Unlocked (Alexandra Stan album)

Unlocked

Stan shown sporting a multi-colored jacket while a neon light reflects on her.

Cover artwork used in all markets except Japan
Studio album by Alexandra Stan
Released 27 August 2014
Genre
Length 57:22
Language
Label
Producer
Alexandra Stan albums chronology
Cliché (Hush Hush)
(2013)Cliché (Hush Hush)2013
Unlocked
(2014)
Alesta
(2016)Alesta2016
Alternative cover

Stan's face being covered with hair in a sepia photograph.

Cover artwork used in Japan
Singles from Unlocked[upper-alpha 1]
  1. "Thanks for Leaving"
    Released: 28 April 2014
  2. "Cherry Pop"
    Released: 28 May 2014
  3. "Dance"
    Released: 18 July 2014
  4. "Give Me Your Everything"
    Released: 20 August 2014
  5. "Vanilla Chocolat"
    Released: 24 December 2014

Unlocked is the second studio album by Romanian singer and songwriter Alexandra Stan, released on 27 August 2014 by Victor Entertainment. Stan collaborated with several producers on the record, including Andreas Schuller, Sebastian Jacome, Chrishan Prince, Erik Lidbom and Gabriel Huiban. She also took part in the first international songwriting camp FonoCamp in 2013, where she worked on material that was featured on the album. Unlocked was released following an alleged physical altercation between Stan and her former manager Marcel Prodan, which had led her to take a short hiatus in 2013. She signed a record deal with the Fonogram Records label to distribute the record in various countries.

The album's music features dance, techno, pop and R&B genres, with influences varying from J-pop and Bhangra to house music. Lyrically, Unlocked deals with themes of liberation and new beginnings. Music critics gave the album mixed reviews, with them criticizing the originality of the songs. One reviewer compared the record to works by American singer Britney Spears, Barbadian recording artist Rihanna and Australian performer Sia.

Unlocked debuted and peaked at number 21 on the Oricon Albums Chart in Japan, where it sold 3,859 copies in its first week. By September 2014, the album had sold more than 17,000 units there. Six tracks from the record were released as singles,[upper-alpha 1] of which three ("Cherry Pop", "Dance" and "We Wanna") charted on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. "Dance" reached the top ten of Turkey's singles chart, while "We Wanna" peaked in the top 30 on the music charts of Argentina and Poland, and in the top 60 in Italy, Romania, and Slovakia. To promote Unlocked, the singer embarked on two tours: the Cherry Pop Summer Tour and the Unlocked Tour in 2014, where she performed in Japan, Mexico, Russia and Turkey.

Background and development

From a professional point of view, the album Unlocked is a musical and artistic testimony to all that happened to me during the last year. I transposed all the feelings I had in the lyrics and music featured on the album. It's called Unlocked because it means that I feel now without limits, creative, free and open. I worked very hard on the record and sometimes it seemed hard to sing all the sad verses in some songs. Now, when I see the finished product, I'm very happy.

—Stan talking about Unlocked on Adevărul.[2]

In 2012 and 2013 Stan released three singles intended for her next album: "Lemonade", "Cliché (Hush Hush)" and "All My People".[3] The record's release was postponed following an alleged physical altercation with her manager Marcel Prodan, with her accusing Prodan of physically attacking and blackmailing her.[4] A re-issue of Saxobeats (2011) was finally made available for purchase in October 2013 with the addition of the three singles that had been intended for Stan's second studio album. It was Stan's last album under Prodan's label, Maan Records,[5] and was only released in Japan.[6]

In late 2013, Stan worked with another team, including record producers and songwriters Alex Cotoi and Erik Lidbom, on what would become her second studio album, Unlocked.[7] She left Prodan's label and signed a record deal with Fonogram Records.[8] The singer took part in the FonoCamp 2013, a songwriting camp held in Azuga, Romania, where she continued to work on material for Unlocked with Romanian singers and producers.[9] Stan was involved in the writing process for all of the songs featured on Unlocked, except for "Thanks for Leaving", "Set Me Free" and "Trumpet Blows".[7]

