Watch Eurovision 2021 winners Måneskin cover The Killers' Somebody Told Me

25 May 2021, 17:39 | Updated: 26 May 2021, 16:57

Maneskin frontman Damiano David and The Killers' Brandon Flowers — Maneskin covered The Killers back in 2017. Picture: 1 Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images 2. Taylor Hill/Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

The Italian band were cleared of cocaine allegations after winning the contest on Sunday, but did you know they once competed in X Factor Italia? See them cover The Killers' Somebody Told Me here.

Måneskin became household names this weekend when they won the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 receiving a total of 524 points for their catchy rock anthem Zitti E Buoni.

However, the band also went viral for the wrong reasons, when their win was almost marred by allegations of drug-taking at the Grand Final in Rotterdam on Saturday (22 May).

Despite all the backlash, the Italian rockers - who won the prize for their country for the first time since 1990 - vehemently denied the claims.

Their frontman Damiano David even offered to take a drugs test, which he subsequently passed, in order to clear his name.

The band is now known across the globe, but did you know they've been active since 2016 and used to busk on the streets of Rome?

The four-piece even took part in X Factor Italia, where they covered The Killers' Somebody Told Me amongst other indie hits.

Watch Måneskin's rendition of Brandon Flowers and co's 2004 classic on X Factor Italia in 2017:

Maneskin - Somebody Told Me

Damiano and co ended up smashing the competition, finishing in second place behind Lorenzo Licitra and going on to release two studio albums in Il ballo della vita (2018) and Teatro d'ira: Vol. 1(2021).

Watch them perform a more polished and stripped-back version of the anthem for La Repubblica:

Måneskin - Somebody told me (cover dei The Killers)

Find out more about Måneskin below:

What does Måneskin mean?

Måneskin means moonshine in Danish, which was inspired by bassist Victoria De Angelis' half Danish heritage.

What does Måneskin's Zitti E Buoni track mean?

The title Zitti E Buoni roughly translates to Shut Up And Behave in English.

Lead singer Damiano David told Eurovision presenter and Dutch influencer Nikkie Turorials that the song is a defiant track about "being yourself and not caring what other people are saying to you".

Unbelievably, the song started off its life as a soft and much slower a ballad. Watch the band explain more below:

LookLab Måneskin– Italy 🇮🇹 with NikkieTutorials

How did Måneskin form?

The bandmates first met each other as students of the same high school in Monteverde Rome. Damiano David wasn't originally in the band, but he quickly replaced their lead singer and the rest as they say is history.

The band decided to form anew in 2016 and came up with their name when they had to register for Pulse - a local music competition for emerging acts. The band asked their half Danish bassist Victoria De Angelis to offer up some Danish words and soon enough Måneskin was born.

Why was Måneskin's Damiano David accused of taking cocaine at The Eurovision Song Contest 2021?

During the Grand Finale of the Eurovision Song Contest, the band's frontman was captured bending down towards the table in front of the camera. However, the band vehemently denied taking drugs at the ceremony and their lead singer Damiano David volunteered to take a drugs test to clear his name, which he indeed passed.

Watch Måneskin's winners' performance of Zitti E Buoni at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021: