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“Sometimes I’m talking about experiences that were very hard for me, and I’ll remember doing them happily — it’s an spectacle that can entertain people and bring people together.”1
Damiano David on grammy Awards & “FUNNY little FEARS”
From a young age, Damiano David enjoyed performing and sharing stories with an audience. The singer-songwriter from Rome, Italy, loved music enough to pursue a career as the lead vocalist of Måneskin.
The Italian rock band consisted of high school buddies Victoria De Angelis, Thomas Raggi, and recruited a drummer from a social media ad, Ethan Torchio. The four friends first appeared on the Billboard charts in mid-2021 with their songs “Beggin'” and “MAMAMIA,” which were performed on The Tonight Show in the U.S., helping them get exposure outside Europe.2
In late 2023, Damiano grew concerned about his self-identity and his role in Måneskin.3 Quote on quote, he felt “like a robot” and “not himself.” On the Zach Sang Show, he discussed his search for musical and personal identity and his decision to pursue a solo project. Most importantly, he stated he’d return to Måneskin as a better musician and a better mindset toward music after pausing group activities altogether. He diverged from the Italian band’s usual style, taking control of his creative direction and experimenting with a refined genre and vulnerable lyrical context.
As planned, “FUNNY little FEARS” was released on May 16, 2025. The album explored Damiano’s fears as he navigated fame, love, and relationships. The work conveyed a relatable message about putting on a performative front in challenging situations — an act that is both entertaining and self-destructive. Aided by love and partnership, Damiano shows through storytelling that one never fully overcomes fear, but it is possible to manage and integrate it positively as part of life, even if those fears are downplayed as comical.
Måneskin’s Frontman As A Persona
Throughout Damiano’s life, he embraced the changes that came with coming-of-age. As a young child, he often traveled to other countries alongside his older brother and his flight attendant parents, exposing him to various cultures.4 However, as a high school student, he focused more on basketball than on intellectual activities or even singing. At twenty-two, Damiano adopted a glamorous yet provocative persona befitting of his interest in alternative music after Måneskin reached a significant level of fame.
His fabricated persona took a toll on his confidence and attitude towards music to the point that he was burned out. He sought external validation to feel secure with himself as a human being,5 whether it was using sexual appeal during performances or shocking the audience through rock-culture acts of chaos and recklessness. Damiano pushed aside his desire to change with songs like “Kool Kids,” released in 2023. Måneskin had a haywire sound and message that diverted from Damiano’s emotional need to appear and sound human.
Now, at twenty-six, Damiano has acquired a softer, gritty signature sound that aligns with his values as an adult, no longer molding himself to fit a generalized expectation. One of the topics Damiano candidly shared in his album “FUNNY little FEARS” was grappling with self-identity and using other means to play on emotions in ways an audience would like, as in songs like “Tango” and “Born With a Broken Heart,” which pointed toward not taking oneself too seriously when struggling emotionally on a daily basis.6
Behind Confidence — “FUNNY little FEARS”
“FUNNY little FEARS” suggests that fears have a dramatic impact on a person’s life, but how they’re dealt with makes them seem either larger or smaller. Damiano’s intention behind the album’s message derived from how he made a spectacle out of his life’s struggles, often in a funny way, hence the “FUNNY little FEARS” album title. Damiano drew inspiration from The Greatest Showman, using realism and a hint of fantasy to promote magical storytelling without seeming cliché.
As he explored the different fonts in emotion, Damiano opened up in his first solo project. He discussed his insecurities, love, fame, and basically everything he fears but can’t bring himself to talk about without putting up a front and brushing it off as a joke. The softer instrumentation opens up the path to portray the work as having a heightened emotional intensity compared to Måneskin’s songs.
The album does not follow a common progression and reaches a resolute conclusion: love does not conquer all fears. With pop-focused elements, the work allows its audience to focus on lyrical quality and the overall message, rather than hiding behind the performative rock elements that are unique to Måneskin’s identity.
Damiano perceives fear both positively and realistically. He also provides context on how vulnerability is difficult to address and how false bravado hides deeper layers, while also serving as a coping mechanism for handling emotions. Each song invites listeners to reflect on how fear can manifest in different situations.
