# Måneskin
**Måneskin** is an Italian rock band from Rome made up of vocalist [Damiano David](https://www.edgepedia.org/damiano-david) (born 1999), bassist [Victoria De Angelis](https://www.edgepedia.org/victoria-de-angelis) (born 2000), guitarist Thomas Raggi (born 2001), and drummer Ethan Torchio (born 2000)[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/). The name comes from Danish, the language of the bassist's family origin, and means "moonlight"[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/). The group became internationally known by winning the [Eurovision Song Contest 2021](https://www.edgepedia.org/eurovision-song-contest-2021) with "Zitti e buoni" and went on to become the first Italian band to enter the UK Singles Chart[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) • [2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/maneskin-rush-review-italian-rock-group-b2275516.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Members | Damiano David (vocals), Victoria De Angelis (bass), Thomas Raggi (guitar), Ethan Torchio (drums)[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) |
| Origin | Rome, Italy; founding dated 2015 by Treccani and 2016 by AllMusic and Damiano David himself[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maneskin-mn0003698978) • [4](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/18/damiano-david-cuando-estas-en-el-escenario-tienes-mucha-confianza-pero-no-siempre-es-lo-mismo-en-la-vida-cadena-ser/) |
| Name | Danish for "moonlight" (chiaro di luna), from the bassist's Danish background[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) |
| Breakthrough | Second place on X Factor Italy 2017; the unpublished song "Chosen" became a considerable success[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) |
| 2021 victories | 71st Festival di Sanremo and the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, both with "Zitti e buoni"[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) |
| Albums | Il ballo della vita (2018), Teatro d'ira vol. I (2021), Rush! (2023)[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) |
| Streaming | "Beggin'" above 1.2 billion Spotify streams; "I Wanna Be Your Slave" above half a billion[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/maneskin-rush-review-italian-rock-group-b2275516.html) |
| Status | On break since 2024 for solo projects; Damiano David released the solo album Funny Little Fears in 2025[5](https://maneskin.net/) • [4](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/18/damiano-david-cuando-estas-en-el-escenario-tienes-mucha-confianza-pero-no-siempre-es-lo-mismo-en-la-vida-cadena-ser/) |
## Formation and X Factor
The four members met at high school in Rome, where they formed the band, and they began as street buskers before their television breakthrough[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maneskin-mn0003698978). Sources disagree on the founding year: the Treccani encyclopedia dates the foundation to 2015[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/), while AllMusic and Damiano David himself give 2016[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maneskin-mn0003698978) • [4](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/18/damiano-david-cuando-estas-en-el-escenario-tienes-mucha-confianza-pero-no-siempre-es-lo-mismo-en-la-vida-cadena-ser/). At the time of the talent show the four were between 16 and 18 years old[6](https://www.rockol.it/artista/maneskin).
National fame arrived with the eleventh series of X Factor in 2017. The group finished second, performing a cover of the Killers' "Somebody Told Me" during the series, but the unpublished song it presented, "Chosen", was a considerable success[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maneskin-mn0003698978). [Sony Music](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-music) signed the band in 2017, following the X Factor appearance[7](https://www.fimi.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ifpi_global_music_report_2022_state_of_the_industry.pdf). Further singles consolidated the following: "Morirò da re" (2018), "Torna a casa" (2018), "Fear for Nobody" (2019), and "Vent'anni" (2020)[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/).
## Sanremo and Eurovision 2021
In March 2021 Måneskin won the 71st Festival di Sanremo with "Zitti e buoni"[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) • [8](https://shapes.inc/fandom/m-neskin/timeline). In May 2021 the band, beating 25 other competitors, won the [Eurovision Song Contest](https://www.edgepedia.org/eurovision-song-contest) in [Rotterdam](https://www.edgepedia.org/rotterdam), performing before a crowd of 3,500 and tens of millions of television viewers[9](https://www.fimi.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/gmr_22_ita.pdf) • [10](https://www.axios.com/2021/05/23/italy-maneskin-win-eurovision-covid-pandemic). A fan-maintained chronology gives the winning total as 524 points[8](https://shapes.inc/fandom/m-neskin/timeline).
