Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu (born 16 October 1986), known professionally asInna (stylized inall caps), is a Romanian singer. Born inMangalia and raised inNeptun, she studiedpolitical science atOvidius University before meeting the Romanian trioPlay & Win and pursuing a music career. She adopted thestage name "Alessandra" and apop-rock style in 2008; later that year, she changed her stage name to "Inna" and began releasingEDM,house andpopcorn music. "Hot" (2008), her debut single, was a commercial success worldwide and topped the Romanian andBillboard'sHot Dance Airplay chart, among others. Her debut studio albumof the same name followed in August 2009 and wascertified Gold and Platinum. It featured several other successful singles in Europe, including "Amazing" (2009), the singer's second number-one single in Romania.
Inna's second album,I Am the Club Rocker (2011), yielded global success for the single "Sun Is Up" (2010). The track won theEurodanceweb Award, making Inna the first and only Romanian artist to win the award. In 2011, it was announced Inna was the highest-paid Romanian andEastern European artist. Her follow-up studio album,Party Never Ends (2013), was nominated for two consecutive years for Best Album at theRomanian Music Awards and reached the top ten in Mexico. It featured "More than Friends", a moderate European hit in collaboration withDaddy Yankee. In 2014, Inna signed withAtlantic Records and released the commercially successful "Cola Song" withJ Balvin, which was used to promote that year'sFIFA World Cup.
Inna'sfourth and eponymous studio album was released in October 2015 and included "Diggy Down", her third number-one single in Romania. Beginning in 2017, Inna has been a coach on the talent showVocea României Junior alongsideAndra andMarius Moga. In the same year, she also released her fifth albumNirvana, whose singles found chart success in European countries such as Romania and Turkey. She signed a record deal withRoc Nation in 2018 to release her sixth studio albumYo in May 2019. Entirely envisioned by Inna, the Spanish-language effort marks a change in direction for her, as she approachesexperimental andgypsy-influenced music styles. Her first single outside theYo era, "Bebe", reached number one in Romania in March 2020. The singer also attained success in various Eastern European territories with "Flashbacks" (2021) and "Up" (2021), with the former being thelead single from her seventh studio album,Heartbreaker, released in November 2020. Inna's eighth record,Champagne Problems, followed as a two-part release in January and March 2022.
When Inna worked in an office, her manager heard her singing and contacted the production teamPlay & Win with whom she recorded several songs.[19] Adopting the stage name Alessandra in 2008, she entered "Goodbye" and "Sorry" to represent Romania at theEurovision Song Contest 2008; neither was selected.[20] The singer performed "Goodbye" live on theprimetime TV show,Teo!, her first televised appearance.[21] Later that year, she changed her stage name to Inna since it was easy to memorize and was the name her grandfather called her when she was young.[22] Early in her career, Inna releasedpop-rock songs,[23] but switched to "commercial"minimal-infusedhouse music after changing her stage name.[22] In aNews of the World interview, Inna citedSwedish House Mafia,the Black Eyed Peas andJessie J as inspirations.[24] Others includePink, Houston and Dion.[25]
Inna's debut single, "Hot", was sent to Romanian radio stations in August 2008.[26] It topped the Romanian charts that winter,[27] prompting her to be booked at Romanian nightclubs.[28] The track was also commercially successful throughout Europe,[29] and toppedBillboard'sHot Dance Airplay chart in early 2010.[30] It was part of a broader movement in which several Romanianpopcorn songs would experience success internationally, promopting the genre to become mainstream.[2][3] "Love" (2009) was released as Inna's second single, reaching number four in Romania.[31] The singer received the first nominations of her career at the2009 Eska Music Awards in Poland for "Hot".[32] Her Romanian label,Roton, signed a contract with the American labelUltra Records in April 2009.[33]
