More than Friends (Inna song)

Last updated

"More than Friends"
INNAMoreThanFriendsfeat.DY.jpg
Single by Inna featuring Daddy Yankee
from the album Party Never Ends
Released23 January 2013
Recorded2012
Genre
Length4:00
Label Roton
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Inna singles chronology
"Inndia"
(2012)
"More than Friends"
(2013)
"Be My Lover"
(2013)
Daddy Yankee singles chronology
"Limbo"
(2012)
"More than Friends"
(2013)
"La Nueva y La Ex"
(2013)

"More than Friends" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna from her third studio album, Party Never Ends (2013). It was released on 23 January 2013 through Roton, featuring the vocal collaboration of Puerto Rican reggaeton performer Daddy Yankee. The track was written by Justin Franks, Thomas Troelsen and Tierce Person, while production was handled by DJ Frank E and Person. Musically, "More than Friends" is a house and Latin song that uses an accordion in its instrumentation along with an interpolated sample of Pitbull, Akon and David Rush's "Everybody Fucks" (2012).

Contents

Music critics praised the song's commercial appeal and vocals, but criticized its release process. To promote the track, two accompanying music videos–one for the solo version and one for the version of the track featuring Yankee–were shot by Edward Aninaru in Venice Beach, Los Angeles, being uploaded onto Inna's official YouTube channel on 18 January and 4 February 2013, respectively. They show Inna at the beach and residing at a pool, with one reviewer comparing the imagery to American action drama series Baywatch . The singer also performed "More than Friends" on various occasions. Commercially, it reached the top 20 in some countries including Poland, Romania and Spain, and was certified Gold in Spain for streaming four million copies.

Background and composition

"More than Friends" was written by Justin Franks, Thomas Troelsen and Tierce Person, while production was handled by DJ Frank E and Person. [1] Although the song was credited for sampling Pitbull, Akon and David Rush's "Everybody Fucks" (2012), [1] plagiarism accusations were made. [2] Musically, "More than Friends" is a house and Latin track, featuring an accordion in its instrumentation. [3] [4] An editor writing for Pure People noted that with the lyric "Tonight, we should be more than friends", Inna promises her suitor a "crazy night". [5] Kevin Apaza, writing for Direct Lyrics, described "More than Friends" as a "summery tune", [6] while The Times of India 's Reagan Gavin Rasquinha noted "a Caribbean easy feel to it". [4]

Critical and commercial reception

Apaza from Direct Lyrics called "More than Friends" a "European smash", but questioned its release process, "It's January, it's cold, so why didn't Inna wait till like July to unleash 'More Than Friends'?". [6] Julien Goncalves of Pure Charts noted the song's commercial appeal. [3] The Times of India's Gavin Rasquinha wrote, "If you like house music with catchy beats and strong vocals, give this one a whirl." [4] Commercially, "More than Friends" reached number 20 in native Romania, [7] number 52 in Italy [8] and number 92 in France. [9] The record spent 25 weeks on Spain's PROMUSICAE chart, debuting at number 30 in April 2013 and peaking at position seven in August 2013. [10] It was also certified Gold by the same organisation for 20,000 copies sold. [11] "More than Friends" further reached the top ten in Bulgaria, Slovakia and the Polish dance chart. [12] [13] [14]

Music video

The accompanying music videos were shot in Venice Beach, Los Angeles (pictured). 04082013 - Venice Beach - L.A. California (9591344501).jpg
The accompanying music videos were shot in Venice Beach, Los Angeles (pictured).

