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info on Demi Lovato

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Demi Lovato is a successful actor and recording artist with hits like ‘Skyscraper,’ ‘Cool for the Summer,’ ‘Heart Attack’ and ‘Sorry Not Sorry.’

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demi, non binary

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Earlier this year, when two contestants on the second series of Drag Race UK discussed their non-binary identities on the BBC show, viewers told Radio 1 Newsbeat how they felt to see their gender identity represented in mainstream media.

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Demi Lovato is non-binary and is changing pronouns to they/them, singer announces

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Earlier this year, when two contestants on the second series of Drag Race UK discussed their non-binary identities on the BBC show, viewers told Radio 1 Newsbeat how they felt to see their gender identity represented in mainstream media.

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instagram research

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info on the vamps

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Thanks to their continually evolving sound and hands-on musicality, Britain's the Vamps distinguished themselves from the swell of boy bands that arrived in the wake of One Direction's success. After emerging in 2012 with popular cover song videos, the group soon began issuing their own hit albums and singles. Buoyed by hit singles including "Can We Dance" and "Last Night," 2014's platinum-selling Meet the Vamps reached number two in the U.K. The bright, acoustic-leaning pop of this album and 2015's Wake Up gave way to the EDM-infused sound of 2017's Night & Day. On 2020's Cherry Blossom, the Vamps balanced both of these styles with a maturity reflecting their lives as twentysomethings.

In 2012, guitarist James McVey decided to take the rather unusual route of searching for talent on YouTube when he wanted to start a band. First he approached singer/songwriter Bradley Simpson via his own YouTube channel, and after writing a few songs together, the pair recruited drummer Tristan Evans and bassist Connor Ball to complete the lineup. Uploading cover versions to their YouTube channel, the four-piece quickly gained a following, and at the end of 2012 they signed a deal with Mercury Records. Earning a support slot with pop outfit McFly -- a band with whom the Vamps share a similar sound -- on McFly's 2013 Memory Lane tour, the Vamps' fan base quickly swelled and the release of their first self-penned material followed.

Their debut single, "Can We Dance," was first aired via the group's spiritual home, YouTube, and notched over a million views within its first two weeks. Officially released in October 2013, "Can We Dance" debuted at number two on the official U.K. singles chart. In April 2014, the Vamps released their debut album, Meet the Vamps, amid a whirlwind of press engagements. The single "Last Night" -- released just a week prior -- scored the outfit their third consecutive U.K. Top Ten single, entering the charts at number two.

The following year, they delivered their sophomore album, Wake Up, featuring production from Steve Mac, Rami Yacoub, Carl Falk, and others. The album peaked at number ten in the U.K. and produced three singles: "Wake Up," "Rest Your Love," and "I Found a Girl." Following the album's release, in January 2016 the Vamps embarked on their Wake Up World Tour. Also that year, they contributed a cover of Carl Douglas' classic "Kung Fu Fighting" to the soundtrack of the animated film Kung Fu Panda 3.

In October 2016, the Vamps paired with Norwegian DJ Matoma for the single "All Night," which heralded the band's third full-length album. Split into two separate releases, Night & Day appeared first in July 2017 as the Night Edition. The album debuted at number one in the U.K., and featured the single "Middle of the Night," which saw them team up with Danish EDM producer Martin Jensen. Arriving one year later, the Day Edition featured collaborations with Machine Gun Kelly and Kriss Kross Amsterdam. While touring in support of the record, the group issued April 2019's Missing You EP.

To make their next album, the Vamps took a more relaxed and spontaneous approach, working with a small team of collaborators that included Jack & Coke, Lostboy, and JHart, with Simpson overseeing most of the production. The band continued to work on songs even as the COVID-19 global pandemic hit, during which time they wrote the July 2020 single "Married in Vegas." The track provided the first taste of Cherry Blossom, an eclectic set that arrived in October.

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The Vamps Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic

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Thanks to their continually evolving sound and hands-on musicality, Britain's the Vamps distinguished themselves from the swell of boy bands that arrived in the wake of One Direction's success. After emerging in 2012 with popular cover song videos, the group soon began issuing their own hit albums and singles.

