Funny Little Fears

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“Italian pop drama” is how Damiano David describes <i>FUNNY little FEARS</i>—with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. As you’d expect from Måneskin’s lead singer, David hasn’t done things by half for his solo debut album, collaborating with Labrinth, Suki Waterhouse, and d4vd to create an imposing sound. <i>FUNNY little FEARS</i> swings from stadium-ready swaggers like “Next Summer” to angst wrapped in the happy melody of “Tango.” But those fears, however funny and little, are never far from the surface. “I think my biggest fear is loneliness,” David tells Apple Music’s Travis Mills. “I really don’t cope well when I’m traveling too much, and I’m never going back home or have my girlfriend or my close friends around. I start overthinking and hurting myself with my own thoughts.” David’s main purpose with the album is to get over the things that hold him back. “I’m still the frontman of Måneskin, and it’s a big part of myself, but it’s not my 100%,” he says. “And for me, it’s very important that people understand that. I’ve found myself very stuck in my dynamics, fears, and habits, and this album was a way to break it down. At the end of it all, I consider myself healed for most of it. It’s like, ‘Yes, you’re scared, but everybody’s scared. It’s not a big deal. You can fight through it.’” Despite the instant crowd-pleasing appeal of tracks like “Next Summer,” David reveals he has a spontaneous approach to songwriting and doesn’t fall into the trap of chasing hits. “I consider it a stadium ballad. Lighters up,” he says. “It’s weird for me because I am never really aware of what I’m doing, where I’m going, and what I’m talking about. I discover it later when I have the song in front of me. I never go in the studio with the idea: ‘Today, we have to make a ballad. Today, we have to make a hit.’ For me, it's like a big game. Let’s write a song. If we do it, it’s already a miracle because we got into a room where there’s nothing and we get out with a song. It’s already magic. It doesn't have to be a hit.” There’s a definite energy shift throughout the album where David goes from self-doubt to contentment with the beautiful love song “Angel.” It’s something he acknowledges, too. “I’m a way happier person,” he says. “If you compare myself with myself one year ago, I smile way more.”

via Apple Music