Maneskin | Gen Z Rock Vitality

Måneskin’s songs have been streamed 6 billion times over the past year on web-streaming platforms, including more than 1 billion for his smash hit Start‘, an irresistible cover of an old Four Seasons hit. It may not be much compared to the tenors of pop, but it’s huge for a young hard rock band with many songs in Italian.

The Roman quartet is in fact increasingly seen as a pillar of the rock revival, a status which it intends to solidify further with its third album, Rush!which is set to launch on January 20. The Press met the band the day after their incredible sold-out show at the MTelus in November 2022.

More than warm welcome

The MTelus was heated up even before the band arrived on stage. Rarely, in fact, had we seen the Montreal hall so noisy, and it remained so throughout the show – our inner ears were still testifying to it the next morning. “It was incredible, admits singer Damiano David. For us, being on stage is the most important thing. We just enjoy the moment and when the crowd is like yesterday, everything is very, very easy. »

“We were also very impressed when we saw that the people in the crowd were singing our songs in Italian, it was absolutely crazy! hastens to add fellow guitarist Thomas Raggi. We actually notice that successes like Zitti and buoni – song which allowed Måneskin to win the honors of the Eurovison contest in 2021 – are sung in chorus by the jubilant public; but we also note that the clear voices are those of very young fans, some accompanied by their parents.

Could Måneskin have become the rock ambassador for Generation Z? “We grew up with the kind of music that our parents listened to, at the same time that we started to play our instruments,” explains bassist Victoria De Angelis. So they introduced us a bit to this kind of music when we were children, it all seemed natural to us. And when we started doing shows, we immediately knew that was the direction we wanted to go, because that’s what allows us to express ourselves as we want, even if it’s not the most popular style nowadays. We see it as a challenge, because we’re not going to let the labels or the industry tell us what to do. »

Not just a look

This rebellious attitude also defines the look of the group, a refreshing reinterpretation of the look glam of the 1970s with a strong provocative bent – ​​his performance at the last MTV Video Music Awards is still talking. Well seated on the sofa of a suite at the W hotel in the company of her three companions, Victoria De Angelis stands on the end of her seat when asked if it is necessary to maintain a balance between pace and music.

“I also think it wasn’t common to adopt a look like ours while playing in a rock band, it was even considered weird. Some made fun of us, you know, continues the eloquent young woman of 22 years. So I think that all of that helped give us the strength to be ourselves and to say, ‘Fuck, this is who we are, this is how we want to dress, this is that what we want to do.” »

We also feel this creative energy listening to the tracks from the new album, composed in part during one of the rare breaks that the group was able to afford, from February to May, in a rented house. in Los Angeles. This notably allowed the four members to explore some new avenues.

“For this album, we try to celebrate our differences and our four individualities, supports Damiano David. For example, I don’t have an authentic rock’n’roll heritage; I therefore bring a mainstream pop reading to our melodies and texts. This is among other things what makes the difference. Also, we listen to a lot of electronic music, hip-hop and other types of music, and I think we manage to integrate all these influences into our music. »

The result is a fresh rock, which jostles as much as it federates, moving away from the pastiche formula used by some of the young contemporaries of the group. So, rock revival ambassador, Måneskin? There is no doubt.

Rock

Rush!

Maneskin

Released January 20