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info on Maneskin

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Måneskin Members, Touring Information, Facts, Music Info

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Måneskin Members, Tour, Information, Facts. See all the band members’ names, touring information, music info, & some interesting facts.

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Måneskin Members, Tour, Information, Facts

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info on billie Eilish

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Could Billie Eilish Sweep the Top 2025 Grammy Awards?

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The 23-year-old’s seven nods include Album, Song, and Record of the Year.

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info on harry

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Quick Facts

"I wake up so many mornings feeling so lucky and so grateful to be where we are."

February 1, 1994 (age 27)

Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom

English-born singer Harry Styles rose to fame as one of the five members of the boy band One Direction. He launched his solo career in 2016 and made his acting debut in the 2017 film 'Dunkirk.'

Who Is Harry Styles?

In 2010 Harry Styles auditioned for the UK television show The X Factor, where the judges combined him with four other young male singers to form One Direction. The boy band became a pop music sensation, delivering hits like "Best Song Ever" and "Story of My Life" through five immensely successful studio albums. Styles then made a solo splash in 2017 with his debut single, "Sign of the Times," and a self-titled album. In 2020, he received praise for his second solo album, Fine Line.

Early Life

Harry Edward Styles was born on February 1, 1994, in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. His parents, Des and Anne, divorced when he was 7 years old. He and his sister Gemma were brought up by their mother in the town of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire. His mother was later remarried, to Robin Twist.

Styles attended Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, where he and three of his friends formed a band called White Eskimo. Styles was White Eskimo's lead singer, and the band was popular enough to win a band competition at their school. After school and on weekends, Styles worked at the W. Mandeville bakery in Holmes Chapel.

'The X Factor'

In 2010, when he was 16 years old, Harry competed in the seventh season of the television show The X Factor, singing Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" as his audition song and Oasis' "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" in a later round. He was cut before the finals, but in a surprise move, judges Nicole Scherzinger and Simon Cowell put him together with fellow competitors Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik to form a new group act for the remainder of the competition.

Performing as One Direction (a name reportedly suggested by Styles), the five boys became one of the most popular contenders in the X Factor finals that season. Although they finished the competition in third place, they were immediately signed to Cowell's Syco music label.

One Direction

Styles, the youngest member of One Direction, became a fan favorite for his curly hair, wide smile and sweet-yet-naughty demeanor. He sang some of the lead vocals on the band's first single, "What Makes You Beautiful," which was released in September 2011 in the United Kingdom. One Direction's debut album, Up All Night, was a best seller in both the United Kingdom and the United States the following year. In another highlight of 2012, Styles and the rest of One Direction performed at the Olympics closing ceremony in London.

Styles went on to enjoy immense success with his bandmates, One Direction following Up All Night with Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013) and Four (2014), all debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The group's final album, Made in the A.M., just missed the cut by arriving at No. 2 in 2015, before the band split for a lengthy hiatus.

Solo Albums: 'Harry Styles,' 'Fine Line'

Styles made a successful solo entry in 2017 with the epic single "Sign of the Times," his accompanying self-titled album debuting in the familiar No. 1 spot. Fans then waited another two years for his next single, which came in October 2019 with the soulful "Lights Up." His sophomore solo album, Fine Line, contained his first No. 1 single, "Watermelon Sugar." That year he was also nominated for three Grammy awards.

'Dunkirk'

After appearing in concert documentaries with One Direction, Styles made his feature film debut in Christopher Nolan's 2017 war thriller Dunkirk, as an Allied soldier named Alex.

Personal Life

Known as "the flirt" of One Direction, Styles' romantic relationships were followed obsessively by the press and fans as he rose to fame. In 2011 he began dating television presenter Caroline Flack, whom he met when he was competing on The X Factor and she was hosting its companion show, The Xtra Factor. The difference in their ages-Styles was 17 at the time, and Flack was 32-became the subject of discussion.

