"Up" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna. Global Records sent it to Romanian radio stations on 21 October 2021. Another version of the track with Jamaican rapper Sean Paul was issued on 17 December 2021. "Up" was written by Inna, Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, Alex Cotoi and Minelli, while the production was handled by Barac, Botezan and Cotoi; Paul received additional writing and production credits on his version. "Up" is a dancehall-influenced pop song, with its lyrics describing a healing love.

"Up"
Cover of Inna's single showing the singer wearing a pink outfit while standing in a courtyard
Solo version cover
Single by Inna
Released21 October 2021
GenrePop
Length2:30
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Barac
  • Botezan
  • Cotoi
Inna singles chronology
"Papa"
(2021)
"Up"
(2021)
"Tare"
(2022)
Alternative cover
Alternative cover with images of Inna and Sean Paul inside the song's title, 'Up'
Cover artwork for the Sean Paul version; an alternative shot of Inna and Paul is used for Romanian music stores[1]

Commercially, "Up" achieved success in Romania, where it became Inna's fifth number-one hit. It further topped the charts in Bulgaria, Russia, Poland, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Ukraine. The Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) awarded the song a Platinum certification in Poland. An accompanying music video for the Sean Paul version of the track was uploaded to Inna's YouTube channel on 17 December 2021. Directed by Bogdan Păun, it portrays Inna residing at a party with interspersed shots of Paul also being shown. For further promotion, "Up" was performed live on SuperStar România.

Background and release edit

Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan and Alex Cotoi produced "Up", and wrote it with Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu (Inna) and Minelli.[2] Global Records sent the single for radio airplay in Romania on 21 October 2021.[3] A day later, it was released for digital download and streaming in various territories by Warner Music Poland and in Romania by Global.[4][5] Another version of the song featuring verses from Sean Paul was similarly issued by the two aforementioned labels on 17 December 2021;[6] Paul is credited as a co-lead artist alongside Inna and also received additional writing and production credits.[7] Several remixes of the song's solo version were released, with one done by Romanian House Mafia featuring prominent house beats; Inna had previously collaborated with them on "Paris to London" (2021).[8]

Composition and lyrics edit

Musically, "Up" is a dancehall-influenced pop song,[9][10] featuring Inna singing about what Anna-Kaye Kerr of Urban Islandz described as "overcoming past hurt and disappointment [and] opening her heart up again", as well as about "a love that lifts [her] up when everything in life seems to be going in the opposite direction", as noted by Adevărul's Maria-Alexandru Mortu.[9][11] According to Rolling Stone India writers Anurag Tagat and David Britto, "the rhythms are a nod to both Romanian as well as Caribbean traditional music."[12] Lyrics include: "Once upon a time, there was a girl who made a wish / To find herself a love and finally make a switch / Then you came around, you healed another stitch / And I'm glad about that, I can finally make the switch".[13] The song's refrain—"When I'm down you can bring me up, up-p-p up-p-p up-p-p up-p-p / And when I'm hurt you know I don't need much / You can use that magic touch"—prompted a viral use of "Up" on the social networking service TikTok due to the title word's alteration.[9][14] On the version of the track including his rap verses, Paul is "optimistic about his chance for romance", according to Kerr.[9]

Reception edit

Mortu praised "Up" as one of Inna's catchiest releases in her catalogue, further stating that it is "a hymn of fun and good mood[,] instantly giv[ing] a state of energy and optimism due to [its] fresh sound".[11] Kerr commended Sean Paul's appearance as "smooth".[9] Tagat and Britto deemed Paul's version a "buoyant reimagination" of the single.[12] "Up" became popular on Shazam in multiple countries upon release,[15] and originally reached a peak of number 51 on the last issue of Romania's Airplay 100 chart on the week ending 28 November 2021.[16] The song eventually reached the top position on the airplay chart published by Uniunea Producătorilor de Fonograme din România (UPFR) on 28 December 2021, becoming Inna's fifth single to peak at number one in Romania after "Hot" (2008), "Amazing" (2009), "Diggy Down" (2015) and "Bebe" (2020).[17] "Up" further reached number one in Bulgaria,[18] Russia,[19] Poland,[20] the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),[21] and Ukraine.[22] In Poland, the single received a Platinum certification from the Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry (ZPAV).[23] On 19 February 2022, Billboard inaugurated Romania Songs, a streaming and digital download-based chart for Romania, and the Sean Paul version of "Up" was listed at number 15.[24] At the 2022 Romanian Music Awards, the single's Sean Paul version was nominated for Best Dance.[25]