The victory, together with a viral surge in the band's cover of the Four Seasons' 1967 hit "Beggin'", propelled the group to global stardom[11](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/19/maneskin-rush-review-eurovision-winners-extend-their-improbable-15-minutes-of-fame). "Zitti e buoni" became a global streaming hit, as did the follow-up single "I Wanna Be Your Slave" and the "Beggin'" cover[12](https://www.eurovision.com/eurovision-song-contest/countries/italy/). The band's version of "Beggin'" takes its cues not from the 1967 original but from a 21st-century version by the Norwegian hip-hop duo Madcon[11](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/19/maneskin-rush-review-eurovision-winners-extend-their-improbable-15-minutes-of-fame). By the close of summer 2022, the group had, among other achievements, opened for the Rolling Stones on their American tour, worked with [Iggy Pop](https://www.edgepedia.org/iggy-pop), contributed to the soundtrack of [Baz Luhrmann](https://www.edgepedia.org/baz-luhrmann)'s film about Elvis, and surpassed 6.5 billion streams[11](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/19/maneskin-rush-review-eurovision-winners-extend-their-improbable-15-minutes-of-fame).
## Albums and sound
The debut album, *Il ballo della vita*, was released in 2018 and reached number one in Italy[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) • [3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maneskin-mn0003698978). *Teatro d'ira vol. I* followed in 2021, and "Zitti e buoni" took it to the top of the Italian charts and helped garner the group a Grammy nomination[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maneskin-mn0003698978). The single "Mammamia!" also appeared in 2021[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/).
The third album, *Rush!* (Arista/Sony), was released on 20 January 2023[13](https://www.metacritic.com/music/rush%21/maneskin/critic-reviews). It contains 17 tracks, and for the first time in the band's catalog the majority are in English, with only three performed in Italian, including the single "LA FINE"[14](https://apnews.com/article/b8df4bd7da669ac1d137295c3021b87e) • [2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/maneskin-rush-review-italian-rock-group-b2275516.html). Pop producer [Max Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/max-martin) was among the album's writers and producers[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/maneskin-rush-review-italian-rock-group-b2275516.html) • [11](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/19/maneskin-rush-review-eurovision-winners-extend-their-improbable-15-minutes-of-fame). The record keeps the band's loud rock beat while experimenting with indie rock and pop[14](https://apnews.com/article/b8df4bd7da669ac1d137295c3021b87e); it includes "Gossip", featuring [Rage Against the Machine](https://www.edgepedia.org/rage-against-the-machine) guitarist [Tom Morello](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-morello), and the anti-Putin anthem "Gasoline"[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/maneskin-rush-review-italian-rock-group-b2275516.html). On Metacritic, *Rush!* received a Metascore of 65, based on 16 critic reviews[13](https://www.metacritic.com/music/rush%21/maneskin/critic-reviews).
Critics have labeled the band's style variously. Treccani describes its pop-rock as carrying funk and reggae influences[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/); AllMusic places it in a flamboyant blend of 1970s dance-punk, glam rock, and early-2000s indie[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maneskin-mn0003698978); and a Guardian review argues that the glam tag rests more on the band's flared catsuits and theatrical image than on the music itself[11](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/19/maneskin-rush-review-eurovision-winners-extend-their-improbable-15-minutes-of-fame).
## Image and reception
The band's stage aesthetic is deliberately androgynous: nail polish, eye makeup, stiletto heels, fishnet stockings, latex, and studs, a look one linguistic study of the band describes as mixing binary genders[15](https://www.treccani.it/magazine/lingua_italiana/articoli/scritto_e_parlato/Maneskin.html). An academic analysis frames Måneskin within glam rock, a genre known for challenging rock's heteronormativity through androgyny and the understanding of gender as performance[16](https://riull.ull.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/915/40803/Arenillas_Melendez__Sara.___Masculinidades_hibridas_en_el_glam_rock_de_M_neskin._.pdf?sequence=1).
