Alexandra Ioana Stan (born 10 June 1989) is a Romanian singer and songwriter. Born in the city of Constan?a, Romania, she made her worldwide breakthrough with the 2011 single "Mr. Saxobeat", written and produced by Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi. They discovered Stan at a karaoke bar in 2009 and offered her a contract with their label, Maan Records. The track followed the singer's debut recording, "Lollipop (Param Pam Pam)" (2009), which brought Stan fame in her native country. "Mr. Saxobeat" quickly achieved commercial success in Romania and then abroad, reaching number one in several countries. Saxobeats, her debut studio album, was released in August 2011, featuring the follow-up single "Get Back (ASAP)" (2011). Both the latter release and "Lemonade" (2012) were moderate hits in Europe.
An alleged physical altercation with Prodan in 2013 delayed the release of Stan's second record; Unlocked was finally released in August 2014. Two of its singles, "Dance" (2014) and "Cherry Pop" (2014), were successful in Japan. The singer's third studio album, Alesta, was released in March 2016. It led to a collaboration with Inna and Daddy Yankee on "We Wanna" (2015), which reached the top 60 in several territories. Mami, her fourth record, followed in 2018. Stan has received a number of awards and nominations, including the European Border Breakers Awards, Japan Gold Disc Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards and Romanian Music Awards. She is also referred to as one of the most successful Romanian artists alongside Inna.
Video Alexandra Stan
Life and career
1989-2009: Early life and career beginnings
Alexandra Ioana Stan was born on 10 June 1989 in the city of Constan?a, Romania to Daniela and George Stan, who are now divorced. She has one sister, Andreea Stan. Her mother worked as a saleswoman, while her father was hired as a groundskeeper. From a very young age, the singer showed a special interest in music and went on to study at the Traian Secondary School and the Faculty of Management Andrei ?aguna. Stan was invited to sing for the first time on a televised show when she was 15 years old. She participated in various music-related contests, including the Mamaia Music Festival in 2009. Romanian producers and songwriters Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi discovered Stan that same year at a karaoke bar in Constan?a. They offered her a record deal with their label, Maan Records, and she recorded a promotional single titled "Show Me the Way". Stan rose to fame in Romania with the release of her debut single, "Lollipop (Param Pam Pam)" (2009), which was given heavy radio airplay. The song's provocative, low-budget music video was criticized by some viewers for emphasizing her physical and not her vocal qualities.
2010-2013: Saxobeats and hiatus
In 2011, Stan made her international breakthrough with the single "Mr. Saxobeat". The song first achieved success in Romania, where it claimed the number one spot for eight consecutive weeks on the Romanian Top 100. It then became acclaimed worldwide, topping the record charts in several other countries, and reaching global sales of almost one million copies in less than year. At the 2011 Romanian Music Awards, Stan and "Mr. Saxobeat" won various awards and nominations. The singer was also honored with a win for Best Romanian Act and a nomination 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". It achieved modest success, reaching the top ten 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 in 2012 with "Lemonade", which was certified Gold in Italy. Following an alleged violent incident between her and Prodan, her then-impresario, in June 2013, the release of Stan's second studio album was postponed. The case attracted widespread media coverage in Romania. In August 2013, Stan was featured on German group Follow Your Instinct's "Baby, It's OK", which fared moderately in German-speaking Europe. Later that year, the singer launched an anti-domestic violence campaign called "Nu bate! Mai bine cânt?!".
2014: Unlocked and comeback
In April 2014, Stan released her comeback single, "Thanks for Leaving", which she said was personal to her. 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 premiere. Unlocked, Stan's second studio album, was released in August 2014, charting within the top 30 in Japan. The singer also signed a new record deal with Fonogram Records. The music video for "Give Me Your Everything", the fourth single from Unlocked, caused controversy for a scene that features Stan wearing a robe inscribed with masonic symbols. The Unlocked Tour followed the album's release, with Romanian dance group StanBoyz accompanying Stan. Later in 2014, the singer performed Cher's "Strong Enough" (1999) translated into Catalan for La Marato, an annual Spanish charity event, and also appeared as a special guest at the Spanish Carnival of Las Palmas.