Music videos and promotion edit

An accompanying lyric video for "Up" was uploaded to Inna's YouTube channel on 29 October 2021,[26] and was directed by Bogdan Păun of NGM Creative. Alexandru Mureşan was further hired as the director of photography, while the make-up was done by Anca Buldur, the hair by Adonis Enache and the outfits selected by RDStyling.[11] Mortu applauded Inna's styling in the visual, with her mainly being shown in the same setting as the single's cover art.[11][26] The same aforementioned team was involved in the making of a music video for the Sean Paul version of "Up", released on Inna's YouTube account on 17 December 2021.[15][27] It received over 1.2 million views in less than a day.[9][28]

The music video opens with Inna walking into a room filled by partying people, wearing a black bodysuit with a transparent top. She resides there and, according to Kerr, "gyrat[es], which kick[s] into overdrive as everyone g[ets] up and start[s] partying, even dancing on top of the bar", showcasing eccentric dance moves. Paul is shown during his parts in front of a neon setting, sporting an all-black look. Further interspersed shots show Inna wearing a red outfit with oversized shoulder pads and red glasses as the sentences "Que nadie te limite me decía" ("Let no one limit you, he told me") and "Más de este amor ya no puede, puede ser" ("More of this love can no longer be, it can't be") are displayed on the screen, as well as show her sitting on a chair staring into the distance with other women behind her.[9][27] An alternate video for the solo version of "Up" was released on 25 February 2022.[29] To further promote the song, Inna performed the track live along with "De dragul tău" (2021) during the final of the first season of the singing competition SuperStar România on 17 December 2021.[30]

Track listing edit

  • Official versions[A]
  1. "Up" — 2:30
  2. "Up" (with Sean Paul) — 2:28
  3. "Up (Casian Remix)" — 2:07
  4. "Up"[B] — 2:00
  5. "Up (Mert Hakan & Onur Betin Remix)" — 2:34
  6. "Up (Robert Cristian Remix)" — 2:12
  7. "Up (Arem Ozguc & Arman Aydin Remix)" — 2:16

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Certifications for "Up"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV)[23] Platinum 50,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history edit

Release dates and formats for "Up"
Country Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Romania 21 October 2021 Radio airplay Solo version Global
Various 22 October 2021 Warner
Romania Global
Various 17 December 2021 Sean Paul version Warner
Romania Global

