Måneskin is an Italian pop rock band from Rome, consisting of lead vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis, guitarist Thomas Raggi, and drummer Ethan Torchio. The band rose to fame after ending up second in the eleventh series of the Italian talent showX Factor in 2017.
History
Before ''X Factor''
The band members first met each other as students of the same middle school. In 2016, while they were students of the liceo scientifico J.F. Kennedy in Monteverde, Rome, they decided to start a band. The band's name was chosen when they had to register for Pulse, a local music contest for emerging bands. While brainstorming, Victoria, who is of Danish descent, was asked by her bandmates to toss out some Danish words, and they agreed on Måneskin, although its meaning is not related to the band itself. The Pulse Contest also marked a turning point in their career, since they had to start writing their own songs. The competition led them to perform at the Felt Music Club & School, and they later went on to win first prize. They later performed as buskers in the streets of the Colli Portuensi district of Rome, as well as in the historical centre of Rome, including in Via del Corso. One of their first live concerts outside their native city took place in Faenza, at the 2016 Meeting of Independent Record Labels. Approximately 30 people attended the show. After a trip in Denmark, during which the band also performed some live shows, Måneskin strengthened their cohesiveness, and started to play together for several hours a day.
Breakthrough
Their debut single, "Chosen", was released on 24 November 2017 by Sony Music and charted at number 2 on the Italian FIMISingles Chart. It was included in the extended play of the same title, released in mid December 2017 and mainly consisting of covers previously performed during the X Factor live shows. The EP was certified platinum by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry. On 23 March 2018, the band released their first Italian-language single, "Morirò da re", which continued their commercial success. Måneskin's first full-length studio audio, featuring "Morirò da re" and preceded by the ballad single "Torna a casa", was released on 26 October 2018. Both the album, titled Il ballo della vita, and the single "Torna a casa" topped the charts in Italy. To promote the album, the band theatrically released a documentary film, titled This Is Måneskin. The film premiered on 26 October 2018 in Italy.
