The band Måneskin’s Eurovision-winning song Zitti E Buoni is the first song in Italian to reach the UK Top 20 in 29 years. The last Italian artist to achieve this was world renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti with Zucchero, who reached number 15 with Miserere back in 1992.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVH5dn1cxAQ
Post-Eurovision success
Following a fabulous night of singing and dancing at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest, things have continued to go very well for Italian rock-pop quartet Måneskin in the weeks that have followed their win. Their Eurovision entry Zitti E Buoni has hit the charts in many countries across Europe, as well as taking the UK charts by storm, achieving high worldwide streams and making thousands of impressions on TikTok. Both Zitti E Buoni and another of the band’s songs, I Wanna Be Your Slave have topped the UK’s Spotify Viral Top 50, with both tracks hanging onto the Official UK Top 40 weeks later.
Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, bass player Victoria De Angelis happily explained that they previously had felt they didn’t fit the Eurovision aesthetic:
“We just went as ourselves without conforming to the kind of music that people think is usually played at the contest. We’re happy because we really wanted to be authentic.
It was so emotional because many people were telling us that we couldn’t work at Eurovision. It proved the actual audience at home loved our music. That’s who we played for. Being in the UK chart is really great because it’s not easy for Italian artists. It’s incredible.”
The night in Rotterdam wasn’t without its drama – while in the artist waiting area, viewers sparked rumours that the band were taking illegal substances, which meant that Måneskin couldn’t properly celebrate their win in the hours following the event. Following questioning and social media speculation, the band’s singer Damiano David volunteered himself for a drug test with the EBU in order to clear his name. Speaking of the win, and of putting the rumours to bed, he said:
“I know I wasn’t guilty of anything, it’s why I offered to get drugs tested. I had nothing to hide. We wanted to give them everything we had. That Grand Final performance was a massive relief. We like to work, we’re seeing our numbers are growing all the time and it’s unbelievable. It’s not just from the contest. People are liking us and getting into us and we’re getting into various charts everywhere.”
Måneskin band history
The band got to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest after winning the Sanremo Music Festival. Previously, the group rose to fame in Italy partaking in their version of The X Factor back in 2017, in which they finished in second place. In the years that have followed, Måneskin have achieved a lot of success, including a number one album and several platinum singles.
Musically, the group have been on a journey with their lyrics, and although they began by writing songs in English, they eventually received a better reception when they converted into singing in Italian. Going forward, bassist Victoria says that now is a perfect time for the band to experiment working in both languages, as this has given them the chance following the Eurovision success. Whichever language they write and perform from here on in, the band have certainly found a host of new fans around the world this year.
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