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ This acts as a summary of all digital versions of the single.[31][32][33][34][35][36][37]
  2. ^ The Romanian House Mafia remix of the song has the latter credited as a co-lead artist alongside Inna.[34]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Up – Single by Inna and Sean Paul on iTunes". iTunes Store (RO). Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Up". Spotify. Archived from the original on 31 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022. Note: The user may access the three dots on the right to see the credits.
  3. ^ a b "Up". Media Forest. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b Citations regarding the release of the solo version of "Up" in various countries:
  5. ^ a b "Up – Single by Inna on iTunes". iTunes Store (RO). Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  6. ^ a b Citations regarding the release of the Sean Paul version of "Up" in various countries:
  7. ^ "Up (with Sean Paul)". Spotify. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022. Note: The user may access the three dots on the right to see the credits.
  8. ^ Stănescu, Alex (11 November 2021). "Romanian House Mafia şi Inna au lansat remixul piesei 'Up'" [Romanian House Mafia and Inna have released the 'Up' remix] (in Romanian). InfoMusic. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Kerr, Anna-Kaye (18 December 2021). "Sean Paul Link Up With Pop Star Inna On New Club Anthem 'Up'". Urban Islandz. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Wo geht's hier nach oben? Sean Paul macht in der neuen Version von "Up" mit" [Where's the way up here? Sean Paul joins the new version of "Up"] (in German). Warner Music Group. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d Mortu, Maria-Alexandru (30 October 2021). "Inna lansează single-ul super catchy 'Up'" [Inna releases the super catchy single 'Up']. Adevărul (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  12. ^ a b Tagat, Anurag; Britto, David (7 February 2022). "Global Artists Spotlight: Inna x Sean Paul, Kate Cosentino, Sara Rachele And More". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Check Out Latest English Official Music Video Song 'Up' Sung By Inna and Sean Paul". The Times of India. 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  14. ^ Nurul Fitriyah, Ichda (28 December 2021). "Lirik dan Terjemahan Lagu 'Up' oleh Inna yang Viral di TikTok: 'When I'm Down You Can Bring Me Up Up-p-p'" [The Lyrics and Translation of Inna's Viral Song on TikTok 'Up': 'When I'm Down You Can Bring Me Up Up-p-p'] (in Indonesian). Media Jawa Timur. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  15. ^ a b Mortu, Maria-Alexandra (17 December 2021). "Inna prezintă videoclipul oficial al single-ului 'Up' cu Sean Paul - imagini sexy şi o piesă catchy care cucereşte topurile din lume" [Inna releases the official music video for the single 'Up' with Sean Paul - sexy images and a catchy song that conquers the international charts]. Adevărul (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  16. ^ Arvunescu, Victor (29 November 2021). "Top Airplay 100 - Rita nu se dă jos de pe primul loc! Connect-R şi Smiley, lideri în continuare!" [Top Airplay 100 – Rita does not fall off the top! Connect-R and Smiley, keep on leading!] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Top 10 din 100 cele mai difuzate piese pentru saptamana 52 (28.12.2021 – 03.01.2022)" [Top 10 out of the 100 most-broadcast songs for the week 52] (in Romanian). Uniunea Producătorilor de Fonograme din România. 28 December 2021. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  18. ^ a b "PROPHON – Charts" (in Bulgarian). PROPHON. 24 December 2021. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  19. ^ a b "January 2022 Russia Airplay Chart for 14 January 2022." TopHit. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  21. ^ a b "CIS Airplay Chart for 2022-01-21". Tophit. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  22. ^ a b "March 2022 Ukraine Airplay Chart for 18 March 2022." TopHit. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  24. ^ a b "Romania Songs". Billboard. 19 February 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  25. ^ Ghimus, Alina (23 September 2022). "Romanian Music Awards a revenit: află ce artiști se numără printre câștigători" [Romanian Music Awards is back: find out which artists have won]. Info Music. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  26. ^ a b "Inna - Up". Inna. 29 October 2021. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via YouTube.
  27. ^ a b "Inna x Sean Paul - Up (Official Video)". Inna. 17 November 2021. Archived from the original on 30 December 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via YouTube.
  28. ^ Mallick, Dani (18 December 2021). "Sean Paul Calls Unreleased Collab With Rita Ora A Classic". Dancehall Mag. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  29. ^ "Inna - Up (Official Video)". Inna. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ "Inna Live - Finala SuperStar 2021". SuperStar România. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 15 January 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ "Up - Single by Inna". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  32. ^ "Up - Single by Inna and Sean Paul". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  33. ^ "Up (Casian Remix) - Single by Inna". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  34. ^ a b "Up – Single by Inna and Romanian House Mafia on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). 27 October 2021. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
  35. ^ "Up (Mert Hakan & Onur Betin Remix) - Single by Inna". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  36. ^ "Up (Robert Cristian Remix) - Single by Inna". iTunes Store (US). Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  37. ^ "Up (Arem Ozguc & Arman Aydin Remix) - Single by Inna". iTunes Store (DE). Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  38. ^ "CIS Airplay Chart for 2022-01-28". Tophit. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  39. ^ "Airplay Radio Chart Top40 – 14. tjedan (04.04.2022.)". Hrvatska radiotelevizija. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  40. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 202225 into search. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  41. ^ "Inna, Sean Paul: Up" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  42. ^ "Inna: Up" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  43. ^ "Inna x Sean Paul – Up" (in French). Les classement single.
  44. ^ "Offizielle Download Charts Single" (in German). Official German Charts. 31 January 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  45. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  46. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Dance Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  47. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  48. ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay TV. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  49. ^ "Media Forest – Weekly Charts. Media Forest. 27 December 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022. Note: Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
  50. ^ "Media Forest – Weekly Charts. Media Forest. 28 March 2021. Retrieved 7 April 2022. Note: Select 'Songs – TV'. Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
  51. ^ "Radio Hits – Top Monthly Hits – Tophit Music Charts" (in Russian). Tophit. February 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  52. ^ "Radio Hits – Top Monthly Hits – Tophit Music Charts" (in Russian). Tophit. March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  53. ^ "Media Forest – Chart 2021". Media Forest. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  54. ^ "Dance Top 100 - a hazai DJ-k játszásai alapján - 2022" (in Hungarian). Association of Hungarian Record Companies (MAHASZ). Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  55. ^ "Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2022" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  56. ^ "Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2022" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  57. ^ "Airplay 2022 – najpopularniejsze radiowe single" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  58. ^ "Media Forest – Chart 2022". Media Forest. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  59. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart 2022". TopHit. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  60. ^ "Top Radio Hits Ukraine Annual Chart 2022". TopHit. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  61. ^ "Dance Top 100 - a hazai DJ-k játszásai alapján - 2023" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  62. ^ "Top Radio Hits Russia Chart 2023". TopHit. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  63. ^ "Top Radio Hits Ukraine Chart 2023". TopHit. Retrieved 1 January 2024.