Styles was then romantically linked to photographer Sarah-Louise Colivet, models Emma Ostilly and Cara Delevingne, and singers Lily Halpern and Rita Ora. His most-publicized relationship of 2012 was a two-month liaison with pop star Taylor Swift, the experience allegedly fueling a couple of Swift's songs. Styles later dated French model Camille Rowe.

The singer opened up about Swift and his romantic life during a March 2020 interview with Howard Stern, calling it "flattering" to be the subject of someone else's songs, and also described his recent encounter with muggers on Valentine's Day.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

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"I wake up so many mornings feeling so lucky and so grateful to be where we are." February 1, 1994 (age 27) Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom English-born singer Harry Styles rose to fame as one of the five members of the boy band One Direction.

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harryween, dresses and fluidity

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Despite being exceedingly hot, charming, and charismatic, I've never had as many gay men in my DMs as when I posted about Harry Styles's cover for the December 2020 issue of American Vogue. For his maiden cover story, Styles wore a variety of traditionally female garments, including skirts and dresses with tux jackets, and a Harris Reed Victoriana crinoline. I briefly mentioned Harry's perfect breaking-wave of a quiff and dozens of men (nearly all queer to some degree) flooded my DMs. (If anyone asks, I don't officially read them.) As straight people on Twitter bemoaned the death of masculinity, as they called for society to "bring back manly men", the main critique from my adamantly woke messengers was that Harry was undeserving of the cover, that Harry in a dress was boring and yawnsome, and that platforming Harry Styles took something away from anyone who wasn't already white, cis, and straight.

Harry in a dress is back. For background, for the entirety of his Love on Tour tour, Styles has been kitted out in custom Gucci looks by Alessandro Michele, a mix of billowy-masculine shirts and wide-leg slacks, all overseen by styling-mensch Harry Lambert who frankly has the Midas touch when it comes to event dressing. For Halloween night at Madison Square Garden, Styles curtsied somewhere over the rainbow with a bejewelled homage to Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, replete with frilly knickers and two-tone ruby booties. (If you haven't already seen the pictures I'm assuming your router is off?)

Despite the costume connotations, people once again lost their heads over Harry Styles in a dress, and the themes of white cis straightness zipped back into the public conscious. This comes mere weeks after Billy Porter, Oscars Red Carpet Dress Champion™, questioned Harry's journey to dress-wearing, claiming he himself "changed the whole game" of gender non-conforming fashion. (All Styles had to do, according to Porter, was "be white and straight".) I don't want to detract from Porter and what he's achieved. If anything, the micro-spat reminds me how easy it is for the Internet to hear a person of colour say something meaningful (perhaps with sentimentality overshadowing bare facts) and immediately backlash them into silence.

As for Harry, is anyone genuinely affronted? Desire is amorphous and Styles isn't keen on labels, but until he is unequivocally linked to Pete Davidson, the reigning king of dating, let's assume his relative heterosexuality. Should a straight man at the top of his pop game be responsible for our collective notions of gender and sexuality? Am I the only person who thinks the pressure on Harry Styles to give us a running commentary on masculinity today is a bit... ridiculous? I don't think conforming to your own gender should be a prerequisite of 31 October, so, to me, the dress is harmless; it is pure costume, a Halloween flex. The tour as a whole is reverently referential. Even from a distance you can see Prince, Elvis, Mercury, Bowie. This weekend we saw Judy Garland.

I guess I'm wondering if we're ever going to move beyond a boy in a dress being news? Being something unusual and arch? Being somehow odd and sensational? The Love on Tour mood is very joy-heavy, very communal, very "feel free to be whoever it is you've always wanted to be", so the divisive retaliation from people online who appear to be fairly clued-up on gender feels even more off, even more disappointing. Can the uber-woke see that Harry's surface non-conformity is genuinely opening eyes for mainstream, conservative America? I thought this was the future liberals wanted? Maybe we can find a way to all be friends of Dorothy, even if only for one night?

