Alesta | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 9 March 2016 | |||
Genre | Dance | |||
Length | 36:07 | |||
Language |
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Label |
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Producer |
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Alexandra Stan chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from Alesta | ||||
Alesta is the third studio album recorded by Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan. It was released both digitally and physically on 9 March 2016 through Victor Entertainment as a follow-up to Unlocked (2014). To achieve her desired sound,Stan collaborated with several producers on the record,including Andreas Schuller,Thomas Troelsen,Sebastian Barac and Marcel Botezan. The singer also took part at a music camp organized by Marius Moga,where she further worked on material featured on the album. Musically,Alesta,a dance record,draws influence from ethnic,Eastern and Western European music. Lyrically,Stan confessed during an interview with Cosmopolitan that every recording "[tells] a different story".
Upon its release,Alesta debuted and peaked at number 34 on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart. Five tracks from the album were released as singles,with "We Wanna"—a collaboration with Inna and Daddy Yankee—reaching the top 60 in several countries. "I Did It,Mama!" was accompanied by a controversial music video,and experienced commercial success in her native country. Fellow singles "Balans","Écoute" and "9 Lives" portrayed featurings with Swedish-Congolese singer Mohombi,Romanian band Havana and Bulgarian reggae performer Jahmmi,respectively. To promote Alesta,Stan embarked on a two-week venue in Japan,while appearing in many interviews and media coverages there.
Following the release of Unlocked in 2014,Stan commenced working on Alesta the subsequent year at a Romanian music camp organized by Romanian composer Marius Moga;there she collaborated with three recording studios simultaneously. [6] [9] The title of the record is an abbreviation of Stan's stage name,also meaning 'ready' in Turkish. [6] [10] [11] The accompanying artwork for the Japanese and other versions of the album show Stan posing in front of a black backdrop,with lettering displayed in white or red above her head. [6] Editions of Alesta released by Ego Records and Warner Bros. Records featured a photograph with her laying over a motorcycle sporting a blonde wig,white underwear and a distorted pair of blue jeans. [12] [13] [14]
According to Stan's Italian label,Ego Records,the material from Alesta draws influence from Eastern and Western European music,which "confirms her as the undisputed queen of dance music made in Romania". [11] Italian publication RnB Junk labelled the album as a dance record,comparing it to the singer's Unlocked,and stating that it incorporates elements of ethnic and Eastern European music "from other universes". [10] When interviewed by Cosmopolitan ,Stan confessed that her favorite track from the album was "Écoute",with every single track "telling a different story". [15] In an interview with TV Groove,the singer felt that the "summerish" record had a "very danceable and partying vibe". [16] According to Stan,most of the songs on Alesta are uptempo,and the album overall incorporates genres of electronic pop,dance and R&B music. [16] The majority of the tracks are sung in English,with some songs performed in French,Romanian and Spanish,as well. [6]
To promote Alesta,Stan performed in Tokyo,Japan,in the vitrine of a Bershka shop,where she also released her clothes line,Alesta X Bershka. [17] With this occasion,the singer hosted an autograph session and a press conference with Japanese magazines and televisions from Nagoya and Tokyo. [17] Subsequently,Stan embarked on a two-week tour throughout Japan. [18] [19] Stan further performed material from the album at the 22nd Tokyo Girls Collection,Zippie Dance Party,YouTube Space Tokyo and YouTube Live during March 2016. [20]
The first single from the record—"We Wanna"—was released on 8 June 2015 and featured the vocals of Romanian recording artist Inna and Puerto Rican reggaeton performer Daddy Yankee. [21] With it being previously featured on the German edition of Stan's second studio album Unlocked, [22] the track experienced commercial success when reaching the top 30 of the charts in Argentina, [23] Poland [24] and Turkey, [25] and the top 60 in Italy, [26] Romania [27] and Slovakia. [28] Subsequently,"I Did It,Mama!"—the second release off Alesta—became controversial in Romania because of scenes where Stan was portrayed miming the sexual intercourse with a male background dancer in its music video. [29] [30] While its lyrical message was compared to Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach" (1986) [31] and its title to Delia Matache's "Da Mama" (2013), [32] the recording charted at number nine on native Airplay 100. [33]
The record's third and fourth singles were "Balans",a collaboration with Swedish-Congolese singer Mohombi, [18] and "Écoute",featuring with Romanian band Havana;both songs benefited of a music video,with the clip for the latter single being filmed in Obârșia-Brezoi,the place where Stan spent her youth. [18] [34] "Balans" peaked on both Russia's Tophit and the Japanese Radio Chart at lower positions, [35] [36] and "Écoute" became a minor success in Europe. [37] [38] [39] The fifth release from the album,"Boom Pow",was accompanied by a music video which was shot in her native Constanța and premiered on 24 August 2016, [40] while "9 Lives",the last single,featured collaborative vocals from Bulgarian reggae performer Jahmmi. [41]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Alesta. [6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "I Did It, Mama!" |