A teaser for the music video was released on 15 January 2013. [15] The full version was then uploaded onto Inna's official YouTube channel with both a previously unreleased solo version and a version with Daddy Yankee on 18 January and 4 February 2013, respectively. [16] [17] Both versions were shot by Edward Aninaru at Venice Beach in Los Angeles. [6] [18]

The visual opens with shots of the beach, followed by the appearance of five males with surfboards in their hands. Inna is then shown dancing to the song in a pink-black bathing suit and winks to the surfers along with other females. Subsequently, the singer resides at a pool with a disc jockey, where people party and fight with water guns. After Yankee's guest cameo and shots of a party at night are shown, the video ends with Inna and a man that appeared in the beginning walking into the sunset at the beach. Cut scenes show Yankee rapping in different locations, Inna dancing to the track at sunset, and her taking a shower. [17] [19] Direct Lyrics' Apaza commended the music video and wrote that Inna portrayed a "California girl" in the clip. [6] He also likened the plot of the visual to the lyrical message of Kesha's "Die Young" (2013), "'like we're gonna die young' style". [6] Purepeople compared the imagery of the visual to American action drama series Baywatch . [5]

Live performances

Inna performed a stripped-down version of "More than Friends" for Romanian radio stations Radio ZU and Kiss FM in March 2013. [20] [21] The singer also sang it on top of a building in Venice Beach as part of her "Rock the Roof" series, and on the Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles. [22] [23] Inna provided live performances of the recording at festival Alba Fest held in Alba Iulia, Romania, [24] and at the World Trade Center Mexico City, [25] On both occasions, she additionally sung a cover version of Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" (2015), with her interpreting a stripped-down version of "Endless" (2011) at the Mexican venue. [24] [25]

Track listing

Digital download [26]
No.TitleLength
1."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee)4:00
Digital remixes EP [27]
No.TitleLength
1."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee)3:57
2."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Protoxic Club Mix)6:22
3."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Adi Perez Remix)6:06
4."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Adi Perez Remix Edit)4:24
5."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Futurism Remix)6:46
6."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Futurism Remix Edit)3:50
7."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Odd Remix)5:46
8."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Odd Remix Edit)3:05
9."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Odd Dubstep Remix)4:33
10."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (Odd Dubstep Remix Edit)3:16
11."More than Friends" (featuring Daddy Yankee) (extended version)4:52

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Party Never Ends. [1]

Charts and certifications

Release history

"More than Friends" was digitally released on 23 January 2013 by Roton. [26] The same label also made the track available to German and Italian outlets on 28 January and 31 January 2013, respectively. [32] [33] An additional remixes EP was also released on 2 July 2013 in the United States, featuring ten remixes along with the original track. [27]

RegionDateFormatLabel
Romania [26] 23 January 2013Digital downloadRoton
Germany [32] 28 January 2013
Italy [33] 31 January 2013
United States [27] 2 July 2013Digital remixes EP

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diggy Down</span> 2014 single by Inna featuring Marian Hill or remix featuring the latter and Yandel

"Diggy Down" is a song recorded by Romanian recording artist Inna for her eponymous and fourth studio album (2015) and its Japanese counterpart Body and the Sun (2015). Released for digital download on 15 December 2014 through Empire Music and Roton, it samples Marian Hill's "Got It" (2014), for which the American duo received credit as a featured artist. A remix of the song further featuring American artist Yandel was eventually made available. Written by Ilsey Juber, Marcel Botezan, Radu Bolfea and Sebastian Barac, and produced solely by Vlad Lucan, "Diggy Down" is a mid-tempo dance-pop and R&B recording which lyrically portrays Inna being 'diggy down' on her boyfriend's wishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inna</span> Romanian singer (born 1986)

Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu, known professionally as Inna, is a Romanian singer. Born in Mangalia and raised in Neptun, she studied political science at Ovidius University before meeting the Romanian trio Play & Win and pursuing a music career. She adopted the stage name "Alessandra" and a pop-rock style in 2008; later that year, she changed her stage name to "Inna" and began releasing EDM, house and popcorn music. "Hot" (2008), her debut single, was a commercial success worldwide and topped the Romanian and Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart, among others. Her debut studio album of the same name followed in August 2009 and was certified Gold and Platinum. It featured several other successful singles in Europe, including "Amazing" (2009), the singer's second number-one single in Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inna discography</span> Artist discography

