Last week saw the top Romanian female artist, INNA, release her first single of 2024, titled “Cheeky”. This is the first of a bunch of music that she created during her Dance Queen’s House web series, in which she gathers some of the best Romanian songwriters and producers and whisks them away to a place where they can solely focus on creating music. This acts as the follow-up to her collaboration with David Puentez, titled “This Love“.
Written by Adelina Stînga (Iraida), Alex Cotoi, Andres Alcaraz, Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu (INNA), Marcel Botezan, and Sebastian Barac, whilst it was produced by Sebastian Barac, Alex Cotoi, and Marcel Botezan, “Cheeky” is dance-pop song that showcases INNA’s fun seductive side which we’ve seen her tap into throughout her illustrious 16-year career. It’s a trilingual track with English, Spanish, and Arabic being included within the lyrics, the Arabic of which is a perfect throwback to her previous hit “Yalla” which is currently her most-viewed music video on YouTube with 479 million views.
Light and cheeky, this Romanian superstar displays her gorgeous vocals around teasing lyrics that may well get us hot under the collar. With a driving dance beat and an unstoppable groove, “Cheeky” displays a worldly club vibe where everyone is welcome not just to dance but also to flirt. INNA’s layered vocals paired with the backing vocal harmonies effortlessly merge the house rhythms with the three languages creating an addictive chorus that is truly unforgettable.
The lyrics dive into the world of attraction, flirtation, teasing, and cheekiness. INNA’s connection to the lyrics is undeniable and she clearly locked into her feelings for her partner, Deliric, when she recorded this track. The playful tone mixed in with the Spanish and Arabic lyrics adds a layer of sexiness to the track bringing more passion to the English lyrics, expanding what is brought to the table and showcasing INNA’s capabilities as a worldly artist. Her confidence shines through in the second verse which is completely in Spanish—full of desire and impulse—taking the following chorus to a sultry and steamy level, ensuring that the listener replays the phenomenally catchy track.
As for the music video, which credits Paul Tatcu as the Director of Photography and Maria Tarus as the Choreographer, we see a group of dancers knocking out flawless choreography that interprets the flirtation and cheekiness of the song. Edited by Andrei Radulescu while Loops Production handled the production of the video, an all-female dance troupe delivers a flawless, in-time dance routine that includes staggered dance moves which convey motion, awesome freestyle segments that allow each of the women to shine, and fitting booty shaking and twerking that relate to the “Cheeky to my cheek” line without overdoing it—which so could’ve easily happened. Maria Tarus has really evolved the song visually into this awesome and captivating choreographed number.
The visual showcases a total of 10 dancers, none of whom are INNA—unfortunately, maybe we’ll see her bring another choreographed segment to a music video one day soon, she is a club rocker after all. The credited dancers are Maria Hincu (Tarus), Luana Chebeleu. Ruxandra Timoasca, Svetlana Vavilova, Vivienne Szentyobbi, Ciubotaru Iulia Corina, Rebecca Bumputu, Dutca Teodora, Toma Stefania, and Gramada Ioana Alexandra, all of whom brought passion, fierceness, and sultriness to the table while being in sync and unified. The video really brings the spotlight to each of the women and they sure don’t hold back, showcasing an intense energy for dance that is both alluring and inspiring.
Hypnotic and tantalising, “Cheeky” is the spotlight track that is set to make an impact on party playlists around the world, It’s the first of many singles we expect INNA to release this year following the success of season four of her web series, Dance Queen’s House—a full album, of which, is certainly on its way, if the last three seasons are anything to go by.
With over 15 years in the music industry, INNA knows how to deliver a hit, and while her latest tracks have only gained nobility in Eastern Europe, she continues to be a global success. She went viral in 2021 with “Up”, later collaborating with Sean Paul for a remix, and, last year, she teamed up with R3HAB and SASH! for the epic dance hit “Rock My Body”. It’s only a matter of time before she reaches global chart success once again.
“Cheeky”, by INNA, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Global Records. She’s set to go out on tour soon, first visiting Mexico for the Tecate Pa’l Norte 2024 Festival, and then headlining across US states with a Canadian date thrown in too, make sure you don’t miss your chance to see this international queen perform. On top of that, she’s recently been confirmed for the Untold Festival in Dubai, next week.
