Måneskin’s new album ‘RUSH!’ electrifies

The first song on the album, “OWN MY MIND,” fits into the rock style that defines Måneskin’s sound and sets the stage for the rest of the album, but lives in the shadows due to the more exciting song that follows.

On Jan. 20, the worldfamous band Måneskin released their third studio album, “RUSH!”

After getting second on “X Factor Italia” in 2017 and winning the Eurovision contest in 2021, Måneskin became a worldwide phenomenon. Måneskin rose to fame in the United States with their 2021 song, “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE” and their 2022 cover, “Beggin,” which entered the U.S. top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This year, Måneskin is GRAMMY nominated for Best New Artist. The Italian band is made up of drummer Ethan Torchio, vocalist Damiano David, bassist Victoria De Angelis and guitarist Thomas Raggi.

“RUSH!” is mostly sung in English, unlike their previous two albums which were primarily in Italian. While some fans may yearn for more Italian-language content, the band did not disappoint with their latest album. Måneskin uses their album to break boundaries and make a commentary on their newfound Hollywood fame.

“GOSSIP,” featuring Tom Morello, connects directly with the Hollywood theme, and ups the energy of the album to a new high.

The song describes Hollywood as a circus where people lie and cover their acts. “Welcome to the city of lies / Where everything’s got a price / It’s gonna be your new favorite place / You can be a movie star / And get everything you want / Just put some plastic on your face,” sings David.

While the band does not connect as much to their Italian roots in “RUSH!,“ songs like “GOSSIP” show Måneskin’s effort to maintain their authenticity through openly commenting on the Hollywood fame experience. Another wonderful track is “TIMEZONE,” the band’s second-best song on this album following “GOSSIP.” The song has contrasting dynamics, beginning with peaceful guitar playing and melodic lines.

“TIMEZONE” is a narrative about the love story of two people being kept apart by distance and different time zones. The narrator claims his dreams and fame don’t matter in comparison to the distance.

A song that is repetitive in nature is “BLA BLA BLA,” with its simplistic bass line that fits into the sleaze-rock genre, a combination of heavy metal and hard rock, preparing listeners for the most visceral song in the album, “BABY SAID.”

“BABY SAID” has an exciting rhythm and is meant to turn heads. It crosses boundaries of intimacy explored by past rock artists, with slow verses followed by a fast chorus. It is likely to be a crowd favorite, but the stark changes in pace make it less danceable compared to “GASOLINE.” “GASOLINE” has a fist-bump rhythm and a repetitive speech-like melody, as David sings “we won’t take it standing still / Watch us dance / We’re gonna dance on gasoline.”

“IF NOT FOR YOU” is another great song in the album and shows the group’s range of song styles. The track has a lullaby sound and fittingly ties back to the theme of love heard at the start of the record in “TIMEZONE,” with a style resembling Lana Del Rey’s music.

“LA FINE” is a fast-paced song that ties the beginning themes to the end of the album, and is one of the better Italian songs released in the album. The song comments on judgment, fame and wealth in society, as the song’s narrator’s new life is not what they imagined. David sings “Ho girato il mondo, ho visto gente / No, non è come lo immaginavo,” or “I’ve traveled around the world, I’ve seen people / No, it’s not like I imagined it.”

The album ends with three of their previously released singles “MAMMAMIA,” “SUPERMODEL” and “THE LONELIEST.” These three songs have the most listens in the album and are the most memorable songs in the album, followed by “GOSSIP,” “TIMEZONE,” “BABY SAID” and “IF NOT FOR YOU.”