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| 3:25 |
2. | "We Wanna" (with Inna featuring Daddy Yankee) |
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| 3:52 |
3. | "Balans" (featuring Mohombi) |
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| 3:10 |
4. | "Écoute" (featuring Havana) |
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| 3:16 |
5. | "Get What You Give" |
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| 3:02 |
6. | "Alone" |
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| 4:00 |
7. | "La Fuega" |
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| 2:53 |
8. | "Step It Up" |
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| 2:56 |
9. | "Boom Pow" |
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| 3:00 |
10. | "Coco Banana" |
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| 2:42 |
11. | "9 Lives" (featuring Jahmmi) |
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| 3:51 |
Total length: | 36:07 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Step It Up" | 2:56 | ||
2. | "Get What You Give" | 3:03 | ||
3. | "We Wanna" (with Inna featuring Daddy Yankee) | 3:52 | ||
4. | "Alone" | 3:57 | ||
5. | "Ecoute" (featuring Havana) | 3:15 | ||
6. | "Balans" (featuring Mohombi) | 3:09 | ||
7. | "Coco Banana" | 2:42 | ||
8. | "I Did It, Mama!" | 3:26 | ||
9. | "9 Lives" | 3:39 | ||
10. | "La Fuega" | 2:48 | ||
11. | "Boom Pow" | 2:49 | ||
12. | "Motive" (Dorian featuring Alexandra Stan) |
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| 3:29 |
13. | "Baby, It's OK!" (Follow Your Instinct featuring Alexandra Stan) |
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| 3:23 |
Total length: | 42:35 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Alesta. [6]
Vocal credits
Technical and composing credits
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
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Japanese Albums (Oricon) [43] | 34 |
Alesta was first released by Victor Entertainment in Japan on 9 March 2016; [5] a deluxe version of the album premiered on the same day. [42] Subsequently, on 16 March 2016, the record was made available for digital download in various other countries by Roton and Global Records, including Romania, France, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom. [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] In April 2016, Alesta was released in Russia, Chile and Peru, [13] [14] [49] while its Italian release was on 8 July 2016 through Ego Records. [11] [12]
Region | Date | Label | Format(s) | Edition(s) |
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Japan [5] [42] [1] | 9 March 2016 | Victor | Digital download/ CD/DVD | Standard |
Deluxe | ||||
Romania [44] | 16 March 2016 | Roton/ Global | Digital download | Standard |
France [45] | ||||
Germany [46] | ||||
Canada [47] | ||||
United Kingdom [48] | ||||
Russia [49] | 18 April 2016 | Roton | ||
Mexico [50] | 22 April 2016 | Warner Bros. | ||
Chile [13] | ||||
Peru [14] | ||||
Italy [12] | 8 July 2016 | Vae Victis/ Ego |
"Cherry Pop" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Alexandra Stan for her second studio album Unlocked (2014). It was made available for digital download on 28 May 2014 through Roton as the record's second single. The track was written by the singer, Lukas Hällgren and Erik Lidbom, while production was handled by the latter two. "Cherry Pop" was recorded at the Fonogram Studios in Bucharest, Romania, with additional engineering being done at Lidbom's Hitfire Production.
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Alexandra Ioana Stan is a Romanian singer. Born in Constanța, she made her worldwide breakthrough with the 2010 single "Mr. Saxobeat", which was written and produced by Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi. They had previously discovered Stan at a karaoke bar in 2009 and signed her to their label, Maan Records. "Mr. Saxobeat" had followed the singer's debut single, "Lollipop " (2009), which brought her moderate fame in Romania. "Mr. Saxobeat" quickly achieved commercial success locally and abroad, reaching number one in several countries and gathering various certifications. Saxobeats, Stan's debut studio album, was released in August 2011 and features the follow-up singles "Get Back (ASAP)" (2011) and "Lemonade" (2012), which had moderate success in Europe.
"Mr. Saxobeat" is a song by Romanian singer Alexandra Stan, released on 12 September 2010 as the second single from her debut studio album, Saxobeats (2011). The track was written and produced by Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi, and was recorded at their Maan Studio. Musically, "Mr. Saxobeat" is a Eurodance, dance-pop and popcorn song, with its instrumentation consisting of notably saxophone and horn as well as 'conventional' synth and techno sound. The lyrics echo the singer's vision of a perfect man. Reviewers were positive towards the recording, with them praising its catchiness, the saxophone sequences and Stan's voice.