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"Harryween" & The Problem With Boys In Dresses

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Despite being exceedingly hot, charming, and charismatic, I've never had as many gay men in my DMs as when I posted about Harry Styles's cover for the December 2020 issue of American Vogue . For his maiden cover story, Styles wore a variety of traditionally female garments, including skirts and dresses with tux jackets, and a Harris Reed Victoriana crinoline.

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harry interview on feminine style

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Harry Styles is on the cover of the December issue of US Vogue and he is wearing a dress.

Harry Styles is Vogue's new cover star and he has opened up about why he loves wearing women's clothes in the interview.

It's no secret that Harry Styles is a modern fashion icon. Ever since One Direction first rose to fame in 2010, people couldn't get enough of his creative looks and unique style. Whether Harry's rocking pearls or a rainbow cardigan, fans are obsessed with everything the wears. Not to mention, he also hosted the Met Gala, the most fashionable event of the year, in 2019.
READ MORE: Harry Styles fed a fan's fish and wrote her a note after his car broke down in front of her house
People also love that Harry is that he's never afraid to rock traditionally 'feminine' looks, and now he's on the cover of Vogue in a dress. This moment makes Harry the first solo man to ever land a Vogue cover in the magazine's 127-year history.

Harry Styles says he loves women's clothing as he covers Vogue in a dress. Picture: Theo Wargo/WireImage

On Vogue's December 2020 cover, Harry wears a Gucci jacket and dress combo. The 26-year-old also wears multiple other women's clothes throughout the spread. Discussing his fashion, Harry says: "When you take away 'There's clothes for men and there's clothes for women,' once you remove any barriers, obviously you open up the arena in which you can play."

He adds: "I'll go in shops sometimes, and I just find myself looking at the women's clothes thinking they're amazing. It's like anything-anytime you're putting barriers up in your own life, you're just limiting yourself. There's so much joy to be had in playing with clothes. I've never really thought too much about what it means-it just becomes this extended part of creating something."

Harry also talks in depth about how his stylist Harry Lambert really gets him. Speaking about Lambert, Harry says, "He just has fun with clothing, and that's kind of where I've got it from. He doesn't take it too seriously, which means I don't take it too seriously." Harry mentions that when they first met, Lamberts asked him to try on "a pair of flares, and I was like, 'Flares? That's fucking crazy" but he's since become much freer with his style.

He continues: "You can never be overdressed. There's no such thing. The people that I looked up to in music-Prince and David Bowie and Elvis and Freddie Mercury and Elton John-they're such showmen. As a kid it was completely mind-blowing. Now I'll put on something that feels really flamboyant, and I don't feel crazy wearing it."

Harry also says: "I think if you get something that you feel amazing in, it's like a superhero outfit. Clothes are there to have fun with and experiment with and play with. What's really exciting is that all of these lines are just kind of crumbling away."

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Harry Styles says he loves women's clothing as he covers Vogue in a dress

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Harry Styles is on the cover of the December issue of US Vogue and he is wearing a dress. Harry Styles is Vogue's new cover star and he has opened up about why he loves wearing women's clothes in the interview. It's no secret that Harry Styles is a modern fashion icon.

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instagram research

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style journey, freedom, views

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It's undoubtedly that voice that made Billie Eilish a star, whether ringing out with twinkling clarity on her breakout song "Ocean Eyes" or slipping into a husky growl on "Bad Guys" against a thumping bassline. And yet her distinctive sense of style-the shock of dyed acid green hair, now blonde; her playful streetwear-has always been equally arresting.

In many ways, Eilish, 19, has come to represent the ultimate expression of Gen Z's eclectic, mix and match approach to style, first taking California skate culture, mall goth fashion, and oversized streetwear-inspired silhouettes and putting them in a blender-then turning the dial up to turbo with her grungy take on '50s pinup. But it's easy to forget that when Eilish first arrived on the scene, her look was altogether more laid-back, largely reflecting her upbringing in the suburbs of Los Angeles.

