Alexandra Stan
Biography
Alexandra Ioana Stan, born on June 10, 1989, in Constanța, Romania, is a renowned singer and songwriter. She showed an interest in music from a young age and made her public singing debut on a Romanian televised show at the age of 15. Stan later participated in various music contests, including the Mamaia Music Festival in 2009.
Career Beginnings and Breakthrough
In 2009, Romanian producers Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi discovered Stan at a karaoke bar and signed her to their record label, Maan Records. Her debut single, "Lollipop (Param Pam Pam)" (2009), gained moderate fame in Romania. However, it was her second single, "Mr. Saxobeat" (2010), that catapulted her to international stardom. The song achieved massive commercial success, topping the charts in numerous countries and selling almost one million copies in less than a year. It reached number one in nine countries and the top ten in over thirty. "Mr. Saxobeat" also earned her several awards, including the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Romanian Act in 2011.
Her debut album, Saxobeats, was released in August 2011 and featured follow-up singles "Get Back (ASAP)" and "Lemonade," which had moderate success in Europe. For her international achievements, Stan won a European Border Breakers Award in 2012.
Subsequent Albums and Career Development
Unlocked (2014)
Following an alleged altercation with her manager Marcel Prodan in 2013, Stan took a short hiatus before releasing her second studio album, Unlocked, in August 2014. The album showcased a mix of dance, techno, pop, and R&B, with singles "Dance" and "Cherry Pop" finding success in Japan. This period marked a shift in her career as she signed with Fonogram Records.
Alesta (2016) and Mami (2018)
Stan's third studio album, Alesta, was released in March 2016. It included the successful collaboration "We Wanna" with Inna and Daddy Yankee, which reached the top 60 in several countries. Her fourth album, Mami, was released in 2018. A notable single from this era was her feature on Manuel Riva's "Miami," which entered the top ten in Romania and on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
Rainbows (2022)
Her fifth studio album, Rainbows, was released in April 2022. Preceding the album, the single "Obsesii" achieved success in Romania, peaking at number 12 on the local Airplay 100 chart in 2020. During this time, Stan also participated in the reality singing competition Masked Singer România.
Musical Style and Influences
Alexandra Stan's music is primarily characterized by Eurodance, dance-pop, and house genres. The use of the saxophone became a signature part of her "saxobeat" sound, especially in her early work. She has cited a wide range of artists as influences, including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Adele, Rihanna, David Guetta, and Sia.