They’re the reigning Eurovision champions that have gone on to conquer the charts across the world. And now Måneskin have even drawn the attention of American rock star Iggy Pop. They’ve come together to release a new version of the Italian band’s hit song “I Wanna Be Your Slave”.
The Eurovision 2021 winners give Iggy Pop the honour of opening this new version, and he sings the first verse. Måneskin’s Damiano then switches in and the two interchange singing responsibilities before finally coming together in unison for the final moments of the song.
There are no major changes to the music itself. The only other noticeable additions are Iggy Pop’s adlibs at various points, which replace some of Damiano’s from the original.
Måneskin & Iggy Pop – “I Wanna Be Your Slave”
Iggy Pop has been designated the “Godfather of Punk” and was the vocalist of acclaimed band The Stooges. Having him come onboard as a collaborator will no doubt highlight Måneskin’s name further and continue their global dominance.
The band also recently released the official music video for their original version of “I Wanna Be Your Slave”. It features Damiano, Ethan, Victoria and Thomas playing various roles between them. Marrying up with the lyrics, it aims to break down stereotypes of what certain people should wear and do.
“I Wanna Be Your Slave” comes from Måneskin’s second studio album Teatro d’ira: Vol. I. The song, which won’t officially be released as a single until July 16, has already managed to climb the charts in dozens of countries. It hit Number 1 in Finland and Slovakia, and hit #3 in Germany, #5 in the UK, and #7 in Italy.
We’re beyond proud to say that the group’s performance for the Wiwi Jam at Home online concert played an important role in the journey. Released just two days before the grand final of Eurovision, that performance, which you can watch below, went viral on TikTok, sparking hype from Lithuania to the United States via Italy and Romania.
The casual performance — filmed at Mulino Recording Studio in Acquapendente — has now been seen nearly 40 million times.
The song is told from the perspective of someone who has it bad for the object of their affection. The lyrics recount their obsession and how they’re willing to enslave themselves if that’s what it takes to win them over — perhaps for a lifetime, perhaps just for the night.
“I wanna make you hungry, then I wanna feed ya,” Damiano sings. “I wanna paint your face like you’re my Mona Lisa, I wanna be a champion, I wanna be a loser, I’ll even be a clown ’cause I just wanna amuse ya.”
There’s also a more general point about human sexuality and the many roles we play or at least think about playing. Whether that’s ceding control to feel empowered or the tension between wanting to dominate and submit, the band know we’ve all got room to explore.
Speaking to RockOn.it, Damiano said the lyrics are “a way to crudely describe all the facets of sexuality and how they can be influential in everyday life.”
“We inserted some contrasts: ‘I’m the devil, I’m a lawyer, I’m a killer, I’m a blonde girl.’ We want to convey the idea that we don’t have to have a single identity — everyone can have many facets.”
What do you make of Måneskin and Iggy Pop’s collaboration on “I Wanna Be Your Slave”? Who do you want to see the Italian band work with next? Let us know in the comments below!
Iggy is touring Europe next summer, so this is an easy way to reintroduce himself and generate some buzz.
Great to hear them team up with this rock legend
Legends collaborating with new talents. This is the way.
I liked the original version much more!
Iggy is nowhere near best, but I still prefer this version. Cool to see them collaborate.
Iggy doesn’t really add something here but it is smart for them to release this version for more exposure