Back when her career first began in 2015 bubbling over as a teenage SoundCloud sensation, Eilish had a style formula that was relatively simple. An oversized tee here, combat trousers there; a hoodie covered in the logo of an underground streetwear label, her neck dripping with chunky gold and silver jewelry. Her hair was bleached an icy blonde, the first traces of her signature bold dye jobs beginning to peek through with touches of powder blue and mint green. It felt less like a concerted attempt to build an image and more an expression of Eilish's playful creative approach; a reflection of her willingness to experiment by combining unexpected, disparate elements through sound and visuals.

It was in the run up to her debut album in 2019, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, however, that Eilish truly hit her fashion stride. As she rapidly rose up the charts, the world's biggest brands began paying attention to her aesthetic-so much so that storied houses from Chanel to Louis Vuitton to Gucci not only began sending her looks, but actively reshaping their designs to fit her taste for billowing sleeves, bold logos, baggy trousers, and the occasional touch of glitz.

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Billie Eilish's Style Journey Is a Lesson in Fierce Individuality

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It's undoubtedly that voice that made Billie Eilish a star, whether ringing out with twinkling clarity on her breakout song "Ocean Eyes" or slipping into a husky growl on "Bad Guys" against a thumping bassline. And yet her distinctive sense of style-the shock of dyed acid green hair, now blonde; her playful streetwear-has always been equally arresting.

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billie interview on masculine style

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Billie Eilish has addressed the pressures of her fame and her experiences with sexist comments online.

The 17-year-old rising star was speaking to NME for this week's Big Read, after being named among the NME 100 of the best new artists set to dominate 2019. In the interview, she spoke at length about her experiences with online trolls after rising to fame in her teens.

"Hell yeah," she told NME, when asked whether she thought she was more likely to be harassed online because of her gender. "I've spoken a lot to female artists about this, because if you're not a female artist you probably don't think about this.

"If I was a guy and I was wearing these baggy clothes, nobody would bat an eye. There's people out there saying, 'Dress like a girl for once! Wear tight clothes you'd be much prettier and your career would be so much better!' No it wouldn't. It literally would not."

Eilish went on to say that the realities of fame have led her to use social media far less than she used to. "I used to read every single comment and every picture I was tagged in and respond to every single DM, but now I barely go on Instagram because I can't handle that shit," she said.

"Fuck that shit. I just don't wanna see all the horrible things people say. I don't wanna see that I should have died instead of this artist. It takes not looking at my phone to stop myself from engaging. I had to delete Twitter in March because of it. Nobody is going to win. If somebody said something to me in person, I'd beat their ass."

"This industry is fucking horrible, but if I wasn't doing this I would probably be miserable because this is always what I've wanted," said Eilish, who turned 17 last month. "No matter how horrible fame is and how horrible this and that is: a lot of things make all of this worth it, y'know?"

The NME 100 covers everything from drill to indie via punk and metal - with a little flamenco for good measure.

Former NME Big Read star Slowthai made the cut, as did rapper Headie One, Dublin punks Fontaines DC, British singer-songwriter Jade Bird and reggaeton hero Bad Gyal. And there's a lot, lot more where that came from.
Check out the full NME 100 here

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"If I was a guy and I was wearing these clothes, nobody would bat an eye": Billie Eilish addresses sexism

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Billie Eilish has addressed the pressures of her fame and her experiences with sexist comments online. The 17-year-old rising star was speaking to NME for this week's Big Read, after being named among the NME 100 of the best new artists set to dominate 2019.

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instagram research

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sexual fluidity

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The Vamps strike a chord about sexual fluidity and how "there shouldn't be any boundaries" when it comes to attraction.

In an interview in the Attitude December issue, out now to download and to order globally, the chart-topping band open up about how their minds have been broadened, as they 'Wake Up' to the ever-shifting nuances of sexuality.

James McVey begins: "Where I grew up in Dorset is, sort of, five years or maybe even 10 years behind on elements of racism, sexism and homophobia... Growing up in that environment, you almost felt pressurised to be pigeonholed into something that was very conventional: 'I am man, I love women, I play rugby.'

The Vamps for the Attitude December issue (Photography: Markus Bidaux)

"Moving to London, touring with the band, and doing many things, I think it's really opened all of our eyes up."

