Unlocked

## ***Unlocked***Studio album by Alexandra Stan

* Standard
* Deluxe
* Japan

## Singles

* Thanks for Leaving
Released: April 28, 2014
* Cherry Pop
Released: May 28, 2014
* Dance
Released: July 28, 2014
* Give Me Your Everything
Released: August 20, 2014
* Vanilla Chocolat
Released: December 24, 2014

***Unlocked*** is the second studio album by Romanian singer-songwriter Alexandra Stan, released on August 27, 2014 by Victor Entertainment. Several collaborators are credited for the record's production, including Andreas Schuller, Sebastian Jacome, Chrishan Prince, Erik Lidbom, and Gabriel Huiban; songs were developed during the first Romanian international songwriting camp FonoCamp in 2013. *Unlocked* was released following an alleged physical altercation between Stan and her former manager Marcel Prodan, which led to a court case and a short hiatus in 2013. As a result, she left Prodan's label and signed a record deal with Fonogram Records to distribute the record in various countries. *Unlocked* features dance, techno, pop, and R&B genres, with influences varying from J-pop and Bhangra to house music. Lyrically, it deals with themes of liberation and new beginnings. Music critics gave the album mixed reviews, criticizing the songs' lack of originality.

*Unlocked* debuted and peaked at number 21 on the Oricon Albums Chart in Japan, where it had sold 17,045 units by January 2015. Six singles were released to promote the album, of which three charted on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. To further promote *Unlocked*, the singer embarked on the Cherry Pop Summer Tour and the Unlocked Tour in 2014 performing in Japan, Mexico, Russia, and Turkey.

## Background

In 2012 and 2013, Alexandra Stan released the singles "Lemonade", "Cliché (Hush Hush)" and "All My People" for her second album. But the record's release was postponed following an alleged physical altercation with her manager Marcel Prodan, which led to Stan accusing him of multiple offenses in a court case. A Japan-only reissue of *Saxobeats* was released in October 2013 with the addition of the singles—the singer's last album on Prodan's label, Maan Records.

In late 2013 Stan began working with another team—including record producers and songwriters Alex Cotoi and Erik Lidbom on her second studio album. She left Prodan's label and signed a record deal with Fonogram Records. Work on the album continued during the FonoCamp 2013, the first Romanian international songwriting camp held in Azuga, where she was accompanied by Romanian singers and producers.

## Promotion

*Unlocked* was supported by the Cherry Pop Summer Tour and the Unlocked Tour. The first tour started in Russia on July 5 and continued to Mexico, Turkey, and Japan, ending on July 29, 2014. Romanian dance group StanBoyz accompanied Stan for her Unlocked Tour, which visited the same countries.

*Unlocked* was released to Japanese digital outlets on August 27, 2014, preceded by a preview of the album lasting eight minutes and 34 seconds uploaded onto YouTube. Digital and physical releases followed later that year in other countries, while a bonus DVD and deluxe edition were made available in Japan. The Spanish version of *Unlocked* incorporates both original tracks and remixes on two separate track lists. For digital versions distributed in Germany "We Wanna", a track featuring Inna and Daddy Yankee, was added to the main track list.

## Covers

Dimitri Caceaune photographed the cover art for *Unlocked*.

The standard artwork shows Stan wearing a multicolored jacket in front of a pink-purple background.

In the alternative black-and-white artwork for the Japanese edition of the album, her eyes were made up to look larger as the singer felt that the Japanese were "very obsessed by big eyes."

## Singles

"**Thanks for Leaving**" was released on April 28, 2014 along with its accompanying music video as the lead single from *Unlocked*, peaking at number 42 on Romania's Airplay 100 chart, number 83 on Italy's FIMI ranking, and at number one on FDR's pop component chart in Ukraine.

"**Cherry Pop**", the record's second single, followed on May 28, 2014. Khaled Mokhtar shot the official music video in Buftea, Romania, showing the singer playing tennis against herself in a futuristic setting. The track charted at number 64 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100.

"**Dance**", was released on July 28, 2014. Promoted by a music video also shot by Mokhtar, the recording peaked at number 25 in Japan, and at number 70 on Austria's Ö3 Austria Top 40 chart.

"**Give Me Your Everything**", followed on August 20, 2014. Its accompanying clip, shot by Mokhtar, caused controversy for a scene in which the singer is seen wearing a white robe with masonic symbols inscribed on its back; website Urban.ro called the visual "her most bizarre video ever."

"**Vanilla Chocolat**" was released on December 24, 2014 as the fifth single from *Unlocked*, including vocals from Connect-R. It was accompanied by a selfie video showing them singing and performing at various live shows and at their label Roton.

## Tracklist

### Standard

1. **"Little Lies"**: 3:41

2. **"Cherry Pop"**: 3:11

3. **"Dance"**: 3:41

4. **"Back to Light"**: 3:34

5. **"Give Me Your Everything"**: 3:25

6. **"Kiss Me Goodbye"**: 3:18

7. **"Vanilla Chocolat"** (ft. Connect-R): 3:17

8. **"Trumpet Blows"**: 2:52

9. **"Set Me Free"** (ft. Grano): 3:55

10. **"Celebrate"**: 3:27

11. **"Happy"**: 3:30

12. **"Thanks for Leaving"**: 3:36

13. **"Holding Aces"**: 3:23

14. **"Unlocked"**: 8:14

15. **"Dance (Grano remix)"**: 4:18

### Japan

1. **"Little Lies"**: 3:41

2. **"Cherry Pop"**: 3:11

3. **"Dance"**: 3:41

4. **"Back to Light""**: 3:34

5. **"Give Me Your Everything"**: 3:25

6. **"Kiss Me Goodbye"**: 3:18

7. **"Digital"**: 3:50

8. **"Zoom Zoom"**: 3:26

9. **"Set Me Free"** (ft. Grano): 3:55

10. **"Celebrate"**: 3:27

11. **"Happy"**: 3:30

12. **"Thanks for Leaving"**: 3:36

13. **"Holding Aces"**: 3:23

14. **"Dance (Grano remix)"**: 4:18

15. **""Cherry Pop (Sonic-E & Woolhouse Remix)"**: 3:05

### Deluxe

1. **"Little Lies"**: 3:41

2. **"Cherry Pop"**: 3:11

3. **"Dance"**: 3:41

4. **"Back to Light""**: 3:34

5. **"Give Me Your Everything"**: 3:25

6. **"Kiss Me Goodbye"**: 3:18

7. **"Digital"**: 3:50

8. **"Zoom Zoom"**: 3:26

9. **"Vanilla Chocolat"** (ft. Connect-R): 3:17

10. **"Trumpet Blows"**: 2:52

11. **"Set Me Free"** (ft. Grano): 3:55

12. **"Celebrate"**: 3:27

13. **"Happy"**: 3:30

14. **"Thanks for Leaving"**: 3:36

15. **"Holding Aces"**: 3:23

16. **"Unlocked"**: 8:14

17. **"Dance (Grano remix)"**: 4:18

18. **""Cherry Pop (Sonic-E & Woolhouse Remix)"**: 3:05

### Spain

The Spanish version of *Unlocked* features the standard edition without the Grano remix of "Dance".

### Germany

The German version of *Unlocked* features the standard edition, with "We Wanna" as the first track.