Romanian singer Inna has released eleven studio albums, three compilations, 62 singles and 51 promotional singles. Her YouTube channel surpassed three billion total views as of May 2019. 24 of her singles have reached the top ten in Romania, with "Hot", "Amazing", "Diggy Down", "Bebe", "Up" and "Tare" topping the country's singles chart in 2008, 2009, 2015, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. With global album sales of four million copies from her first three studio albums, Inna is the best-selling Romanian artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Un Momento</span> 2011 single by Inna featuring Juan Magán

"Un Momento" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna featuring Spanish singer and rapper Juan Magán. It was released as the third single from her second studio album, I Am the Club Rocker (2011), on 18 July 2011. The track was written and produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan, along with additional production from Magán. "Un Momento" has been described as flamenco–influenced, with acoustic guitar instrumentation. The recording is bilingual, with lyrics written in both English and Spanish language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Club Rocker</span> 2011 single by Inna or remix featuring Flo Rida

"Club Rocker" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her second studio album, I Am the Club Rocker (2011). The song was released on 30 May 2011, as the second single from the record; a remix version featuring American rapper Flo Rida was eventually made available. It was written and produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan. "Club Rocker" is a techno–influenced electropop song, with its lyrics revolving around celebrating and partying. The recording samples "Bass Atitude" (2010) by French disc jockey Seight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endless (Inna song)</span> 2011 single by Inna

"Endless" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her second studio album, I Am the Club Rocker (2011). The song was released on 25 November 2011 as the fourth single from the album. It was written and produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan. A flamenco-influenced mid-tempo club-ballad, "Endless" features an acoustic and Spanish guitar in its instrumentation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caliente (Inna song)</span> 2012 single by Inna

"Caliente" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her third studio album, Party Never Ends (2013). It was released on 4 May 2012 through Roton. The track was written by the singer, while production was handled by Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan. "Caliente" features lyrics in Spanish, marking Inna's first song in that language. It is a salsa and 90s dance music-influenced song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy Sexy Wild</span> 2012 single by Inna

"Crazy Sexy Wild" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna from her third studio album, Party Never Ends (2013). It was digitally released on 14 September 2012 by DIY, while a Romanian-language version titled "Tu și eu" was previously made available on 12 June 2012 through Roton. The track was written by Henri Lanz, Kimberly Cole, Will Rappaport and Inna, while production was handled by Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan. Musically, it is a dance track featuring 90s sounds in its instrumentation. One music critic compared it to Nicki Minaj's "Starships" (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inndia</span> 2012 single by Inna featuring Play & Win

"Inndia" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna from her third studio album, Party Never Ends (2013). It was released on 11 October 2012 through Roton and features Romanian trio Play & Win. The track was written by Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea, Marcel Botezan and Joddie Connor, while production was handled by the first three under the name of Play & Win. "Inndia" is an Arabic and oriental-influenced song encompassing guitar accords and male vocals which complement Inna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be My Lover (Inna song)</span> 2013 single by Inna or remix featuring Juan Magán

"Be My Lover" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for the deluxe edition of her third studio album, Party Never Ends (2013). It was released on 26 July 2013 through Roton. The track was written by Uli Brenner, Lane McCray, Gerd Amir Saraf and Melanie Thornton, with production handled by Afrojack and METI. Musically, "Be My Lover" encompasses dubstep, electro dance, club and house genres, sampling the 1995 song of the same name by La Bouche, for which Brenner, McCray, Saraf and Thornton received writing credits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Your Eyes (Inna song)</span> 2013 single by Inna featuring Yandel

"In Your Eyes" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her third studio album, Party Never Ends (2013). It was released on 3 November 2013 through Roton, featuring the vocal collaboration of Puerto Rican reggaeton performer Yandel. The track–recorded at the Rokstone Studios–was written by Steve Mac, Yandel and Ina Wroldsen, while production was solely handled by Mac. Musically, "In Your Eyes" is inspired by Latin music and encompasses a hip hop style because of Yandel's contribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cola Song</span> 2014 single by Inna featuring J Balvin

