Revealing some of the incredible work that has come from Dance Queen’s House Season 4, INNA has released a brand new mini-album, titled “Everything or Nothing”, an EP containing six awesome addictive tracks. Truly showcasing that she’s the dance music international queen hailing from Romania, INNA isn’t the top Eastern European female artist for no reason. This EP acts as the follow-up to her recent collaboration with VINAI and jayover, titled “Stuck in Limbo“.
All six tracks were produced by Alex Cotoi, Marcel Botezan, and Sebastian Barac, who are the superstar team behind many of INNA’s hits, both globally and across Eastern Europe. They were all in attendance at the Dance Queen’s House Season 4, collaborating, crafting, and laying down beats and vocals for this collection of tracks, as well as the future releases that INNA is set to drop sometime soon to complete Dance Queen’s House Season 4.
The three producers also are credited as songwriters on all six tracks, alongside Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu (INNA). Four of the tracks—”Love Me”, “I Follow”, “Everything or Nothing”, and “Imagination”—see a songwriting credit for Luisa Ionela Luca (Minelli), while “Cheeky” and “Be My Lover” see Adelina Stînga (Iraida) listed in the songwriting credits, with the former song also listing Andres Alcaraz as a songwriter too.
Before we delve into this EP review, we have to address the elephant in the room. Either INNA is trolling her fanbase or she genuinely forgot she has previously released a song called “Be My Lover”. Set to soar our last.fm scrobbles by having a second song with the same name, INNA delivers a totally different track under this title, with the only connection between the two songs being their name.
We’re not sure what inspired her choice to name the track the same as her 2013 single, a song that also received a remix with a feature from Juan Magán, but we know it’s not the first time she’s done this; in 2017 she collaborated with Carla’s Dreams on “Tu și eu” which has the same title as her 2012 single; and then she did it again by collaborating with Yves V and Janieck in 2022 on the song “Deja Vu” which has the same title as her collaboration with Bob Taylor in 2009. This looks like a running theme, what song title will she troll us with next?
Preparing to unleash her dance prowess on the world, INNA is seeking world domination, especially as 2023 has seen her reclaim her dance throne by collaborating with a variety of international and local DJs and soaring up various charts around the world. If anything, 2024 is set to be a global smash for her as she sets her sights even higher.
EP Review: Everything or Nothing
Cheeky
This EP starts with probably one of the best songs the Dance Queen’s House series’ have ever dropped. INNA’s slick vocals coalesce beautifully with the addictive pulsing beat while she takes a nod to her international fans by adding English, Spanish, and Arabic lyrics. The latter set of lyrics is used for the hook of the song and is a slight nod to her most-viewed music video on YouTube—known as “Yalla”—which is iconic in its own right as the chorus sees INNA sing in Arabic.
Proving that she really is the global dance queen, INNA has combined languages again to showcase her breadth, reach, and multilinguistic talent. She continues to appeal to a wide range of people from around the world by singing in different languages, and she’s not afraid to do so.
While we’re slightly disappointed that INNA, herself, doesn’t appear in the music video, there’s no denying that the all-female dance troupe absolutely nails the choreography that has been created by Maria Tarus. Giving off female empowerment in every way possible.
Love Me
Following on with the dance vibe—we expect nothing less from Dance Queen’s House tracks—”Love Me” adds a bit of soulfulness to the equation, allowing INNA to unlock her heart when singing these lyrics. The Eastern European sound encases the backing beat while INNA showcases her flawless vocals as she weaves her way through a variety of notes. Catchy and unforgettable, this track makes a relatable impact on her listeners.
While INNA has a vast discography—which is impossible not to touch upon as she releases more and more new music—these lyrics see her pay a slight homage to her “Nirvana” album since she uses the lyrics, “Oceans of nirvana night”, with “Nirvana” being the title single from the said 2017 album, while one of the tracks from the album also being “Dream About the Ocean”. Putting those very minute connections aside—maybe we’re looking for links where there are none—the lyrics really touch upon the feeling of love and what it’s like to be in love.
There’s no denying that there are some epic poetic lyrics in this track, especially in the second verse where INNA sings, “Right now, I need security, sincerity / That real true love, covered in transparency.” Now this gives us chills every time we hear these faultless words, and INNA delivers them superbly.
I Follow
Bringing in a more prominent beat, “I Follow” has a more pop-dance vibe to it that is softer and in turn allows INNA’s vocals to take the spotlight. The hand claps add texture as the song fleshes out for a more relaxed pop-energy edge-led chorus, which sees this international dance superstar flex her sultriness.
Keying into her love for Romanian rapper, Deliric—her partner since 2020 and fiancé since January 2023—INNA plunges her heart into this, connecting to the lyrics on a deeper level and we can almost hear her serenading Deliric with this song.
Beyond sweet, this track breaks up this EP perfectly. While there isn’t a whole lot of experimentation within the lyrics themselves, INNA manages to deliver the track with passion and honesty, giving it this rich essence that matches the soft dance drop that follows the chorus.
Everything or Nothing
Here’s the title track from the EP and it’s an upbeat number that is sure to have you vibing within seconds. “Everything or Nothing” has a slight nostalgia effect as INNA dives into the first verse with some dark strength that we haven’t heard from her since her sophomore album “I am the Club Rocker”, and we are living for it. Then the chorus hits and this track feels like it could’ve belonged on that said 2011 album, what with the repeated lines during the chorus and that ultimate beat drop—a surprise beat drop as it hits in the middle of the chorus.
It’s no wonder that INNA named the EP after this track. Addictive and iconic, “Everything or Nothing” has that special spark that will inspire and invigorate DJs to remix it. Luscious beats and flawless vocals, this track takes us back in a nostalgic way, while bringing new and refreshing beats to the table. We hope there are more songs like this to come from Dance Queen’s House, especially since the world is riding on nostalgia at the moment,
Imagination
Dance ballads aren’t common in the EDM world, and over the years INNA has tapped into this world with the likes of “Endless” and “Say It With Your Body”, amongst others, and “Imagination” follows suit. Vocals take the limelight from the get-go, allowing this Romanian singer-songwriter to show her flawless voice as she adds passion and flare into the lyrics before the progressive beat kicks in.
Developing into a pulsating relaxed beat, the chorus pairs well with the verses and INNA delivers like she always does, while also letting us know a drop is on its way. The repeated line of “Brain, brain, brain, brain, brain, brain” builds up anticipation around a hook amongst the dance ballad section then the drop hits and it’s a tropical chilled energy that brings in some bass and a launch pad or loop station to create some unforgettable melodies. This is certainly an imagination track as INNA transports us right onto a tropical beach.
Be My Lover (Dance Queen’s House Version)
We thought we better specify which version of “Be My Lover” we are reviewing in this EP review. Nothing like her 2013 single, this song takes this whole EP to a brand new level as it takes the essence of the previous track’s dance ballad for its verses before taking listeners through a loop with the breathtaking bridge that leads into a poetic rhythm-based chorus flowing into a hook-induced post-chorus. This four-stage section is then repeated with the second verse bringing different lyrics that have the same chilled vibe as the first.
If anything, it’s this track that truly allows INNA’s voice to shine as she hits a sensational falsetto during the bridge that is set to make an impact on any playlist, encouraging listeners to truly hear the words and how that no fancy car in the world will ever match the pure adrenaline of love that her partner gives her. Once again, Deliric is the inspiration behind INNA delivering such a phenomenal vocal, and we seriously cannot wait to hear what other emotion-filled tracks she has in store for us.
“Everything or Nothing”, the new EP from INNA, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Global Records. With INNA’s North American 2024 Tour set to take place in mid-April, we expect that these six tracks will certainly be a part of the setlist, the question remains as to whether she will drop more music prior to these tour dates—the more new music from this dance queen, the better.