The 27-year-old guitarist, who is due to wed his fiancé Kirstie next October, adds that he often finds men attractive.

"I've realised in the past few years that I'm attracted to personalities" - James McVey (Photography: Markus Bidaux)

"I've realised in the past few years that I'm attracted to personalities," he explains. "Obviously, I'm marrying Kirstie and it's brilliant, but, you know, I do think everyone at some point in life - regardless of if they'd admit it or not - [is] attracted to different genders all the time. There are elements of things, it might not always be a sexual thing."

James continues: "I do see, you know, men often and I'm like, 'He's really, really attractive,' and I'm like drawn to them in a certain way, but it doesn't necessarily mean I want to marry that person or sleep with that person, but you do have tendencies and desires to do that. I think that's a really good thing.
(Photography: Markus Bidaux)
"For years and years and years, we were [persuaded against] feeling those impulses through societal pressures, but definitely for me, personally, I think I've changed in that way over the past few years."

Lead singer Brad Simpson, 25, agrees: "Everyone, like James says, has different urges and has different impulses, but no one should be feeling like, 'Oh my god, I've got to dispel that', especially amongst men. It's about going, OK, that's just a natural part of being a human being...
"No one should be feeling like, 'Oh my god, I've got to dispel [those impulses]', especially amongst men" - Brad Simpson (Photography: Markus Bidaux)
"I think the rigidness is where the danger lies, of being like, you have to fall in a certain category."

Drummer Tristan Evans, 26, chips in: "There shouldn't be any boundaries."

Reaching the top of the UK music charts last month (October) with their new album Cherry Blossom, the group - completed by bassist Connor Ball, 24 - reflect on their roles as LGBTQ allies.
Connor Ball (Photography: Markus Bidaux)
"We've had amazing moments with fans over the years, who have spoken to us in meet-and-greets. I remember one in particular, where they came up and were like, 'Your music really helped us to gain the confidence to come out," Brad recalls.

Tristan's story, meanwhile, hits much closer to home.

"One of the most beautiful moments in my life, one hundred per cent, is when my brother came out. He came out quite late - I think he was 27 - and I was one of the last people he told", he sighs.
"One of the most beautiful moments in my life, one hundred per cent, is when my brother came out" - Tristan Evans (Photography: Markus Bidaux)
"He said, 'I was more worried about what the people close to me would think," and I thought that was crazy.

"We live in 2020 and everyone, whatever they are, wherever they come from, whatever they look like, should be accepted... He [my brother] is much more himself today because he came out, and I'm just so proud of him."

Of his own attitude to sex and sexuality, Tristan says: "Personally, yeah. I think I'm extremely open - open-minded to try anything and very experimental, sexually, and when it comes to relationships. I've always been firm with what I am."
Read the full interview in the Attitude December issue, out now to download and to order globally. Subscribe in print and get your first three issues for just £3, or digitally for just £1.54 per issue.

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The Vamps get frank about sexual fluidity and inspiring their LGBTQ fans

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The Vamps strike a chord about sexual fluidity and how "there shouldn't be any boundaries" when it comes to attraction. In an interview in the Attitude December issue, out now to download and to order globally, the chart-topping band open up about how their minds have been broadened, as they 'Wake Up' to the ever-shifting nuances of sexuality.

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instagram research

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Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

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instagram research

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blurring gender views/sexual fluidity

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ROME (AP) - Several years ago they were four teenagers busking in the piazzas of Rome. These days, the members of the rock band Maneskin are basking in adoration after triumphing in the Eurovision Song Contest and consistently riding high in Spotify charts.

With their androgynous outfits, in-your-face videos and what their lead singer calls "cathartic anger," they tell The Associated Press they're having a blast blurring stereotypes.

Taking a break from their high-octane artistic routines, Maneskin members sat still on a couch in a Rome hotel on Tuesday evening for a half-hour to reflect on how they plan to use their new-found fame.

"We feel free to wear whatever makes us feel right, and we are also trying to send a message about blurring all these kinds of stereotypes, between gender norms and stuff," said bassist Victoria De Angelis. "We think it's just fine to wear whatever makes you feel good with yourself."