Release and artwork

Unlocked was released on 27 August 2014 to Japanese digital outlets,[10] preceded by a preview of the album lasting eight minutes and 34 seconds uploaded onto YouTube.[11] Digital and physical releases followed in various other countries later that year, and a bonus DVD and deluxe edition were made available in Japan.[12][13][14][15] The Spanish version of Unlocked incorporates both original tracks and remixes in two separate track lists,[16] and "We Wanna", a track featuring Romanian singer Inna and American performer Daddy Yankee, was added to the main track list for digital versions distributed in Germany.[1] The cover art for Unlocked was photographed by Dimitri Caceaune and shows Stan sporting a multicolored jacket in front of a neon light. In the alternative sepia artwork for the Japanese edition of the album, her eyes were made up to look larger because the singer felt that the Japanese were "very obsessed by big eyes".[2][7]

Promotion and commercial performance

Alexandra Stan singing in front of several people at a concert.
Stan performing "Set Me Free" in Osaka, Japan during her Unlocked Tour in a darkened room. The audience wears neon bracelets.

Unlocked was supported by two tours: the Cherry Pop Summer Tour and the Unlocked Tour.[17][18] The Cherry Pop Summer Tour kicked off in Russia on 5 July 2014 and continued in Mexico on 11 July 2014, followed by performances in two hotels in Turkey, two concerts in Japan, and another three performances in Turkey. The tour ended on 29 July 2014.[17] Romanian dance group StanBoyz accompanied Stan for her Unlocked Tour, which visited the same countries. World Wide Creative Associates thought they greatly complemented the singer.[18]

"Thanks For Leaving" and its accompanying music video was released on 28 April 2014, as the first single from Unlocked;[19] [20] it peaked at number 42 on Romania's Airplay 100,[21] and at number one on FDR's pop component chart.[22] "Cherry Pop", the second single from the record, followed on 28 May.[23] The official music video, showing the singer playing tennis against herself in a futuristic setting, was shot by Khaled Mokhtar in Buftea, Romania and uploaded onto YouTube.[24] The track was moderately successful in Japan,[25] where it charted at number 64 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.[26] The album's highest-charting single on that chart, "Dance", was released as the third single from Unlocked on 18 July.[27][28] Aided by a music video also shot by Mokhtar,[29] the recording peaked at number 25 in Japan[26] and at number 70 in Austria.[30]

The album's fourth single, "Give Me Your Everything", was released on 20 August.[31] The accompanying clip was directed by Mokhtar and portrays Stan chasing a man in a dark landscape.[32] It eventually caused some controversy for a scene in which the singer is seen wearing a white robe with masonic symbols inscribed on its back;[33][34] website Urban.ro called the visual "her most bizarre video ever".[34] "Vanilla Chocolat" was released on 24 December 2014 as the fifth single from Unlocked;[35] it includes vocals from Romanian rapper Connect-R.[7] The accompanying selfie video shows Stan singing and performing in various live shows, and includes shots of her with Connect-R at Roton Music.[36] "We Wanna", a bonus single available only on German digital editions of Unlocked, features Inna and Daddy Yankee.[37] The track—later included on Alesta (2016)[38]—reached the top 30 in Argentina, Poland and Turkey, and the top 60 in Italy, Romania and Slovakia.[39] The album itself debuted at number 21 on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart with sales of 3,859 copies, eventually selling 17,045 units.[40]

Composition and reception

All the lyrics in Unlocked are in English, with the exception of some French verses in "Vanilla Chocolat" and a couple of Spanish lines in "We Wanna".[7] None are in Stan's native Romanian, though Hitfire suggested that her accent is strong enough that "Thanks for Leaving", a ballad written in the aftermath of Stan's violent breakup with Prodan,[43][44] would have sounded better in Romanian.[45] The songs are a mixture of dance, techno, pop and R&B,[46][47] with influences varying from J-pop ("Cherry Pop")[42] and Bhangra ("Kiss Me Goodbye")[48] to house ("Dance").[41] The saxophone sound from "Mr. Saxobeat" (2011) returns on "Dance".[42] An Everything Express reviewer considered that Stan was either influenced by or deliberately imitating the music of Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Sia, identifying "Happy" and "Little Lies" in particularly as sounding like material from Spears' catalogue.[48] The latter track is a cover of Fleetwood Mac's 1987 single of the same name.[11] The songs on the album touch on themes such as freedom and new beginnings.[2]

Several reviews of both the album and its content found the music danceable but criticized the songs for lacking originality. Hitfire described "Vanilla Chocolat" as catchy, but found the lyrics meaningless and the track unremarkable.[49] Pure Charts described "We Wanna" as "nothing new",[50] and another Hitfire editor felt that "Dance", while the better than the previous singles from Unlocked, was unoriginal.[51] "Thanks for Leaving" drew some positive comments and was described as a "grown up breakup ballad" and "a nice pop ballad, not too dramatic".[45][48] Everything Express singled out "Cherry Pop" as having a weak chorus and poor-quality backing track; the reviewer also felt "Celebrate" was ruined by the backing vocals, and "Dance" had weak lyrics. They were more positive about "Give Me Your Everything", which "reminds us [she] can actually sing", and described "Set Me Free" as a "mid tempo power ballad, possibly the best song on the album", but recommended skipping the remixes on the deluxe edition of Unlocked.[48] RnB Junk's review was more favourable, describing the album as a major evolution in Stan's style beyond straightforward dance songs, and recommending "Thanks for Leaving", "Unlocked", "Set Me Free" and "Give Me Your Everything" as the highlights of the record.[52]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Unlocked.[7]

Unlocked – International version[53]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Little Lies"
3:41
2."Cherry Pop"
  • Lidbom
  • Hällgren (add.)
3:11
3."Dance"
  • Cotoi
  • Stan
  • Mika Moupondo
  • Lee Anna McCollum
  • Cosmin Basasteanu
  • Lidbom
  • Cotoi
  • Lidbom
3:41
4."Back to Light"
  • Nazarine Henderson
  • McCollum
  • Stan
  • Anton Kuhl
  • Cotoi
  • Kuhl
  • Cotoi
3:34
5."Give Me Your Everything"
  • Serban Cazan
  • Stan
  • McCollum
  • Henderson
  • Andrei Mihai
Cazan3:25
6."Kiss Me Goodbye"
  • Cotoi
  • Mika Moupondo
  • Stan
Cotoi3:18
7."Vanilla Chocolat" (featuring Connect-R)
  • Cotoi
  • Stan
  • Stefan Mihalache
  • Mika Moupondo
  • Sava Constantin
Cotoi3:17
8."Trumpet Blows"
  • Gabriel Huiban
  • Karen Amanda Reifer
  • Kerrie Thomas-Armstrong
  • Thomas-Ray Armstrong
Huiban2:52
9."Set Me Free" (featuring Grano)
  • Mika Moupondo
  • Cotoi
  • Radu
  • Cotoi
  • Radu
  • Moupondo
3:55
10."Celebrate"
  • Stan
  • Radu
  • McCollum
  • Henderson
  • Cotoi
Radu3:27
11."Happy"
  • Victor Bourosu
  • Stan
  • McCollum
  • Henderson
Bourosu3:30
12."Thanks For Leaving"
  • Cotoi
  • Jacome
3:36
13."Holding Aces"
3:23
14."Unlocked"
  • Cotoi
  • Bourosu
  • Stan
  • Mika Moupondo
  • Cotoi
  • Bourosu
8:14
15."Dance" (Grano Remix)
  • Cotoi
  • Stan
  • Mika Moupondo
  • McCollum
  • Basasteanu
Cotoi4:18
Total length:57:22

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Unlocked.[7]

Recording

Release history

Digital releases
Region Date Label Edition(s)
Japan[10][15] 27 August 2014 Victor Standard
24 December 2014 Deluxe
Turkey[55] 25 November 2014 Yeni Dünya Standard
Romania[56] Fonogram, Roton
France[57] Fonogram
Russia[53]
Canada[58]
United Kingdom[59] Roton
Italy[60] 5 January 2015 Ego
Spain[16] 24 February 2015 Blanco y Negro
Germany[1] 7 August 2015 Kontor
CD releases
Japan[14][61] 27 August 2014 Victor Standard
24 December 2014 Deluxe + DVD
Australia[12] 14 April 2015 Fonogram Standard
Germany[13]

