Italian rock group Maneskin was founded in 2016 in Rome. Damiano David on vocals, Victoria De Angelis on bass, Thomas Raggi on guitar, and Ethan Torchio on drums make up the band. They began by playing on the streets, but after placing second in the eleventh season of the Italian talent competition X Factor in 2017, they gained notoriety. The quartet’s breakthrough came when they represented Italy in the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Zitti e buoni.” The group issued Il ballo della vita (2018), Teatro d’ira: Vol. 1, and Three Studio Albums. I’m Rush (2021), too! (2023). Along with 13 singles that have reached the top of the Italian and European music charts, they have also produced one extended play, Chosen (2017).
Before their post-Eurovision breakout, they sold more than a million records in Italy and received 34 platinum and 7 gold certifications from FIMI. Their most popular Italian single up to that point in their career was “Torna a casa.” With their songs “Zitti e buoni,” “I Wanna Be Your Slave,” and their cover of The Four Seasons “Beggin’,” Mneskin became the first Italian rock band to reach the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart in 2021. U.S. chart, amassing numerous foreign certifications for sales of well than three million copies abroad and four million overall. At the 2023 Grammy Awards, they were nominated for their first Grammy in the Best New Artist category.
By 2022, Mneskin will have amassed sales of about 40 million copies worldwide, 4 billion streams across all streaming services, 6 diamonds, 133 platinum, and 34 gold certifications, as well as 34 gold sales.
The genres of pop rock, alternative rock, glam rock, and hard rock have all been applied to Mneskin’s music. In their second studio album, “Zitti e buoni,” they adopted a hard rock sound, which contrasts with their debut studio album’s pop rock sound with funk influences. Their appearance and sound have been compared to rock from the 1970s. Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, Perry Farrell, Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Gentle Giant, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Arctic Monkeys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Harry Styles, Bruno Mars, R.E.M., and Italian rock bands Marlene Kuntz, Verdena, and Afterhours are just a few of the bands the band members have named as influences.
