Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu (born 16 October 1986), known professionally as Inna, is a Romanian singer and songwriter. Born in Mangalia and raised in Neptun, she studied political science at the Ovidius University before meeting Romanian trio Play & Win and pursuing a music career. She adopted the stage name "Alessandra" in 2008 and approached a pop-rock style; later that year, she changed her stage name to "Inna" and began releasing house music. "Hot" (2008), her debut single, was a commercial success worldwide and topped Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart. She subsequently signed with Ultra Records in April 2009. Her debut studio album of the same name followed in August 2009 and was certified Gold and Platinum.
Inna's second album, I Am the Club Rocker (2011), was honored as one of that year's best albums by her label Roton and yielded global success for the single "Sun Is Up" (2010). The track won the Eurodanceweb Award, making Inna the first and only Romanian artist to win the award. Her follow-up studio album, Party Never Ends (2013), was nominated for two consecutive years for Best Album at the Romanian Music Awards and reached the top 10 in Mexico. In 2014, Inna signed with Atlantic Records and released "Cola Song", a commercially successful collaboration with J Balvin.
With global album sales of four million from her first three studio albums, Inna is the best-selling Romanian artist. She has received a number of awards and nominations, including the Balkan Music Awards, European Border Breakers Award, MTV Europe Music Awards and the Romanian Music Awards. Inna is a human rights activist, participating in campaigns against domestic violence and in support of children's and LGBT rights.
