Maneskin, Damiano speaks: “As a soloist I am the real me”

In an interview given to Rolling Stone JapanDamiano David spoke with great sincerity about the personal and artistic journey that led him to his solo debut. “My life has been incredibly busy over the last 10 years, both personally and artistically. Everything has happened so fast. I went from performing on street corners at 16 to winning Eurovision at 22. It was a meteoric and incredible time,” explained the singer, recalling the years of meteoric rise with Måneskin.

That incessant rhythm, however, ended up leaving him with a sense of emptiness and brokenness: “In that period, I grew as an artist and changed as a person. Then, one day, something inside me broke. It was a very personal experience, but when you’re broken inside, you start to hate everything you do. At that moment, I felt a strong urge to stop everything. I wanted to understand what was happening inside me, even at the risk of losing everything. From that moment on, I knew I had to walk this path alone.”

The decision to embark on a solo journey was born precisely from that need for radical change: “I consciously chose to leave my comfort zone. I moved to a new city, worked in an unfamiliar environment and without my bandmates. I wanted to create a slightly unstable environment and challenge myself. Looking back, I’m glad I made that choiceto. It helped me clarify who I wanted to be and free myself from the weight of external expectations.” The journey was not without difficulties, but Damiano sees it as a necessary phase of growth: “I’m still learning and have made many mistakes. But I see them as part of growing up. I’m only 26 years old and I will continue to evolve as a person and as an artist. I’m sure I’ll make mistakes, but they’re always part of the journey to become the ideal version of myself“.

In his solo project, and in particular in the song “Naked”, Damiano has captured this search for authenticity and vulnerability: “In my song ‘Naked’, I sing about how only when I don’t know who I am can I discover who I am. I feel like taking this journey alone has helped me turn my fears into dreams. It allowed me to face myself, grow and overcome difficulties”. An inner journey that culminates in his new album, a work that represents a true identity manifesto: “When I released this album, I was proud to be able to proudly say, ‘This is my most honest and authentic self.’ This album is my most authentic self, both as a person and as an artist“.