Italian rock band Maneskin took to the stage at the American Music Awards tonight (Sunday 21 November) for a live performance – but not everyone was happy.
The Eurovision champions, who are enjoying huge success with singles including “MAMMAMIA” and “I Wanna Be Your Slave”, performed their viral cover version of “Beggin”.
The song was originally written by Bob Gaudio and Peggy Farina, and was first popularised by The Four Seasons in 1967. A number of artists have covered the song since, perhaps most memorably Madcon in 2007.
On social media, fans accused the AMAs of preventing Maneskin from performing one of their own songs.
“Everyone and their mother has done a cover of ‘Beggin’, why are Maneskin at the AMAs doing the same? ‘Zitti e Buoni’ was freaking amazing do that I’m beggin,” one fan wrote.
Fighting Maneskin ur gonna be free of this cover soon,” another joked.
“The US is so horrid, how are they gonna have Maneskin performing ‘Beggin’?! the disrespect...I get that they only want songs in English... but the cover over all the originals? I’m so tired,” one fan tweeted.
Many more expressed shock as they discovered the song was not an original by the band.
“I was today years old when I learned that “Beggin’” by Maneskin is a cover of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons,” one tweeted.
Earlier this month, they beat Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Kings of Leon to win Best Rock Band at the MTV EMAs.
Follow live updates from the AMAs ceremony here. You can find a full list of the winners here.
