less; Damiano himself has always been fascinated by the mythological character, sporting tattoos of a pair of wings on his back and a quote about him on his hip, as well as having "ykaaar" as his Instagram handle. "Zitti e buoni" also has a passing reference to the myth of Icarus in the second verse.Con ali in cera alla schiena ricercherò quell'altezza
Se vuoi fermarmi ritenta, prova a tagliarmi la testa. - Intercourse with You: "Feel" is about this.Don't tell your mother, she doesn't wanna know
'Bout the things we're gonna do tonight
Blue jeans and leather (leather), even better on the floor
Light it up and let me lose your mind. - Last-Second Word Swap: "You have a massive... car" from "Bla Bla Bla".
- Like Parent, Like Spouse: Implied in "Supermodel" - the model in question "will never love you / You just look a bit like her dad."
- The Loins Sleep Tonight: Happens in "Bla Bla Bla".I wanna fuck, let's go to my spot
But I'm too drunk and I can't get hard. - Long-Distance Relationship: "Timezone" is about the singer missing his girlfriend while on tour.
- Loony Fan: "Mark Chapman" is about one, who eventually tries to kill the person he idolizes while still claiming to love them.
- The Many Deaths of You: The music video for "MAMMAMIA" shows Damiano getting offed three times, once by each of his bandmates: Ethan gives him a lethal swirlie, Victoria viciously stabs him to death, and Thomas bludgeons him with his guitar during a live performance.
- Mr. Fanservice: The whole band uses and abuses of this concept, to the point of posing naked for a photoshoot. Even Victoria is a Ms. Fanservice.
- Obligatory Bondage Song: "I Wanna Be Your Slave" skirts the line between this and Intercourse with You. It's also an Obligatory English Song:I wanna pull your strings like you're my telecaster
And if you want to use me, I could be your puppet. - Obsession Song: "Read Your Diary".Dance in your shoes, read your diary to
Get inside of you, you, you
Forever and ever and ever
Cried on your nudes, wearing your perfume
Now I taste like you, you, you
Forever and ever and ever. - One-Woman Song: "Coraline".
- Rebellious Spirit: Some of their songs, including "Zitti e buoni", are odes to this ideal.
- Rhyming with Itself: Happens in "Kool Kids"I know you think she's a hot chick (you fucking pig)
But I'm sorry she prefers hot chicks. - The Runner-Up Takes It All: They placed second in their season of X Factor to Lorenzo Licitra, but have since outpaced him terms of chart success and mainstream popularity in Italy.
- Shout-Out:
- "Don't Wanna Sleep" has the line "wearing Lucy's diamonds to get a little shine".
- "If Not For You" mentions Nirvana and Billie Jean.
- Stripperiffic:
- A rare male example when it comes to Damiano who typically wears very skimpy clothes while performing.
- Victoria usually wears very revealing tops and sometimes performs completely topless.
- The entire band often wears skimpy clothing.
- Surpassed the Teacher: They competed against (and beat out) Fedez at Sanremo 2021, after competing on a show where he served as a judge and mentor figure to them.
- Word Salad Lyrics: "Kool Kids" sometimes veers into this.Cool kids, they do not use floss
Marry me in the countryside
Honestly, I don't give a fuck
I'm addicted to rock 'n' roll, yeah. - Xtreme Kool Letterz: "Kool Kids".