Inna collaborated with Romanian musicianBogdan Croitoru on her follow-up single, "Déjà Vu" (2009), which they released under pseudonyms (Bob Taylor and Anni) before revealing their true identities after a period of speculation.[34][35][36] The single was as commercially successful as its predecessors.[37] Inna had her second number-one hit in Romania with "Amazing", her fourth single, in 2009.[38] The song was originally written by Play & Win for Romanian singer Anca Badiu, who later complained they had "stolen" it.[39] Inna's debut studio album,Hot, was released in August 2009[40] and also included the last single "10 Minutes" (2010).[41] The record was commercially successful and was certified Gold in Romania and Platinum in France.[42][43] As of December 2011, it had sold 500,000 copies worldwide.[44] Inna was theBest Romanian Act at the2009 and2010MTV Europe Music Awards, the first Romanian artist to win the award in two consecutive years.[45] In 2010, she was also nominated forBest European Act.[46]
Inna's sixth single, "Sun Is Up", was released in October 2010[47][48] and peaked at number two on theRomanian Top 100.[49] It did well in several other European countries, earning Gold in Switzerland and Italy[50][51] and Silver in the United Kingdom.[52] "Sun Is Up" won theEurodanceweb Award in 2010, the first time Romania had won the award.[53] That year, Inna also received a career award at the Zece Pentru România Awards.[54] She released her second studio album,I Am the Club Rocker, in September 2011,[55][56] which also included the single "Club Rocker" that received a remix with American rapperFlo Rida.[57] Featuring europop,dance-pop,techno and house music,[58][59] the record was honored as one of the year's best albums by her label Roton[60] and was certified Gold in Poland.[61] The album was promoted by the I Am the Club Rocker Tour (2011–12) of Europe and the United States.[62][63] During Mexican dates, Inna did several interviews and radio appearances.[64] She had her first major Romanian concert at the Arenele Romane (Roman Arena) inBucharest, where she arrived by helicopter "like a diva".[65]
Titled "Club Rocker" (2011), the second single fromI Am the Club Rocker was moderately successful.[66] It was the subject of a lawsuit when Spanish singer Robert Ramirez sued Play & Win for copying the refrain of his song, "A Minute of Life";[67] Play & Win won the court case in 2018.[68] Three subsequent singles, "Un Momento" (2011), "Endless" (2011) and "Wow" (2012), were released from the album.[69][70][71] "Endless" peaked at number five on the Romanian Top 100,[72] while "Wow" reached the top ten.[73] According toLibertatea, Inna became the highest-paid Romanian andEastern European artist in 2011.[74]
She released her third studio album,Party Never Ends, in March 2013,[81] featuring the commercially successful singles "More than Friends" (2013) withDaddy Yankee and "In Your Eyes" (2013) withYandel.[82][83] "More than Friends" was controversial, since its writers were accused of plagiarizingPitbull,Akon andDavid Rush's "Everybody Fucks" (2012).[84]Party Never Ends peaked at number ten in Mexico,[85] and was nominated for Best Album at the 2013 and 2014Romanian Music Awards.[86][87] In March 2013, Inna was the guest singer on "P.O.H.U.I." by the Moldovan music projectCarla's Dreams,[88] which reached number three in Romania.[89] In late 2013, Inna contributed toPitbull's "All the Things" on hisEP,Meltdown.[90][91]
"Cola Song", a collaboration withJ Balvin released underAtlantic Records in April 2014,[92] was successful in Europe, and was certified Platinum byProductores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE).[93] It promoted the2014 FIFA World Cup,[94] and was used in the dance video gameJust Dance 2017.[95] In 2014, Inna collaborated a second time with Pitbull on "Good Time",[96] and was featured on Romanian rapper Puya's "Strigă!",[97] which peaked at number two in Romania.[98] She releasedher fourth, eponymous studio album in October 2015.[99] Another version of the album,Body and the Sun, was released in Japan in July 2015.[100] One of the singles released from the record was "Diggy Down" (2014), her third number-one hit in Romania.[101] Based on airplay, it won the Best Dance award at theMedia Music Awards.[102] Inna's next single, "Bop Bop" (2015), peaked at number two in Romania,[103] and "Rendez Vous" (2016) was certified Gold in Poland.[104] Also in 2015, Inna was the Best Romanian Act and was nominated for Best European Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards.[105]Alexandra Stan's "We Wanna", with Inna and Daddy Yankee,[106] was a moderate hit.[107] Inna also contributed uncredited vocals to Carla's Dreams "Te rog",[108][109] which went on to reach number one in Romania.[110]