The songs on the album, “Voices,” “Next Summer,” “Zombie Lady,” “The Bruise,” “Sick of Myself,” “Angel,” “Tango,” “Born With a Broken Heart,” “Tangerine,” “Mars,” “The First Time,” “Perfect Life,” “Silverlines,” and “Solitude” hide a performance behind them, playing off a fear that takes over his life. Three songs, in particular, connect the non-chronological theme of facing fears without love as a remedy, and the idea of needing a solution in the first place.
“Voices”
As an opening song, “Voices” delivers a bold, direct message about Damiano’s struggles with a love interest and his quest for comfort amid newfound fame. He expresses gratitude to Måneskin’s fans, while acknowledging that his bond with the band’s supporters heightens his concerns about the future.
Oh, these voices / they're gonna drive me right back to your door
Oh, baby, I've been runnin' / chasing after silence
Every road I take leads straight to you.
This reinforces the idea that the voices of criticism follow him everywhere he goes, believing he’s doing the wrong thing by going solo. It is a fear that becomes a tragicomic performance, with him as a puppeteer maneuvered by those enamored with his public persona. The song marks the start of his fears, in line with his decision to embark on a secondary journey without Måneskin.
“Tango”
As the sixth track in “FUNNY little FEARS,” it brings forth a light sound that carries a burdensome implication. Through imagery, Damiano paints an elegant picture of two lovers dancing tango. As the tune goes on, one of them disappears, and only fear remains. Damiano’s dependence on the relationship is evident, as he expects their love to salvage him from the compromising dance.
My ballerina /
I still feel you here /
When I tango with the fear /
Oh honey/
I would jump if you called me /
My ballerina /
I still feel you here /
When I tango with the fear.
Additionally, his absent love interest represents the toll it takes on a relationship when personal issues are left unaddressed. The mutual affection between Damiano and his partner is solid; however, the dance is interrupted by his fears, showing that love is not a solution to ignore or overcome them.
“Solitude (No One Understands Me)”
The last track of “FUNNY little FEARS” instills the idea that Damiano accepts himself as a complex person with issues and fears. Whereas he was looking for love and validation from another person, he was the only one he needed to dance with all along. Each verse discusses a comically absurd fear that appears to be predictable, but he contradicts his audience by issuing an unexpected response.
I've got a funny little fear of sleeping /
It's not the fact that my heart may stop or I forget the art of breathing /
I'm afraid I'll start believing that my life is a little better when I'm dreaming /
I've got a funny little fear of driving /
It's not the notion I might crash in a head-on collision /
It's that sometimes I worry someone's gonna need a superhero, and I'll fail the mission.
Similar to “Tango,” Damiano employs the imagery of a dance to connect to the overarching theme of turning his struggles into a spectacle. By the end of the album, he appreciates love as an integral part of his life, but his self-love takes priority. Even if underneath it all, he wants validation from those he cares about.
I don't need your love to be free /
I don't need your company to believe /
I don't need your love to be true /
I'll dance with my solitude, ooh.
In the last verse, he closes with inner fears about not being loved by others, asking for reassurance. This shows that fears are endless and a natural part of life. At the end of the day, how one approaches fear matters.
No one understands me, but I do /
Nobody understands me /
Could you, could you, could you, could you?
The Aftermath Of “FUNNY little FEARS”
Damiano David’s journey is far from over. With plans to return to Måneskin, he will remain true to himself and continue writing music that speaks to his emotions. “FUNNY little FEARS” is merely a stepping stone to a larger universal message: staying true to one’s values and not being shaken by the fears life naturally brings.
Footnotes
- Assis, Tassia. “With ‘Funny Little Fears,’ Damiano David Shows He’s More Than A Rock Star.” Grammy Awards. May 15, 2025. ↩︎
- Rutherford, Kevin. “Maneskin Hits No. 1 On Rock Streaming Songs, Makes Hot 100 Debut with ‘Beggin.'” Billboard. July 07, 2021. ↩︎
- Damiano David interview with Zach Sang, Spotify, December 12, 2024. ↩︎
- Di Mambro, Yolanda. “17 Facts About Maneskin’s Damiano David.” Vertigo Magazine. November 14, 2022. ↩︎
- DeSantis, Rachel. “Måneskin’s Damiano Was Becoming ‘Completely Numb’ to Music. How He Recaptured the ‘Fun’ with New Solo Project (Exclusive).” People Magazine. December 10, 2024. ↩︎
- Baltin, David. “Q&A: Damiano David Opens Up On Stunning Solo Debut.” Forbes. July 01, 2025. ↩︎