Saxobeats is the debut studio album recorded by Romanian singer and songwriter Alexandra Stan, released on 29 August 2011 by Play On Records. It was mainly written and produced by Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi, who recorded it at their Maan Studio. They had previously discovered the singer at a karaoke bar and offered her a record deal with their own label, Maan Records. Same year she released a promotional single, "Show Me the Way", through the label which was later included on Saxobeats. The music on the album overall approaches genres of hi-NRG and dance music. "Lollipop " features a sample of American singer Fergie's 2006 single "Fergalicious". The record received mixed reviews from music reviewers, praising it for approaching a danceable style, but also criticizing its formulaic production.
Romanian singer Alexandra Stan has released five studio albums, a reissue album, three extended plays, one compilation album, two video albums, two remix albums, 47 singles and 11 promotional singles. Stan's career began in 2009, when music producers Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi heard her singing at a karaoke bar and signed her to their label, Maan Studio. That same year, she released the promotional song "Show Me the Way". Her debut single, "Lollipop " (2009), reached number 58 in Romania.
"1.000.000" is a song recorded by Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan for her debut studio album, Saxobeats (2011). Featuring the vocal collaboration of German-Zimbabwean rapper Carlprit, it was made available as a digital download on 22 February 2012 through Vae Victis and E2. The track was written by Andei Nemirschi, Marcel Prodan and Marcian Alin Soare, while being produced by Nemirschi and Prodan. Musically, "1.000.000" is an R&B and pop song which incorporates hip hop beats in its instrumentation; Stan repeats the word "million" over the chorus, which is reminiscent of Romanian band M&G's track "Milioane".
Unlocked is the second studio album by Romanian singer-songwriter Alexandra Stan, released on 27 August 2014, by Victor Entertainment. Several collaborators are credited for the record's production, including Andreas Schuller, Sebastian Jacome, Chrishan Prince, Erik Lidbom, and Gabriel Huiban; songs were developed during the first Romanian international songwriting camp FonoCamp in 2013. Unlocked was released following an alleged physical altercation between Stan and her former manager Marcel Prodan, which led to a court case and a short hiatus in 2013. As a result, she left Prodan's label and signed a record deal with Fonogram Records to distribute the record in various countries.
"Dance" is a song recorded by Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan for her sophomore studio album, Unlocked (2014). The track was made available for digital download on 16 July 2014, as the album's third single. "Dance" was written by Stan, Cosmin Basasteanu, Alexandru Cotoi, Lee Anna McCollum, Mika Moupondo and Erik Lidbom, while production was handled by both Cazan and Lidbom. A music video for the song was directed by Khaled Mokhtar and debuted on Stan's YouTube channel on 18 July 2014, where it has since amassed over ten million views. The clip was shot during three days in Bucharest, Romania and sees Stan and her backup dancers performing choreographed dances, which were choreographed by Romanian performer Emil Rengle.
"Thanks for Leaving" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Alexandra Stan for her second studio album, Unlocked (2014). It was made available for digital consumption on 28 April 2014 through Fonogram Records and Roton as the record's first single. Written by Alexandru Cotoi, Sebastian Jacome, Lee Anna James and Naz Tokio, the track was solely produced by Cotoi and Jacome. Musically, "Thanks for Leaving" is an electropop ballad whose lyrical themes discuss on new beginnings, choices that can be made in difficult situations to move forward, and discovering the joy of being yourself. Particularly, Stan revealed that the lyrics of the recording were personal to her as referring to her past-manager Marcel Prodan, with whom she had an alleged physical altercation in 2013, which caused her career hiatus that year.
"Give Me Your Everything" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Alexandra Stan for her second studio album, Unlocked (2014). It was made available for digital download on 20 August 2014 through Victor Entertainment. "Give Me Your Everything" was written by Stan, Serban Cazan, LeAnna James, Naz Tokio and Andrei Mihai, while production was solely handled by Cazan. A music video for the song was directed by Vlad Fenesan and uploaded onto the singer's YouTube channel, where it has amassed over three million views. The clip shows Stan chasing a masked man in a dark landscape. Upon its release, the video aroused controversy for a scene in which Stan is wearing a white robe with masonic symbols inscribed on its back. Particularly, Urban.ro named the clip "her most bizarre video ever".
"Baby, It's OK" is a song recorded by German group Follow Your Instinct featuring Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan for their debut studio album, Animal Kingdom (2016), and the latter's Alesta. It was made available for digital and physical consumption on 16 August 2013 through Epic Records, Sony Music and Cat Music in Germany and Romania. The recording was written by Harry Wayne Casey, Davon Dixon, Patrick Greska, Addis Mussa, Manuela Necker, Andrei Nemirschi, Prodan, David Ritter, Marcian Alin Soare and Rainer Wetenkamp, while production was managed by Greska, Mussa, Ritter and Wetenkamp. Musically, "Baby, It's OK" is a dance song that samples elements of KC and the Sunshine Band's "Give It Up" (1983).
