BIOGRAPHY
Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu is the 29 year old Romanian music phenomenon known all over the world as INNA (nickname given by her grandfather.)
The young beauty from Constanta, Romania, knew music was her destiny ever since she was a child, talent running in the family with a mother and grandmother singing traditional music, it was only natural that years later, talented and hardworking, she would become an international sensation.
Torn between music and education, Inna enrolled at the university as a political science major, but she could not escape her true calling. Later working as a secretary for a real estate firm, she was heard singing in the office and convinced by a co-worker (who later became her manager) to give music a shot and took her to meet the well-known Romanian production team Play & Win in 2007.
Her instinct was to apply her voice in the direction of rock and pop, but was convinced by Play & Win to record a few dance songs.
One of the songs “Hot” was a gemstone in disguise. After posting the song on YouTube, in the course of a few weeks in 2008, it became one of the most popular songs all over the country. Labels started to seek the music sensation pitching contracts and deals. “Hot” went on to become a rare, unstoppable track that transcends language and geography starting with the Balkan countries, then slowly Europe and the Middle East, climbing charts in Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and pretty soon the entire world.
The Award list was also impressive, “Hot” was certified Platinum by PROMOSICAE for selling 40,000 units in Spain, the song did exceptionally well in the U.S.A, and became number 1 on the U.S. Billboard’s Hot Dance Airplay in the beginning of 2010.
INNA’s next singles “Love”, “Deja-Vu” and “Amazing” released in 2009 surpassed the achievements of her first single, all becoming hits in a very short span of time.
“Deja-Vu” enjoyed special success in the Netherlands where it reached number 9 in “Single Top 100” chart and reached top-ten in France, and top 40 United Kingdom.
By 2009, INNA’s first album “Hot” got major coverage in Europe and collected awards in the MTV Romania Music Awards as well as MTV Europe Awards, at the same time topping Billboard charts in the U.S.
Living the American dream was possible once she was signed in 2009 by the American Ultra Records, one of the most important producing houses in the States.
By 2012 she became the first and only European artist to reach 1 billion YouTube views in addition to her 12 million Facebook fans and over 600,000 Twitter followers.
INNA’s follow-up album, “I Am The Club Rocker” also produced by Play & Win, was released throughout Europe in 2012 and featured a handful of continent-wide radio hits, including first single “Sun Is Up” whose steamy video-featuring stylized choreography and sensational outfits that would become Inna’s signature, gathered close to 70 millions views on YouTube, reaching top places in France, Switzerland, Romania, Russia, United Kingdom and Bulgaria.
The video for this single was shot in Marbella by Alex Herron, who worked previously with international stars like Taio Cruz, Ke$ha and Basshunter.
The next singles from the album were equally special, “Club Rocker” was collaboration with Flo-Rida and “Un Momento” the first Spanish-language track was her first major bid for the Latin marketplace.
INNA explored her Latin side on the 2013 “Party Never Ends” an album that included collaborations with raggaeton king Daddy Yankee, Spanish DJ and hit maker Juan Magan and raggaeton star Yandel.
Furthermore, INNA was invited to collaborate with Pitbull on his album “Global Warming” (track “All The Things”), underscoring her status as one of Europe’s biggest stars.
In 2014, ready for a true global explosion, signed to the Atlantic Records, INNA released the next big hit from her fourth album, on which she worked wih Axident (Far East Movement), TJR (Pitbull, “Funky Vodka”), Thomas Troelsen (Pitbull, Alexandra Burke, Junior Senior) and Andrew Frampton (The Script, The Wanted).
“The Cola Song” an irresistible, bubbly mix of dance, electronica and Latin, laced with sax riffs and featuring rising Latin star J Balvin, certified with Platinum in Spain. The song embodied everything INNA is about: a global star that knows no genre, language or geographic boundaries.
The album “INNA” was released worldwide on July 23, 2015. 7 of the songs featured were released as singles and went on to enjoy a fantastic trajectory on their own. “Diggy Down” featuring American duo Marian Hill became an overwhelming hit in Romania, reaching the number one position on the Romania Airplay 100 where it stationed more than six weeks. In Bulgaria it enjoyed the same success, reaching the number three spot on the Bulgarian Singles Chart.
“Yalla” was released as the third official single from the album, with INNA singing in Arabic. The track benefited an exotic video shot in Marrakesh, Morocco and soon after the release it entered top five on the Romanian iTunes chart also reaching peak position thirteen on the Romanian Airplay 100.
In the summer of 2016 INNA surprised by debuting new girl’s band, G Girls, with fellow international artists such as Alexandra Stan, Antonia and Lori, while at the same time releasing her “Heaven” single.
G Girls is an exciting new project that united the hottest European artists in a one of a kind band, taking the charts by storm with their “Call The Police”.
2017 is a promising year for the artist who released the new single “Gimme Gimme”, a song that was received with great enthusiasm by her fans, and is already a regular on radio, even though it was released a few days ago.