In August 2016, Inna was the opening act at theUntold Festival.[111] She also became a member of thesupergroupG Girls, with whom she released two singles ("Call the Police" and "Milk and Honey").[112][113][114] In early 2017, Inna was announced as a coach onVocea României Junior withAndra andMarius Moga,[115] and in the May of the same year herYouTube channel surpassed two billion total views.[116] The singer's fifth studio album,Nirvana, was released in December 2017.[117] Singles featured on the record included "Gimme Gimme" (2017), "Ruleta" (2017) and "Nirvana" (2017), which attained commercial success in several European countries including Romania and Turkey.[118][119][120] "Ruleta" and "Nirvana" peaked at numbers three and two in her native country, respectively.[121][122] Another pair of top ten singles in Romania, "Nota de plată" and "Pentru că", followed in late 2017 and 2018 with Moldovan groupthe Motans.[123][124]
Inna released her sixth studio album,Yo, in May 2019.[125] Containing songs written solely in Spanish, Inna took entire creative control over the record and worked extensively with Romanian producerDavid Ciente. She describedYo's material asexperimental andgypsy-influenced, a departure from her previous work.[126][127][128] "Ra" was released as the record's lead single in September 2018.[129] It was promoted by several public appearances in Mexico and the United States—including the 2018Telehit Awards and19th Annual Latin Grammy Awards—as well as by Inna's inclusion in magazines such asRolling Stone andVogue México y Latinoamérica. The singer also signed a record deal withJay-Z's record labelRoc Nation.[128] "Iguana", her follow-up single, went on to reach number four in Romania.[130] In August, Inna launched her digital magazine titled InnaMag.[131]
The non-album release "Bebe" with Ugandan artist Vinka peaked at number one on the native Airplay 100 in March 2020,[132] and was the first in a string of singles that sonically returned to a more EDM sound but also encompasseddeep house influences.[133][134][135][136] As of 2020, Inna has been a juror forPro TV'sThe Masked Singer Romania show.[137][138] The singer released her seventh studio album,Heartbreaker, on 27 November 2020,[139] which she created during a three-week period with Romanian songwriters and producers such asSebastian Barac,Marcel Botezan, Ciente andAlexandru Cotoi at a mansion from which she uploaded daily YouTubevlogs to document the progress made; the vlogs constituted the first season of Inna's Dance Queen's House series.[140][141] In January 2021, Inna's single "Read My Lips" (2020) featuring Colombian singerFarina reached number ten in Romania,[142] and by May,Heartbreaker's lead single "Flashbacks" had peaked at number one in Russia and within the top ten in Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria and theCommonwealth of Independent States.[143][144][145][146][147] "Cool Me Down" withGromee, and "It Don't Matter" withAlok andSofi Tukker also became hits in selected territories.[147][148][149] Inna participated as Alok's special guest at theUntold Festival in September 2021, held atCluj Arena.[150][151]
In October 2021, Inna released the non-album single "Up",[152] whose chart success in countries such as Bulgaria, Poland and Russia peaked in early 2022.[153][154][155] The track, eventually receiving a remix with Jamaican rapperSean Paul,[156] also became Inna's fifth number-one in Romania, toppingUniunea Producătorilor de Fonograme din România's (UPFR) airplay ranking.[157]Champagne Problems, the singer's eighth studio album, was issued in two parts in January and March 2022,[158][159] as the result of the second season of Dance Queen's House.[160] In June 2022, Inna's single "Tare" with the Motans reached the summit of the Romanian airplay chart.[161] Her ninth studio album,Just Dance, was released in 2023 in two parts.[162][163]
In late November 2011, Inna joined the anti-domestic violence campaignDurerea nu este iubire (Pain is Not Love) empowering women to stand up to abuse, and signed a petition asking the Romanian government to strengthen a domestic violence law.[164] An activist forchildren's rights in Romania, she endorsed the 2012UNICEF No More Invisible Children campaign.[165] Inna began the Bring the Sun Into My Life campaign to increase public awareness of violence against women.[166] She also recorded "Tu tens la força" ("You Have the Power"), aCatalan language cover version ofGala's "Freed from Desire" (1996), for the 2015Marató de TV3telethon.[167] Inna participated inCartoon Network Romania's anti-bullying CN Clubul Prieteniei (CN Friendship Club) in 2016,[168] and recorded a new opening theme for the Romanian-language version ofThe Powerpuff Girls.[169]