Whatever it is they do - defying neat categories in the process- music listeners love it. On the day of the interview, Maneskin's "Beggin'" was No. 1 on Spotify's global chart, with more than 6.8 million streams. Their winning Eurovision number, "Zitti e Buoni″ (Italian for "shut up and behave") ranked 77th, with some 1.1 million streams.

In Italy, known more for exporting wine, cheese, Ferraris and designer fashions, not rock bands, Maneskin's "I Wanna Be Your Slave" was getting nearly 300,000 streams.

When they started out, De Angelis, now 21; lead singer Damiano David, now, 22; guitarist Thomas Raggi and drummer Ethan Torchio, both 20, it wasn't easy to be a rock band in Rome.

"Let's say that, especially from the point of view of the situation of bands, especially emerging ones, it's not very easy,″ said De Angelis, who switched seamlessly between English and Italian. She recalled how they found it hard to find places and events where they could perform. So they started playing in the street.

David said the problem is especially true for bands, "while for individual artists, especially in the indie and hip-hop music sector, in Rome many new artists are growing."

Hours earlier, Maneskin's members were mellow but clearly pleased as Mayor Virginia Raggi (no relation to the guitarist) gave out in their honor tiny replicas of the Lupa, the she-wolf foster mother who is a symbol of Rome, an appropriate award for a band blending genres.

Asked about their often angry lyrics, David said their dissatisfaction with the difficulty of native rock bands in Italy fed their determination to succeed. "We never agreed with this way of seeing it. This gave us the strength and the cathartic anger to change this kind of situation."

Beyond their own evolution, Maneskin's rockers also reflected on Italian society moving forward, slowly.

Political debate has been raging over a stalled bill in the Italian Senate to expand hate-crime protection for those who are targeted with racism and anti-Semitism to include homophobia and transphobia. Right-wing leaders want provisions about gender identity removed from the bill.

With their generous use of eyeliner, painted fingernails, costumes defying gender stereotypes, and videos that feature female-male and male-male interactions, the artists constantly put gender identities up for grabs.

Their lyrics frequently span a gamut of possible identities and roles. "I wanna be a champion/I wanna be a loser,″ sings David in "I Wanna Be Your Slave."

In the past, said De Angelis, "you just grew up being told who you are and who you should be. And you don't even get to get in contact with yourself and understand who you truly are or who you like." But now, she ventured, people are getting "a bit more open-minded."

At those words, David leaned forward and held two fingers close together to signal that open-mindedness in Italy still has a substantial distance to go toward equality for transgender and gay people.

Said De Angelis: "I think it is quite shameful that there is still no law to protect an entire category that is discriminated against on a daily basis."

Torchio, on the shy side in much of the interview, vigorously nodded his agreement.

The band is eager to embark on an international tour after so many bans on big events during the COVID-19 pandemic and hope to capitalize on their Eurovision moment in the spotlight.

"After we won Eurovision, we had this huge amount of new opportunities, of course, to relate to this international audience, and we're really happy about it because it's what we always dreamt of,″ said David. "So it's like a dream come true."

Organizers have announced Maneskin appearances in Lokeran, Belgium, on Aug. 5; Prague on Aug. 13; Gydnia, Poland, on Aug. 19; and Schijndel, in the Netherlands, on Sept. 4. The Netherlands event will take them back to their country where they clinched their Eurovision win.

Until they take the stage, the band will be practicing at least five hours a day, both together and individually,

"It is important to study your instrument and to be more expressive, more comfortable with your instrument,″ said Raggi, sounding a serious note.

Still, said De Angelis: "We really can't wait to get back on stage and finally to meet all of our new fans all around the world."

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Italian rockers Maneskin enjoy blurring gender stereotypes | AP News

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ROME (AP) - Several years ago they were four teenagers busking in the piazzas of Rome. These days, the members of the rock band Maneskin are basking in adoration after triumphing in the Eurovision Song Contest and consistently riding high in Spotify charts.