"Obsesii" (English: "Obsessions") is a song recorded by Romanian singer

Alexandra Stan Alexandra Ioana Stan (born 10 June 1989) is a Romanian singer. Born in Constanța, she made her worldwide breakthrough with the 2010 single " Mr. Saxobeat", which was written and produced by Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi. They had previous ...

, released as a

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for

digital download Digital download may refer to: *Downloading, the processing of copying data to a computer from an external source *Digital distribution, a method of downloading software or audio-visual media as opposed to buying it at a traditional point of sale * ...

on 31 January 2020. A

Romanian language Romanian (obsolete spelling: Roumanian; , or , ) is the official and main language of Romania and Moldova. Romanian is part of the Eastern Romance languages, Eastern Romance sub-branch of Romance languages, a linguistic group that evolved fr ...

track, it was written by Alex Pelin and Vlan Lucan, while the latter handled the production alongside Radu Bolfea. Lyrically, "Obsesii" discusses a love which has turned into obsession.

Music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

particularly praised the song's lyrics, as well as Stan's vocal delivery. An accompanying music video was uploaded to her

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channel on 2 February 2020. Directed by Bogdan Daragiu, the

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clip depicts Stan and several dancers wearing loose shirts to symbolize freedom. To further promote "Obsesii", the singer performed the track on Romanian talk shows and radio stations. Commercially, it reached number 12 on the local

Airplay 100 Multiple record charts have been inaugurated in Romania since the 1990s. The Romanian Top 100 was the country's national chart until 2012. Founded in 1995, it was a ranking based on the compilation of charts submitted by local Romanian radio stat ...

chart. The song is the second single from her fifth album ''

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''.

Background, composition and reception

"Obsesii" was written by Alex Pelin and Vlad Lucan, while the latter solely handled the mixing and mastering process. Lucan produced the track alongside Radu Bolfea. With a length of three minutes and 34 seconds, "Obsesii" was released as a

for

in various countries on 31 January 2020. Lyrically, the

song talks about a love turned into obsession. Using several

metaphor A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...

s throughout, the lyrics also describe Stan's

carnal In psychology, libido (; ) is psychic drive or energy, usually conceived of as sexual in nature, but sometimes conceived of as including other forms of desire. The term ''libido'' was originally developed by Sigmund Freud, the pioneering origin ...

desires as "fake illusions". The song was produced with the use of an "urban" sample. Upon release, "Obsesii" received positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

. Mihai Burlacu of

Pro TV PRO TV (, often stylized as PRO•TV since 2017) is a Romanian free-to-air television network, launched on 1 December 1995 as the fourth private TV channel in the country (after TV SOTI, Antena 1, and the now-defunct, but online Tele7ABC). It is ...

lauded the song's lyrics, describing them as "poetry" and praising the use of metaphors. He further wrote that the track's vibe "seems to lead you into a personal universe, which relies on images created by the imagination". Similarly, Jonathan Currinn of CelebMix praised the writing, and noted an "intellectual vibe". He also lauded Stan's vocal delivery and deemed "Obsesii" as "unforgettable". Commercially, the song entered the local

chart for the week ending 8 March 2020 at number 75, and has since risen to number 12 on 14 June.

Music video and promotion

Directed by Bogdan Daragiu, an accompanying music video for "Obsesii" was uploaded to Stan's

channel on 2 February 2020 around 20:00 ( EET). ''Note: Open the description for credits.'' Shot in

, the clip depicts Stan as an "angelic figure, surrounded by silent dancers trapped in

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

movements". They wear loose shirts to symbolize freedom. Other scenes show a lake, rain, fluctuating lights and Stan lying on the back of a horse. The music video was generally praised by reviewers. Burlacu of Pro TV wrote that its images build a "magnetic universe", and InfoMusic's Stănescu similarly noted "magical and mesmerizing visuals". An editor of Aficia called the clip "sober, intimate and sensual". Currinn of CelebMix slightly criticized the use of choreography throughout the video. To further promote "Obsesii", Stan performed the track on Romanian talk shows ''Vorbește lumea'' and ''La Măruță'' in early February 2020. Furthermore, she sang the song on Kiss FM later that month.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

. * Radu Bolfea – producer *Vlad Lucan – composer, lyricist, mixing, mastering, producer *Alex Pelin – composer, lyricist *Alexandra Stan – lead vocals

Track listing

*Digital download #"Obsesii" – 3:34 *Digital downloads (Remixes EP) #"Obsesii" (Acoustic Version) – 3:43 #"Obsesii" (Nomad Digital Remix) – 3:40 #"Obsesii" (Village Remix) – 4:14 #"Obsesii" (Albwho Remix) – 4:29 #"Obsesii" – 3:34

Charts

Year-end charts

Release history

Notes

References

{{Alexandra Stan 2020 songs 2020 singles Romanian songs Alexandra Stan songs Black-and-white music videos Music videos shot in Romania