Notes

  1. 1 2 While only five singles were released to promote Unlocked, "We Wanna", a release for the singer's subsequent studio album, was featured on the German version of Unlocked.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 ""Unlocked" von Alexandra Stan" (in German). Amazon.com. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Moisă, Raluca (10 December 2014). "Alexandra Stan, la Adevărul Live: "Nu am primit niciodată nimic gratis"" [Alexandra Stan for Adevărul Live: "No one ever gave me something for free"] (in Romanian). Adevărul. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  3. Citations regarding the releases of the three singles intended for Stan's second studio album:
  4. Citations regarding the alleged physical altercation between Stan and her former manager:
  5. "Cliché (Hush Hush) – Album by Alexandra Stan on iTunes" (in Japanse). iTunes Store. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  6. "Alexandra Stan albums". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Unlocked (Liner notes/ CD booklet). Alexandra Stan. Bucharest, Romania: Roton (Barcode: 8693644012601). 2014.
  8. "O bomba internationala sta sa explodeze! Alexandra Stan a plecat la Hollywood! Artista pregateste o revenire spectaculoasa" [An international bombe is to explode! Alexandra Stan went to Hollywood! The artist is planning a fancy comeback] (in Romanian). Wowbiz. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  9. "Smiley, Delia, Mohombi si Alexandra Stan au fost impreuna in tabara. Vezi cine sunt cei care au reusit sa ii scoata din tabieturi lor si sa ii puna sa munceasca impreuna" [Smiley, Delia, Mohombi and Alexandra Stan met at the songwriting camp. See who convinced them to work together] (in Romanian). Wowbiz. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 "Alexandra Stan – Unlocked – by Victor Entertainment" (in Japanese). JVC Music. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  11. 1 2 Scris de Edi (22 August 2014). "Asculta 8 minute din noul album Alexandra Stan – Unlocked!" [Hear 8 minutes out of Alexandra Stan's new album – Unlocked!] (in Romanian). Urban.ro. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  12. 1 2 14 April 2015 (14 April 2014). "Alexandra Stan – Unlocked CD Album Australia". CD Universe. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Unlocked von Alexandra Stan – CD – buecher.de". Bücher. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  14. 1 2 "CDJapan: Unlocked – Deluxe Edition". CD Japan. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 "Alexandra Stan – Unlocked (Deluxe Edition) – by Victor Entertainment" (in Japanese). JVC Music. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Unlocked de Alexandra Stan en iTunes". iTunes Store. 24 February 2015. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Alexandra Stan – Cherry Pop Summer Tour". Fonogram Records. 12 July 2014. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Alexandra Stan – International Tour (Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Russia)". World Wide Creative Associates. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  19. "Thanks For Leaving (Single) by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  20. "Alexandra Stan, revenire spectaculoasă cu cel mai nou videoclip, "Thanks for leaving"" [Alexandra Stan, fancy comeback with her newest music video, "Thanks for leaving"]. Libertatea. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  21. "Romania's Airplay 100" (in Romanian). Kiss FM. 25 May 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  22. "FDR Pop Singles Chart – Number One Singles" (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  23. "Cherry Pop (Single) by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 28 May 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  24. "Alexandra Stan şi-a lansat videoclipul melodiei "Cherry Pop", într-un club din Bucureşti" [Alexandra Stan has launched the video for "Cherry Pop" in a club in Bucharest] (in Romanian). Antena 1. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  25. "Alexandra Stan, numărul 1 în Japonia, la numai 2 ore după lansarea piesei "Cherry Pop"" [Alexandra Stan, number 1 in Japan after only two hours instead the release of "Cherry Pop".] (in Romanian). Gândul. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  26. 1 2 "Allmusic: Alexandra Stan". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  27. "Dance (Single) by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  28. "Alexandra Stan, din nou numărul 1 în Japonia cu "Dance" şi "Cherry Pop"" [Alexandra Stan is again number 1 in Japan with "Dance" and "Cherry Pop"] (in Romanian). Gândul. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  29. "Alexandra Stan a lansat videoclipul piesei "Dance"" [Alexandra Stan has released the video for "Dance"]. kfetele.com. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  30. "Discographie Alexandra Stan" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