That year, she and other Romanian celebrities signed an open letter supporting theLGBT community in response to aRomanian Orthodox Church-backed action to amend theconstitutional definition of a family.[170] This had been criticized by Romanian and international human-rights groups as curtailing LGBT rights.[171][172] In March 2022, Inna performed at the We Are Onebenefit concert in Bucharest, whose aim was to raise funds for Ukraine upon its2022 invasion by Russia.[173]
Inna dated her manager Lucian Ștefan for ten years until 2013.[183][184] In the same year, she began a relationship with the Americanphotographer John Perez, with whom she collaborated on several occasions.[185][186] Inna began dating RomanianrapperDeliric in 2020.[187] He proposed to her in January 2023.[188] As of March 2017, Inna resided with her mother and grandmother in avilla she bought in Bucharest.[189] She also lives inBarcelona.[190] In May 2018, the singer was hospitalized after collapsing on an unstable stage during her tour in Turkey; the tour was not affected by the event.[191] Inna ismultilingual, speaking Romanian, English, Spanish, "a little bit of French" and "a few words in Italian, Arabic, and Russian"; she added that it "help[s] connect easily to different countries and people. It's amazing how music brings us together."[192]
^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)
^Varga, Zoltan (19 December 2008)."Inna nu se consideră fierbinte" [Inna doesn't see herself as hot] (in Romanian). Agenda. Archived fromthe original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved12 March 2017.
^Samoila, Corina (11 January 2009)."Inna Vrea sa-l "bata" pe Marius Moga" [Inna wants to "beat" Marius Moga] (in Romanian). Ziua de Constanța.Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved12 March 2017.
^"Inna lanseaza un nou hit: 10 Minutes" [Inna releases a new hit: 10 Minutes].Click! (in Romanian). 24 January 2010.Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved14 November 2015.
^"Single nou Inna, Sun is Up" [Inna's new single, Sun is Up] (in Romanian). Pro FM. 30 June 2010.Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved14 November 2015.
^Scris de Edi (13 December 2011)."Castiga albumele anului de la Roton" [Win Roton's albums of the year] (in Romanian). Urban.ro.Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved7 May 2016.
^I Am the Club Rocker (liner notes/ CD booklet). Inna.Roton. 19 September 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Coman, Alina (18 May 2011)."Inna a uimit publicul prezent la Arenele Romane" [Inna has impressed the audience present at the Arenele Romane] (in Romanian). InfoMusic.Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved19 March 2017.
^MusicNews (17 October 2013)."Inna lanseaza "In Your Eyes"" [Inna releases "In Your Eyes"] (in Romanian). Muziq. Archived fromthe original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved14 November 2015.
^"Nou! Inna – Body And The Sun" [New! Inna – Body And The Sun] (in Romanian). Zu TV. 24 July 2015.Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved7 November 2015.
For Slovakia:"SNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Archived fromthe original on 10 January 2007.Note: insert 201525 into search.
^Tanasă, Raluca (5 August 2016)."Inna a deschis Untold Festival 2016" [Inna has opened the Untold Festival 2016] (in Romanian). Info Music.Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved3 November 2016.
^ab"Inna – Listen All Songs".Tophit.Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved5 February 2021.Note: The 'Peak Position On Top Radio Hits' column is to be taken into consideration.
^"Inna canta en català" [Inna sings in Catalan] (in Catalan). GasFM. 24 November 2015. Archived fromthe original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved3 August 2016.
^Scris de Anca (17 September 2011)."Castigatori Romanian Music Awards 2011" [Winners at the Romanian Music Awards 2011] (in Romanian). 1 Music. Archived fromthe original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved7 February 2016.
^Văcaru, Clara (8 April 2015)."Inna se iubeşte de doi ani cu fotograful ei" [Inna has been in a relationship for two years with her photographer] (in Romanian). Cancan.Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved19 August 2018.
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