2015-present: Alesta and Mami
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 Italy. In addition to her music career, Stan was involved with ecological and humanitarian causes at Expo 2016 in Antalya, Turkey, where she planted a tree that she named after herself. She also won a trophy at the Celebrity Awards along with other accomplished Romanian women, and earned a nomination for Best Pop Artist at the Elle Style Awards România, as she would also do in 2016. In November 2015, she released the single "I Did It, Mama!", which reached the top ten in Romania. The singer's third studio album, Alesta, was released in March 2016, and was supported by a tour in Japan. It debuted at number 34 on the Japanese Albums Chart. Later that year, Stan made her fashion debut with Alesta X Bershka, a clothing line available in Japan.
The singer also became a member of the supergroup G Girls with Antonia, Inna and Lori and premiered the single "Call the Police" to success in Poland. To promote the launching of Virgin Radio Romania in early 2017, Stan recorded a cover version of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" (1984), saying that she was a fan of the song. 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 she appeared on the red carpet with its cast and crew. In April 2018, Stan released her fourth studio album titled Mami, peaking at number 119 in Japan. She also contributed guest vocals on Manuel Riva's "Miami", which reached the top ten on the US Dance Club Songs chart; this marked the first time Stan appeared on an American Billboard ranking since 2011's "Mr. Saxobeat". It also reached the top ten in native Romania. The singer opened the 2018 Neversea Festival, which had selected "Miami" as its anthem. At the 2018 Beirut International Awards Festival in Lebanon, Stan was awarded a special prize for her career.
Maps Alexandra Stan
Artistry and musical style
When interviewed at the European Border Breakers Awards in 2012, Stan said that the diverse nationalities in her hometown Constan?a 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, featured hi-NRG, dance, electronic, house and eurodance music, with a saxophone being featured in selected songs songs. During an interview, the singer expressed her interest in the saxophone, an instrument often used in her region. Its use in her songs has become part of her signature "saxobeat" sound.
Unlocked has elements of dance, techno, pop and R&B, which a music critic described as an evolution in her artistry. The album also features "Thanks for Leaving", which is the first ballad released in her career. "Cherry Pop", featured on the same record, employs a J-pop style, which Stan confessed is "a music genre I haven't approached so far, but one that fits my style. I find J-pop music very energetic, it's got such a positive vibe to it." 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 [on Mami] I can say that I feel the most female so far."
Public image and personal life
Stan has been referred to, along with Inna, as one of the most successful Romanian artists. During a review of the singer's debut studio album, Saxobeats, Mike Schiller of PopMatters called her "the sort of young upstart pop diva that it's hard to hate, yet hard to take seriously". Stan frequently receives media attention for her "sexy" public appearances and photo shoots. The accompanying music video released for "I Did It, Mama!" in 2015 included a scene in which the singer and a background dancer are simulating sexual acts. Romanian Cancan and Click! publications speculated that these scenes led to a ban of the video in Romania.
Stan has stated that she believes in God and that she has her own religious principles, describing herself as a nontraditional Christian. Since August 2011, Stan lived in her hometown of Constan?a, but also has a residence in Los Angeles as of 2017. At the age of 16, the singer formed a couple with Romanian actor and recording artist Dorian Popa, but they broke up due to alleged infidelity issues. During Stan's court case with Prodan, Prodan and others testified that she had more than a professional relationship with him, though the singer denied these claims. In 2016, Stan announced in an interview that she had been in a relationship with Bogdan St?ruial? since 2014. In 2017, the singer revealed that she had therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and self-esteem issues in her youth, attributed to bullying by her classmates. On the same occasion, she also said that she has had several lesbian experiences in the past.
Discography
- Saxobeats (2011)
- Unlocked (2014)
- Alesta (2016)
- Mami (2018)
Awards and nominations
References
External links
- Official website
- Alexandra Stan at AllMusic
- Alexandra Stan discography at Discogs
Source of article : Wikipedia
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