Eurovision, ok we’ll admit it. It’s the annual show we hate to love but simply can’t turn away from. Just when we thought the competition couldn’t possibly get any more outrageous, along came Måneskin - the steamy Roman quartet that transfixed Europe when they won the competition in 2021.
Some expected the androgynous foursome to reach their expiry date like previous Eurovision winners (who tend to fade into obscurity after the giddiness of the contest dies down) but Måneskin dared to stay. Their debut appearance on the music scene was a dream for some, a nightmare for others, but for most of us it was a return to the genre we thought had long since died - think Velvet Goldmine meets Jim Morrison aesthetics, spliced with catchy, explicit pop anthems.
The band has been singing it like they mean it since forming in 2015. Sexy and silly, they’re the band of today - glam rock with emphasis on the glam – all the way from Rome.
Following a landslide Eurovision victory with their entry song Zitte e Buoni - which earned them a total of 524 points - was their uptempo cover of Four Seasons’ 1967 hit Beggin’ which went viral online. Throw in a couple of awards and a collaboration with Iggy Pop, it’s safe to say Måneskin are devouring the charts. There was also, of course, the (alleged) coke scandal that only added to the frenzy.
Everybody who talks shit about the new album is a f*cking dumbass
Last week they released their first studio album as an internationally recognised rock group, Rush! (haven’t heard of it yet? don’t worry you will), they’re set for a worldwide stadium tour and there’s even a Grammy up for grabs - but how did they get from Italy’s best kept secret to global rockstars with millions of infatuated, bra-throwing-type of fans?
They’re not the next Bowie or Jagger, but they’re not trying to be either. They’re 2023 meets the 70s but not in a hodgepodge tribute act sort of way. With enough charm and charisma of their own, the band have no need to rehash what’s been seen before. Beneath all that laminated leather, they’re actually a bunch of 20-somethings, and the same 20-somethings who went from busking on the streets of Rome to being anointed one of the biggest pop groups of our time.
In an era of music snobbery, Måneskin’s lyrics are decidedly refreshing. “This is the most un-Italian Italian song, it’s so funny,” said the band’s lead Damiano David about their hit single MAMMAMIA, at Sunday night’s YouTube gig at Lafayette in London. Stomping around the stage in platform Etro boots - he, along with the other three members, certainly don’t take themselves too seriously. “Everybody who talks shit about the new album is a fucking dumbass” he continued, with the heretic gesture of a priest.
Love them or hate them, you can’t deny their success. They’ve managed to get white-collar workers tapping their feet to the same throbbing baselines as TikTok teens. Måneskin just keep on winning - as well as testing how much they can get away with. In their own words: “tell [us] your limits and we’ll cross that line again.”