"Cola Song" is a song recorded by Romanian recording artist Inna for Body and the Sun (2015), the Japanese counterpart of her fourth studio album Inna (2015), and the American counterpart of her third studio album, Party Never Ends. It was made available for digital download on 15 April 2014 through Atlantic Records, which was the result of the singer signing a record deal with the label earlier that year. Initially planned to be named "Soy Latinna", the recording contains guest vocals from Colombian reggaeton performer J Balvin, who wrote and produced the song along with Andrew Frampton, Breyan Isaac, Thomas Joseph Rozdilsky and Andreas Schuller. The single is musically an electro house, electronic and Latin track which incorporates saxophone and horn in its instrumentation, and elements from Inna's previous collaboration with Schuller on "Piñata 2014" (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Wanna</span> 2015 single by Inna and Alexandra Stan

"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.

<i>Inna</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Inna

Inna is the fourth studio album recorded by Romanian singer Inna. It was released on 30 October 2015 by Warner Music, while a Japanese version of the record titled Body and the Sun was made available on 23 July 2015 by Roton and Empire Music. The singer collaborated with various producers on the album, including The Monsters and the Strangerz, Axident, Play & Win and Thomas Troelsen. Its material includes multiple genres, such as dance-pop, deep house, electro house, electropop and Latin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bop Bop</span> 2015 single by Inna featuring Eric Turner

"Bop Bop" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her eponymous and fourth studio album (2015) and its Japanese counterpart, Body and the Sun (2015). Featuring the vocals of American recording artist Eric Turner, it was made available for digital consumption on 14 July 2015 through Roton and Empire Music. The recording was written by Sebastian Barac, Carl Bjorsell, Marcel Botezan, Julimar J-Son Santos, Thomas Troelsen and Eric Turner, while production was handled by Bjorsell, Troelsen, Turner and Play & Win. A dance-pop track, "Bop Bop" was described as a departure from the singer's previous work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yalla (song)</span> 2015 single by Inna

"Yalla" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her eponymous fourth studio album (2015) and its Japanese counterpart, Body and the Sun (2015). It was released on 3 November 2015 through Empire and Roton. The recording was written by Marcel Botezan, Sebastian Barac, Nadir Tamuz Augustin and Inna, while production was handled by the first two under the name of Play & Win. A dance-pop and Eurodance track, "Yalla" is sung in both English and Arabic.

<i>Party Never Ends</i> 2013 studio album by Inna

Party Never Ends is the third studio album recorded by Romanian singer Inna, released on 4 March 2013 by Roton, and re-issued on 14 October 2014, by Atlantic Records in the US. The singer collaborated with several producers on the record, including DJ Frank E, Orange Factory, Steve Mac, Lucas Secon, DJ Smash and Play & Win. Party Never Ends has been described as approaching dance music and its subgenres, with influences varying from Latin, hip hop and house to electropop, salsa and dubstep. The Times of India gave the album a mixed review; while commending some tracks, other were deemed passable or mediocre.

<i>Alesta</i> 2016 studio album by Alexandra Stan

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rendez Vous (Inna song)</span> 2016 single by Inna

"Rendez Vous" is a song recorded by Romanian recording artist Inna for her eponymous and fourth studio album (2015) and its Japanese version Body and the Sun (2015). It was made available for digital download as a single on 12 February 2016 through Roton. The song makes use of a sample of Mr. President's "Coco Jamboo" (1996), resulting in writing credits for its composers Rainer Gaffrey, Kai Matthiesen and Delroy Rennalls. "Rendez Vous" was written by Ilsey Juber, Andreas Schuller and Thomas Troelsen, and produced by Troelsen and Schuller under the name Axident. Musically, the mid-tempo song contains acoustic elements and Eurodance influences in its refrain, with Inna singing about meeting the man she loved in the summer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nirvana (song)</span> 2017 single by Inna