The band's pursuit of the American market has drawn scrutiny. A semiotic study of the group's global expansion notes that critics argued the transition to English-language songs could dilute their style and distance them from their roots, highlighting negative perceptions around the potential compromise of their local identity[17](https://arpi.unipi.it/retrieve/c834cb6b-13e4-4c9d-b07e-4da137ddb11a/Corciolani%202024_IMR_Published%20version.pdf). Guitar Player, covering their US introduction, described the quartet as driving a revival of glam rock and quoted the band's observation that at Eurovision they stood out because they played rock music[18](https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/maneskin).
## Awards and international reach
**Awards timeline.** In 2021 the band was named best rock act at the MTV European Music Awards in Budapest, where it also received nominations for Best Group and Best Italian Act[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) • [9](https://www.fimi.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/gmr_22_ita.pdf). In 2022 it became the first Italian band to win an award for best alternative video, for "I wanna be your slave", at the [MTV Video Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/mtv-video-music-awards)[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) • [11](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/19/maneskin-rush-review-eurovision-winners-extend-their-improbable-15-minutes-of-fame). In 2023 it won the Best Rock award at the MTV Video Music Awards[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/). Its first Grammy nomination came in November 2022[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/maneskin-rush-review-italian-rock-group-b2275516.html).
The band's commercial standing grew quickly after Eurovision. After a year of success it had accumulated seven diamond discs, 161 platinum, and 37 gold certifications[19](https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/maneskin-tickets/artist/5284580), and a press release for its first North American tour reported more than 3 billion streams and the number-two TikTok song of 2021[20](https://s3.amazonaws.com/virginhotelslv.com/content/uploads/2022/03/Ma%CC%8Aneskin-VIRGIN-Press-Release.pdf). An ANSA report ahead of Eurovision 2026 described Måneskin as the most-listened-to Italian act abroad in 2025, ahead of Gabry Ponte and [Ludovico Einaudi](https://www.edgepedia.org/ludovico-einaudi)[21](https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cultura/musica/2026/05/15/eurovision-2026-continua-crescita-del-repertorio-italiano-sui-mercati-internazionali_acab2844-166f-42dd-81dd-ab1b1e552a64.html).
## Live performance
A critics' aggregator rating based on 35 concert reviews scores Måneskin at 78 out of 100 as a live act, and puts typical concert length at 45 minutes to two hours[22](https://www.liverate.com/artists/maneskin). Front-of-house engineer Enrico La Falce, who mixes the band live, has used the DPA d:facto 4018V vocal microphone for Damiano David, including at the [Circus Maximus](https://www.edgepedia.org/circus-maximus) in Rome, a show that included a 27-meter runway extension into the audience[23](https://www.dpamicrophones.com/fr/news/2023/maaneskin-tours-with-dpa-vocal-microphone/). To stop the singer from cupping the microphone, La Falce fitted a spiky anti-cupping accessory to the mic[24](https://www.mixonline.com/live-sound/tours/maneskins-mic-gets-spiky-anti-cupping-accessory).
## Hiatus and solo projects
The band paused activity in 2024 so its members could pursue solo projects[5](https://maneskin.net/). Damiano David released the solo single "Silverlines" in 2024[1](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/) and presented his first solo album, *Funny Little Fears*, in 2025; he has stated that the solo career does not mean the group has separated[4](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/18/damiano-david-cuando-estas-en-el-escenario-tienes-mucha-confianza-pero-no-siempre-es-lo-mismo-en-la-vida-cadena-ser/) • [25](https://los40.com/2025/05/06/damiano-david-en-del40al1cocacola-llege-a-un-punto-de-demasiada-ansiedad/). The band is due to return as special guests at the 77th [Sanremo Music Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sanremo-music-festival), its first joint performance since the break[5](https://maneskin.net/).