  31. "ギヴ・ミー・ユア・エヴリシング" [Give Me Your Everything] (in Japanese). JVC Music. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  32. "Alexandra Stan lansează single-ul și videoclipul "Give Me Your Everything"" [Alexandra Stan releases the single "Give Me Your Everything"] (in Romanian). romanialibera.ro. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  33. "Alexandra Stan si-a aratat si partea "intunecata". Cum arata cel mai nou videoclip cu care artista a starnit o multime de controverse" [Alexandra Stan shows her "dark" side in the controversial music video of her new song] (in Romanian). Pro TV. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  34. 1 2 Scris de Edi (27 August 2014). "Alexandra Stan porneste ritualuri in Give Me Your Everything (videoclip oficial)" [Alexandra Stan sets rituals in Give Me Your Everything] (in Romanian). Urban.ro. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  35. "Vanilla Chocolat (Single) by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  36. "Alexandra Stan şi Connect-R au lansat un video-selfie pentru piesa "Vanilla chocolat"" [Alexandra Stan and Connect-R have launched a selfie-video for the single "Vanilla chocolat"] (in Romanian). Eva.ro. 19 December 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  37. "We Wanna (Single) by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  38. "Alesta – Album by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  39. Citations regarding the commercial performance of "We Wanna":
  40. Anon. (n.d.). "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Big Tree']. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 September 2015. Note: Login or register, then search for アンロックド by アレクサンドラ・スタン, product code VICP-65252 in the アーティスト&楽曲検索 (artist & song search).
  41. 1 2 "Videopremiere: Alexandra Stan mit ihrer nächsten Single 'Dance'" [Videopremiere: Alexandra Stan and her next Single 'Dance'] (in German). Hitfire. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  42. 1 2 3 Apaza, Kevin (31 July 2014). "DirectLyrics Interviews Alexandra Stan: On Second Album, New Single "Dance", Speaking Spanish & Romania Tourism!". DirectLyrics. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  43. "Mesajul Alexandrei Stan la sfârşit de relaţie: "Îţi mulţumesc că ai plecat"." [Alexandra Stan's message at the end of her relationship: "Thanks for leaving".] (in Romanian). Gândul. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  44. "Alexandra Stan rupe tăcerea! Vezi ce spune vedeta despre tragedia prin care a trecut acum un an" [Alexandra Stan breaks the silence! See what the star says about the tragedy she went through a year ago] (in Romanian). Click!. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  45. 1 2 ""Mr. Saxobeat" Sängerin Alexandra Stan meldet sich mit Ballade "Thanks for Leaving" zurück" ["Mr. Saxobeat"-singer experiences a comeback with ballad "Thanks for Leaving] (in German). Hitfire. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  46. "Il ritorno di Alexandra Stan, regina sexy del dancefloor" [The return of Alexandra Stan, the sexy queen of the dancefloor] (in Italian). Gazzetta. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  47. "Manfredonia, domani sera il ‘Battiti Live': programma ufficiale" [Manfredonia, the night show 'Battiti Live': the official program] (in Italian). Stato Quotidiano. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  48. 1 2 3 4 Catling, Robin (20 February 2015). "Review: Alexandra Stan — Unlocked (2014)". Everything Express. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  49. "Videopremiere: Alexandra Stan feat. Connect-R mit "Vanilla Chocolat"" [Video premiere: Alexandra Stan feat. Connect-R with "Vanilla Chocolat"] (in German). Hitfire. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  50. Ruelle, Yohann (10 June 2015). "Clip de "We Wanna" : Alexandra Stan, Inna et Daddy Yankee font grimper la température" [Alexandra Stan, Inna and Daddy Yankee rise the temperature in the clip for "We Wanna"] (in French). Pure Charts. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  51. "Videopremiere: Alexandra Stan mit ihrer nächsten Single 'Dance'" [Videopremiere: Alexandra Stan and her next Single 'Dance'] (in German). Hitfire. 19 July 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  52. Olivio, Umberto (17 January 2016). "Alexandra Stan – Unlocked" (in Italian). RnB Junk. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  53. 1 2 "Alexandra Stan: Unlocked (International Edition) on iTunes". iTunes Store. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  54. "Alexandra Stan - Unlocked - Deluxe Edition(+DVD)(Itd. - Amazon.com Music)". amazon.com. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  55. "Unlocked by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  56. "Unlocked by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  57. "Unlocked de Alexandra Stan sur iTunes". iTunes Store. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  58. "Unlocked (International Edition) by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  59. "Unlocked by Alexandra Stan on iTunes". iTunes Store. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  60. "Unlocked di Alexandra Stan su iTunes". iTunes Store. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  61. "CD Japan: Unlocked Alexandra Stan CD Album". CD Japan. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
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