In 2021, rock music got a new face when Italian band Måneskin simultaneously won the Eurovision Song Contest and the hearts of thousands on the internet when their cover of The Four Seasons’ “Beggin’” was discovered. They blew up and now they’re rising higher with their new album RUSH!. The charts are a far cry from the band’s start as middle schoolers playing in the streets of Rome for money. Their new album is a gritty and real look at the effects of quick fame as their front man, Damiano David, decided to get drunk for the first time in two years in an effort to make an album that was a “true bar anthem.”
The band recorded over 60 songs since their Eurovision success, and it is not hard to imagine that the ones on this album are the best of their best. It is also not hard to imagine that many of the tracks are about their thoughts on their newfound stardom, feeling burnt out with how quickly they were swept away. One of the best songs on the album, “GOSSIP,” is a harsh depiction of life in Hollywood, while the song “MARK CHAPMAN” gains its name from the man who killed John Lennon.
This is their first album that has most of the songs written in English, since they originally started with covering English rock bands before switching to Italian for their album releases after gaining popularity in Italy. With their newfound fame in America, they are back to their English rock roots. As they sing in “GOSSIP,” “Just fill your drink with tonic gin, this is the American dream.”
Despite their American influence, they still embody ideals that are distinctly European as their grittiest song “GASOLINE” serves as an anti-war anthem in support of Ukraine. Meanwhile, “FEEL” has no meaning behind it at all, with each word being chosen for the sound it makes, creating lyrical instrumentalism. With the band idolizing old rockers like Mick Jagger, a lot of their sound comes from the 80s and 90s eras of punk rock. The song “SUPERMODEL” embodies this with its heavy guitar. Where they shine though, is with the unique risks they take like the guitar riffs in “BABY SAID.”
The album is not all loud chords, however, with “TIMEZONE” depicting their more solemn emotions as they are separated from their families while they live their dreams. “IF NOT FOR YOU” gets even more intimate, with lyrics intertwining with rare violins to tell a story of pure love. They then close out the album with “THE LONELIEST,” a sad song about endings that mimics a 90s power ballad.
As Måneskin improves their repertoire with every new song, it seems like the new face of the American rock music charts will be Italian. This should not come as a surprise, however, with the British rock bands like The Rolling Stones and Queen dominating the United States in the past. Perhaps instead of a “British invasion,” in the future we will have to look out for an Italian invasion, especially if Måneskin can repeat what they achieved with this album.
Photo credits from: genius.com
