Alexandra Stan


Alexandra Ioana Stan is a Romanian singer-songwriter. Born and raised in the city of 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 ", 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 " and "Lemonade", which fared moderately well in Europe.
An alleged altercation with Prodan in 2013 and a lawsuit against him delayed the release of Stan's second album, Unlocked, which would eventually be issued in August 2014. Two of its singles, "Dance" and "Cherry Pop", were successful in Japan. Stan's third studio album, Alesta, was released in March 2016 and included a collaboration with Inna and Daddy Yankee on "We Wanna" ; the single went on to reach the top 60 in several countries. Mami, her fourth record, followed in 2018. Preceding the release of its last single was Stan's feature on Manuel Riva's "Miami", which peaked within the top ten in Romania and on Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Stan has received a number of awards and nominations, including the European Border Breakers Award, a Japan Gold Disc Award, an MTV Europe Music Award and two Romanian Music Awards. She is also referred to as one of the most successful Romanian artists alongside Inna.

Life and career

1989–2009: Early life and career beginnings

Alexandra Ioana Stan was born on 10 June 1989 in the city of Constanța, Romania, to Daniela and George Stan. Her mother worked as a saleswoman and her father was hired as a groundskeeper. Stan also has one sister, Andreea. Showing an interest in music from a very young age, Stan studied at the Traian Secondary School and later at the Faculty of Management Andrei Șaguna.
Stan's public singing debut was at a Romanian televised show when she was 15 years old. She eventually participated in various music contests, including the :ro:Festivalul național de muzică ușoară de la Mamaia|Mamaia Music Festival in 2009. Romanian producers and songwriters Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi discovered Stan that year at a karaoke bar in Constanța and signed her to their record label, Maan Records. The singer also recorded the promotional single "Show Me the Way". Stan rose to moderate fame in Romania with the release of her debut single "Lollipop ", which was given notable radio airplay. The song's provocative, low-budget music video was criticized by some viewers for emphasizing her physical and not her vocal qualities.

2010–2014: ''Saxobeats'' and ''Unlocked''

In 2010, Stan released her international breakthrough single "Mr. Saxobeat". The song first achieved success in Romania, where it peaked at number one on the Romanian Top 100 for eight consecutive weeks. It then became acclaimed worldwide, topping the record charts in several other countries, and selling almost one million copies in less than year. It has also received various Music recording certifications, including Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. At the 2011 Romanian Music Awards, Stan and "Mr. Saxobeat" won several awards and received nominations. Stan also won the Best Romanian Act and was nominated for Best European Act at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards.
After the success of "Mr. Saxobeat", Stan released the follow-up single "Get Back ", which achieved modest success, reaching the top 10 in Finland and Romania and the top 20 in other European countries. The singer's debut studio album Saxobeats was released in August 2011; it was moderately successful in Japan and Europe. For Stan's international achievements in 2011, she won a European Border Breaker award. Her chart success followed into 2012 with "Lemonade", which was certified Gold in Italy. The release of Stan's second studio album was postponed following an alleged violent incident between her and Prodan and a resulting lawsuit against him in June 2013. The case attracted widespread media coverage in Romania. In August 2013, Stan was featured on German group Follow Your Instinct's single "Baby, It's OK", which fared moderately well in German-speaking Europe.
In April 2014, Stan released her comeback single "Thanks for Leaving", which she said was personal. Several observers connected its lyrical message to her violent incident with Prodan. The follow-up "Cherry Pop" became the most sought-after ringtone on the Recochoku service in Japan within two hours of its release, while "Dance" experienced similar success on its release. Unlocked, Stan's second studio album, was premiered in August 2014, and charted at number 21 in Japan. Stan had also signed a new record deal with Fonogram Records. Later in 2014, the singer performed Cher's "Strong Enough" translated into Catalan for La Marato, an annual Spanish charity event, and also appeared at the Spanish Carnival of Las Palmas as a special guest.