## References
1. [Måneskin, Enciclopedia Treccani](https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/maneskin/)
2. [Måneskin review – Rush!: Eurovision winners continue to broaden their appeal with an infectious third album | The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/maneskin-rush-review-italian-rock-group-b2275516.html)
3. [Måneskin Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maneskin-mn0003698978)
4. [Damiano David interview, Cadena SER](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/04/18/damiano-david-cuando-estas-en-el-escenario-tienes-mucha-confianza-pero-no-siempre-es-lo-mismo-en-la-vida-cadena-ser/)
5. [Måneskin 2027 Reunion Tour Sanremo Festival](https://maneskin.net/)
6. [Maneskin, Rockol](https://www.rockol.it/artista/maneskin)
7. [IFPI Global Music Report 2022 – State of the Industry](https://www.fimi.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ifpi_global_music_report_2022_state_of_the_industry.pdf)
8. [Måneskin Timeline, Shapes](https://shapes.inc/fandom/m-neskin/timeline)
9. [FIMI Global Music Report 2022 (Italian edition)](https://www.fimi.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/gmr_22_ita.pdf)
10. [Italy's Måneskin wins Eurovision 2021, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2021/05/23/italy-maneskin-win-eurovision-covid-pandemic)
11. [Måneskin: Rush! review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/19/maneskin-rush-review-eurovision-winners-extend-their-improbable-15-minutes-of-fame)
12. [Italy, Eurovision Song Contest](https://www.eurovision.com/eurovision-song-contest/countries/italy/)
13. [Critic Reviews for Rush!, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/music/rush%21/maneskin/critic-reviews)
14. [Review: 'RUSH!' proves that Måneskin are here to stay, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/b8df4bd7da669ac1d137295c3021b87e)
15. [La rivalsa dei giovani italiani nel linguaggi dei Måneskin, Treccani Magazine](https://www.treccani.it/magazine/lingua_italiana/articoli/scritto_e_parlato/Maneskin.html)
16. [Masculinidades híbridas en el glam rock de Måneskin, REcial](https://riull.ull.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/915/40803/Arenillas_Melendez__Sara.___Masculinidades_hibridas_en_el_glam_rock_de_M_neskin._.pdf?sequence=1)
17. [Corciolani (2024), International Marketing Review](https://arpi.unipi.it/retrieve/c834cb6b-13e4-4c9d-b07e-4da137ddb11a/Corciolani%202024_IMR_Published%20version.pdf)
18. [Måneskin, Guitar Player](https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/maneskin)
19. [Måneskin Tickets, Ticketmaster UK](https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/maneskin-tickets/artist/5284580)
20. [Måneskin VIRGIN Press Release](https://s3.amazonaws.com/virginhotelslv.com/content/uploads/2022/03/Ma%CC%8Aneskin-VIRGIN-Press-Release.pdf)
21. [Eurovision 2026, continua crescita del repertorio italiano, ANSA](https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cultura/musica/2026/05/15/eurovision-2026-continua-crescita-del-repertorio-italiano-sui-mercati-internazionali_acab2844-166f-42dd-81dd-ab1b1e552a64.html)
22. [Maneskin Live Tour & Concert Review Consensus, LiveRate](https://www.liverate.com/artists/maneskin)
23. [Måneskin en tournée avec DPA](https://www.dpamicrophones.com/fr/news/2023/maaneskin-tours-with-dpa-vocal-microphone/)
24. [Måneskin's Mic Gets Spiky Anti-Cupping Accessory, Mixonline](https://www.mixonline.com/live-sound/tours/maneskins-mic-gets-spiky-anti-cupping-accessory)
25. [Damiano David en #Del40al1CocaCola, LOS40](https://los40.com/2025/05/06/damiano-david-en-del40al1cocacola-llege-a-un-punto-de-demasiada-ansiedad/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Rock, indie, and pop groups › National, regional, and scene band clusters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license