"We Wanna" is a song by Romanian singers Alexandra Stan and Inna, the first single from Stan's third studio album, Alesta (2016). Featuring the vocal collaboration of Puerto Rican performer Daddy Yankee, it was made available for digital consumption on 8 June 2015 through Roton, Fonogram and Global Records. The track was written by Ramon Ayala, Jacob Luttrell, Andreas Schuller and Thomas Troelsen, while being produced by Schuller and Troelsen. Musically, "We Wanna" is a dance-pop song inspired by 90s electro music and Paul Johnson's "Get Get Down" (1999), whose lyrics delve on themes such as enjoyment and partying. It was solely intended for Inna, but it was then offered to Stan in order to relaunch in the music industry.
"Vanilla Chocolat" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Alexandra Stan for her second studio album, Unlocked (2014). It features guest vocals provided by Romanian rapper Connect-R. The track was made available for digital download on 24 December 2014 as the album's fifth single. "Vanilla Chocolat" was written by Stan, Connect-R, Sava Constantin, Alexandru Cotoi and Mika Moupondo, while production was handled by Cotoi. A selfie music video for the song was directed by Stan and The Architect, and debuted on Stan's YouTube channel on 18 December 2014. After its release, music critics praised "Vanilla Chocolat" for Connect-R's "catchy rap" and French bits, while others pointed out the "easy-to-sing", but at the same time "nonsense" lyrics of the track. The song was performed during Stan's "Unlocked Tour" (2014), and together with "Cherry Pop" on Romanian show Vocea României.
Cliché is the reissue of Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan's debut studio album, Saxobeats (2011). It was released for digital download on 2 October 2013 through Maan Studio; its deluxe edition was made available for digital and physical consumption on 23 October 2013 by Victor Entertainment. The record premiered following an alleged physical altercation with her former manager Marcel Prodan, which resulted in Stan taking a break from her career. Along with Andrei Nemirschi and Marcian Alin Soare, Prodan has written and produced nearly all the songs on Cliché .
"Balans" is a song recorded by Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan for her third studio album, Alesta (2016). Released on 2 March 2016 through Global Records, the track features the vocal collaboration of Swedish-Congolese singer-songwriter Mohombi. "Balans" was produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac and Marcel Botezan, while the writing process was handled by the latter two in collaboration with Mohombi and Breyan Isaac.
"9 Lives" is a song recorded by Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan for her third studio album, Alesta (2016). It was made available for digital download on 13 January 2017 through Roton and Global Records as the record's sixth single, featuring collaborative vocals delivered by Bulgarian reggae performer Jahmmi. "9 Lives" was written by Sebastian Arman, Borislav Milanov, Joacim Persson, Jahmmi Youth and Alex Zaidec, while the production process was handled by Arman and Persson. A pop, reggae, dancehall and dance recording, its optimistic lyrics discuss motivational themes.
"Boom Pow" is a song recorded by Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan for her third studio album, Alesta (2016). It was made available for digital consumption on 25 August 2016 through Roton and Global Records. "Boom Pow" was written by David Ciente and Trey Campbell, while the production process was solely handled by Ciente. A europop and dance recording, Stan confessed that its lyrical content fits with the vibe of Constanța, her home town, where an accompanying music video was also shot in April 2016 by Ironic Distors. While music critics were positive towards the single and its visual, "Boom Pow" commercially peaked at number 67 on Romania's Airplay 100.
"Écoute" is a song by Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan for her third studio album, Alesta (2016). Featuring the vocal collaboration of Romanian band Havana, it was sent to Italian radio stations on 1 July 2016 by Ego Music. The lyrics of the recording were written in both English and French by Nadir Tamuz, Alexandra Ţîrţîrău, Sorin Seniuc and Vanotek, with the track being produced by Luigi Enciu. "Ecoute" is a dance song, which incorporates tropical beats and oriental sounds in its instrumentation. According to Stan, the songwriting is based on the theme of limitless and unconditional love.
Mami is the fourth studio album by Romanian singer Alexandra Stan. It was released on 25 April 2018 in digital and physical formats by Alexandra Stan Records and Victor Entertainment. Stan collaborated with producers from multiple countries, including Marius Mirică, Alex Parker, Laurențiu Popescu, Simon Says, Cristian Ștefănescu and Cristian Tarcea. She recorded Mami in Los Angeles, United States, where she relocated with her boyfriend in September 2017. The singer was involved in the writing process of several songs featured on the album.
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