"Nirvana" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her fifth studio album of the same name (2017). It was made available for digital download on 28 November 2017 by Global Records, as the record's third single. The track was written by Inna and Thomas Troelsen, while production was handled by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, David Ciente, Vlad Lucan and Troelsen. Musically, "Nirvana" is a Latin-influenced club song, featuring a rap delivered in Spanish during its drop.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Party Never Ends (Liner notes). Inna. Bucharest, Romania: Roton (Barcode: 7502232240955). 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. "Ina este acuzata de plagiat!" [Inna is accused of plagiarism] (in Romanian). Utv. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 Goncalves, Julien (5 February 2013). "Inna joue la carte du sexy et invite Daddy Yankee dans "More Than Friends"" [Inna is sexy and invites Daddy Yankee in "More than Friends"] (in French). Pure Charts . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Gavin Rasquinha, Reagan (24 January 2017). "Music Review: The Party Never Ends". The Times of India . Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Inna : More than Friends, son invitation à la débauche façon Alerte à Malibu" [Inna : More than Friends, her invitation to Baywatch] (in French). Pure People. 22 January 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Apaza, Kevin (18 January 2017). "Inna – More than Friends". Direct Lyrics . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Airplay 100 – 17 martie 2013" (in Romanian). Kiss FM. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  8. 1 2 "FIMI: Classifica settimanale WK 14 (dal 2013-04-01 al 2013-04-07)". Federation of the Italian Music Industry . Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Inna feat. Daddy Yankee – More Than Friends" (in French). Les classement single.
  10. 1 2 "Inna feat. Daddy Yankee – More Than Friends" Canciones Top 50.
  11. 1 2 "Spanish single certifications – Inna feat. Daddy Yankee – More than Friends". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España . Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Media Forest - Weekly Charts". Media Forest. 22 April 2013. Archived from the original on 4 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  13. 1 2 "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201337 into search.
  14. 1 2 "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Dance Top 50.
  15. "Inna | More Than Friends | Teaser". YouTube. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  16. "Inna – More Than Friends ( Official Video )". YouTube. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Inna feat. Daddy Yankee- More Than Friends ( Official Video )". YouTube. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  18. Necula, Alexandra (16 January 2013). "Inna lansează clipul noului single "More Than Friends"" [Inna releases the clip for her new single "More Than Friends"] (in Romanian). InfoMusic. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  19. "More than Friends [2013]" (in Spanish). Los 40 Principales . Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  20. "Inna – More than Friends (Live la Radio ZU)". YouTube. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  21. "Inna – More than Friends (Live @ Kiss FM)". YouTube. 15 March 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  22. "Inna – More Than Friends | Rock the Roof @ Venice Beach (CA)". 12 January 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2017 via YouTube.
  23. "Inna – More Than Friends | Live on the hills @ Los Angeles". YouTube. 21 January 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  24. 1 2 Mezei, Andreea (28 May 2016). "Show cu Willy William, James Arthur și Inna la Alba Fest" [Show with Willy Williams, James Arthur and Inna at Alba Fest] (in Romanian). Alba 24. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  25. 1 2 Orduña, Nancy (18 March 2016). "Detalles del concierto de Inna en México" [Details about Inna's concert in Mexico] (in Spanish). Star Media Latinoamerica. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 "More Than Friends (feat. Daddy Yankee) – Single by Inna on Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  27. 1 2 3 "More Than Friends (feat. Daddy Yankee) [Remixes] by Inna on Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  28. "Inna feat. Daddy Yankee – More Than Friends" (in French). Ultratip.
  29. "IFPI – Inna: More Than Friends (feat. Daddy Yankee)" (in Finnish). Suomen virallinen lista . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  30. "Top 5 Airplay TV". Polish Video Chart . ZPAV . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  31. "Annual Charts – Promusicae – 2013". PROMUSICAE . Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  32. 1 2 "More Than Friends (feat. Daddy Yankee) – Single von Inna auf Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  33. 1 2 "More Than Friends (feat. Daddy Yankee) – Single di Inna su Apple Music". iTunes Store. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2017.