Vanilla Chocolat
| "Vanilla Chocolat" | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||||||||
| Single by Alexandra Stan featuring Connect-R | ||||||||||||||||
| from the album Unlocked | ||||||||||||||||
| Released |
December 5, 2014 (Japan) (see release history) | |||||||||||||||
| Format | Digital download | |||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 2014 | |||||||||||||||
| Genre | House, Eurodance | |||||||||||||||
| Length | 3:17 | |||||||||||||||
| Label |
| |||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) |
| |||||||||||||||
| Producer(s) |
| |||||||||||||||
| Alexandra Stan singles chronology | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
"Vanilla Chocolat" is a song by Romanian recording artist Alexandra Stan featuring Romanian rapper Connect-R from her second studio album Unlocked (2014). The single is a house inspired song with influences of eurodance music, having its complete lyrics in English and French. It was recorded at Fonogram Studios, and was released to Japanese digital outlets on December 5, 2014 through the labels Roton and Fonogram Records as the fifth single from her sophomore studio album. Vanilla Chocolat was co-written by themselves, together with also with Romanian songwriters Alexandru Cotoi and Sava Constantin and Swedish songwriter Mika Moupondo. Cotoi was alone credited as the producer of the song. Vanilla Chocolat was performed as a medley together with the song Cherry Pop on the Semi Final of the Romanian version of the musical show The Voice. It was criticised because Stan sung full-playback
Background
In an interview for Romanian newspaper Adevărul Alexandra Stan stated, that the single is a "dancefloor" song with influences of house music and eurodance, with its chours containing some Bollywood-like samples.
| “ | ""I've searched Connect-R, because I believe, that he can sing easily every music genre. He's flexible, when something changes unknown. Connect-R can sing in every language and he believes to himself. We meeted at the Fonogram Studios in Bucharest, where we started to record the single, together with the help of Alex Cotoi. The result is sweety and aromatic; Vanilla Chocolat. I belive the combination between me and him is perfect. I'm the Vanilla and he's the chocolate!" | ” |
The song was released then as an independent single worldwide on December 5, 2015, while the song premiered already on November 25 in Romania. The record didn't appears on the Japanese standard version of "Unlocked". It appears only on the deluxe edition and on the album's international version, that was released on November 25.
Music Video
Stan started to picture and film herself at different Romanian talk shows, such as La Măruță or Neatza cu Răzvan și Dani weeks before the video's official release, where she performed the song. She announced the premiere of the video already one week before, when she was interviewed by Adevărul.
| “ | "I wished to make a video, where my fans can see me in natural situations like being in my house, go shopping, performing at shows or dancing with my dancers-team'" | ” |
The video is showing public images, like Mihai Morar, Răzvan și Dani, Adelina Pestrițu, Mădălin Ionescu, Stan Boyz, her dancers and her producing team, Mika Moupondo, Alex Cotoi and Vicky Red. An official music video for Vanilla Chocolat is set to be released in early 2015.
Critical reception
The POP Shock gave the song a very good review:
| “ | "In my review of Alexandra Stan’s ‘Unlocked’, I called “Vanilla Chocolat” one of the album’s best moments. Now just weeks later, low and behold, it’s the new single! Everything about this track is pure pop perfection- from the playful French bits, to the Bollywood-inspired chorus, to Connect-R’s cheeky rap that has us Spotify-ing his own discography. It also sounds completely different to everything else in the charts right now, and ripe for an international release.
We were initially a little disappointed by the video being #SELFIE cam, but it holds up to multiple viewings and suits the joyous nature of the song. We hope this is a pan-European hit for Alexandra, so she can then cap off the era with obvious-future-super-smash-hit “Holding Aces”!"[1] |
” |
Live Performance
Vanilla Chocolat and Cherry Pop were both performed by Alexandra Stan on the Vocea României's semifinal (fourth season/fourteenth episode) held on December 12, 2014.[2] Stan's performance was strongly criticised by juror Tudor Chirilă, saying:
| “ | "I have something to talk about. I respect Marius Moga. He sung very good live, not like the act before him. I mean Alexandra Stan's performance" | ” |
The artist was also criticised from some of her fans on Facebook. One of them wrote:
| “ | " Tudor Chirila had to sweep you away worse than he already did ! Katy Perry is ( for example) an artist (which you are not ) that has international succes with pop music and that sings LIVE !!!!! If you know that you can not do a thing , stay home." | ” |
Few days after her performance on Vocea României, Stan gave some statements about the act to Romanian newspaper Cancan:
| “ | "I was invited to present my show , that has not a simple choreography, and also my new song - " Vanilla Chocolat ". I did not come as a competitor. However , the conditions of my appearance on "The Voice of Romania" were discussed in advance with the show's producers , so it shouldn't be a surprise for anyone!"[3] | ” |
Release History
| Territory | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
 Romania |
November 25, 2014 | digital download | |
 Japan |
December 5, 2014 [4] | ||
 Spain |
February 25, 2015[5] |
Charts
| Charts (2015) | Position |
|---|---|
| Japan (ZIP Dance Hits 20)[6] | |
 Germany (Hitfire Single Chart)[7] |
References
- ↑ http://thepopshock.com/2014/12/19/alexandra-stan-vanilla-chocolat-feat-connect-r/
- ↑ http://www.clicksud.com/2014/12/vocea-romaniei-sezonul-4-semifinala-online.html
- ↑ http://www.agentiadepresamondena.com/cum-raspunde-alexandra-stan-la-acuzatiile-ca-facut-playback-la-vocea-romaniei/
- ↑ Vanilla Chocolat (Single) on iTunes.jp
- ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/es/album/vanilla-chocolat-feat.-connect/id966036910
- ↑ ZIP FM weekly chart (in Japanese)
- ↑ Hitfire Single chart history for Vanilla Chocolat (in German)