2015–present: ''Alesta'', ''Mami'' and follow-up projects

In June 2015, Stan released "We Wanna", a collaboration with Romanian singer Inna and American reggaeton performer Daddy Yankee. The track reached the top 60 in multiple countries including Romania, Argentina and Italy. It was certified Gold in the latter region. The follow-up, "I Did It, Mama!", reached the top ten in her native country. The singer's third studio album Alesta was issued in March 2016, and was supported by a tour in Japan. It debuted at number 34 on the Oricon albums chart. Later that year, Stan made her fashion debut with a Japan-only range of clothing called Alesta X Bershka.
Also in 2016, the singer joined the supergroup G Girls along with Antonia, Inna and Lori, and premiered the single "Call the Police", which was successful in Poland. She also launched her own record label, Alexandra Stan Records. To promote the launch of Virgin Radio Romania in early 2017, Stan recorded a cover version of Madonna's song "Like a Virgin", saying she was a fan of it. She also recorded "Favorite Game" for the soundtrack of the Japanese movie Miko Girl; it served as its opening song. The film premiered during the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2017, where Stan appeared on the red carpet with its cast and crew. In April 2018, Stan released her fourth studio album, which is titled Mami, and peaked at number 119 in Japan. She also contributed guest vocals on Manuel Riva's track "Miami", which reached the top ten on the US Dance Club Songs chart; this was Stan's first appearance on an American Billboard ranking since 2011's "Mr. Saxobeat". It also reached the top ten in Romania. The singer opened the 2018 :ro:Festivalul Neversea|Neversea Festival, which had selected "Miami" as its anthem.
In June 2019, following several months spent in the United States, Stan released "I Think I Love It", her first single as a lead artist in over a year after "Mami". She also signed record deals with Universal Music Romania and MediaPro Music. The follow-up release, "Obsesii", attained success in Romania, reaching number 12 on the local Airplay 100 chart in June 2020.

Artistry and musical style

When interviewed at the European Border Breakers Awards in 2012, Stan said the diverse nationalities in her home city Constanța have influenced her music. In another interview, she named Michael Jackson, Madonna, Adele, Rihanna, David Guetta, Sia and Robbie Williams as influences. Stan's first studio album Saxobeats features hi-NRG, dance, electronic, house and eurodance music, with saxophone being used on some songs. Stan expressed her interest in the instrument, which is often used in her region. Its use in her songs had become her signature "saxobeat" sound.
Unlocked has elements of dance, techno, pop and R&B, which one music critic described as an evolution in her artistry. The album also features "Thanks for Leaving", which is the first ballad of Stan's career. "Cherry Pop", which appears on the same album, uses a J-pop style. In a 2018 interview, Stan elaborated on the content of her first four studio albums: "Each album represents a stage in my life as a woman. On Saxobeats, I showed my rebellious side, typical of teenagers going to maturity, on Unlocked I rediscovered and reopened myself in front of the audience through the lyrics of songs, on Alesta I wanted to give my fans songs that they can have fun to, and I can say that I feel the most female so far."

Public image and personal life

Stan, along with Inna, has been referred to as one of the most successful Romanian artists. Stan frequently receives media attention for her provocative public appearances and photographic shoots. The music video for "I Did It, Mama!", which was released in 2015, included a scene in which she and a background dancer simulate sexual acts, which Romanian Cancan and Click! publications speculated led to a ban of the video in Romania.
Stan has stated that she believes in God and has her own religious principles, describing herself as a non-traditional Christian. Throughout the years, Stan has lived in various cities including Constanța, Los Angeles, and Bucharest. At the age of 16, the singer was in a romantic relationship with Romanian actor and recording artist :ro:Dorian Popa|Dorian Popa, but the relationship broke down because of alleged infidelity. During Stan's court case against Prodan, he and others testified that she had more than a professional relationship with him; Stan denied these claims. From 2014 to 2019, Stan was in a relationship with Bogdan Stăruială. In 2017, Stan said she had undergone therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and self-esteem issues in her youth, which were attributed to bullying by her classmates. On the same occasion, she stated she has had several lesbian experiences in the past.

Discography

;Studio albums