“We’re Living a Dream.” Måneskin Talks “Supermodel” and Success

At first sight, what most marks Måneskin as Italian is their Guccification. But in almost every other way, they have flipped the script. So much that is exported from Italy is given the stereotypical and nostalgic dolce vita spin—it’s all Roman Holiday, Sophia, Gina, and Michelangelo’s David. Måneskin’s viewpoint is more global, particularly anchored in a guitar-heavy 1970s sound in the style of British and American rockers. David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust, Slade, and the New York Dolls come to mind.

Though Måneskin channels the sex-drugs-and-rock-and-roll vibe developed in the dive bars and gritty environs of New York’s Lower East Side, the four have a more evolved attitude toward health and self-preservation. Artificial stimulants don’t seem to be part of the equation, despite a tempest in a teapot at Eurovision. (A photo of David leaning over a table led to allegations of cocaine use. He denied the claim, and a voluntary drug test confirmed that.) Unlike the anti-heroine of their summer hit, the band members, who have been constantly on the road and in the spotlight, are in need of a vacation, not rehab.

The song, by the way, is not about a specific person but a composite of poseurs the band met during their time in Los Angeles. “A lot of people think that the song is actually about a supermodel, but it’s not,” David stresses. “The supermodels in the ’90s…are supercool, supersmart, super focused. They were living this weird, crazy lifestyle, but it was authentic and natural [to them]. The song is about people faking to be supermodels. We saw a lot of people who had no money, no skills, no nothing, pretending to have money, skills, and networks, and that was super funny for us. They were actually pretending to be supermodels.” While we were on the topic, I asked each member to identify their real-life favorite ’90s super. De Angelis, Raggi, and Torchio are all team Kate Moss; David’s pick is Carla Bruni.