"Sun Is Up" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her second studio album, I Am the Club Rocker (2011), and also included on several versions of her debut album Hot (2009).[A] Written and produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan, the song was released in October 2010 as the first single from I Am the Club Rocker. "Sun Is Up" is a ravepop track, and was compared to Sabrina's "Boys (Summertime Love)" (1987) by one reviewer.
The track was received favorably, with music critics praising its composition and referring to it as a highlight on the album and in Inna's career. It won in the Best Song in the Balkans from Romania for 2010 category at the 2011 Balkan Music Awards, while also receiving nominations at the 2011 Radio România Actualităţi and Romanian Music Awards, and 2012 Radar Media Awards. To promote "Sun Is Up", an accompanying music video was shot by Alex Herron in late August 2010 in Marbella, Spain, and uploaded onto Inna's YouTube channel on 30 September 2010. She further promoted the recording through various live performances. Commercially, "Sun Is Up" reached the top 10 in several countries, while awarded certifications in Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
A 23-second of "Sun Is Up", a ravepop song.[4] A portion of the refrain is also showcased, with a reviewer noting she was screaming during that part.[5]
In June 2010, Inna announced via her official website that two new songs, "Un Momento", a collaboration with Spanish singer Juan Magán, and "Sun Is Up", would be featured on an upcoming "Summer Hit Pack".[6] With the plans remaining unmaterialized, "Sun Is Up" was released in Romania in October 2010 as the first single from the singer's second studio album, I Am the Club Rocker (2011). Its cover artwork had been previously unveiled in August 2010; shot by Edward Aninaru, it shows Inna naked in a jacuzzi, lifting her right hand.[7] The French radio and digital release of the song followed in January 2011, the latter by label Roton.[8][9] In the United Kingdom, the track was featured on the British version of Inna's debut record Hot, made available on 5 June 2011.[10] It was also the closing song on the compilation Now That's What I Call Music! 79.[11]
A "Euro ravepop" song,[4] "Sun Is Up" was written and produced by Romanian trio Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan.[12] During the track's refrain, Inna sings: "All the people tonight put your hands in the sky / Come on boy, come and get in / The rhythm music will take you high / What I'm feeling about you / I love you, don't know why / Everybody come and get in / The rhythm music will take you high."[13]
Upon its release, "Sun Is Up" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics. An editor from German radio station BB Radio commended the song as a highlight from I Am the Club Rocker, writing: "After just the first few seconds, the sun rises. The hit single from Inna simply puts you in a dance mood."[14][15]Paul Lester, writing for The Guardian, noticed similarities to Sabrina's "Boys (Summertime Love)" (1987),[4] while French website Musique Radio praised its rhythm and melody.[8] An editor of Pro FM listed the recording in their list of "16 hits with which Inna made history".[16] More negatively, Urban.ro noted that the singer was screaming during the song's chorus.[5] Fans of "Sun Is Up" include British group One Direction, who released a video of them on social media in January 2012 dancing and singing along to the track in their car while on their Up All Night Tour (2011–2012). In an accompanying message, they wrote: "Just incase you were wondering...this is what we do in the car...". An editor of Capital FM positively regarded the video, while resuming its plot: "While Louis and Zayn show off their best moves, Harry then turns the camera onto Liam Payne, who is doing some head bopping."[17][18]
"Sun Is Up" won the Eurodanceweb Award in 2010, an online music contest, with 184 points, marking Romania's highest position in that competition. She was ranked in third place by the online voting, but she won following the decision of a jury panel consisting of various journalists, music producers, disc jockeys and radio stations.[31] The single also won Best Song in the Balkans from Romania for 2010 at the 2011 Balkan Music Awards,[32] while receiving nominations in the Pop/Dance Song of the Year, Best Dance and Song of the Year categories at the 2011 Radio România Actualităţi and Romanian Music Awards, and 2012 Radar Media Awards, respectively.[33][34][35]
An accompanying music video for "Sun Is Up" was uploaded onto Inna's official YouTube channel on 30 September 2010,[36] preceded by the release of a making-of video on 30 August and a preview on 27 September 2010.[7][37] It was filmed by Alex HerroninMarbella, Spain on 24 August 2010.[37] The video begins with Inna walking cross a river in the middle of a forest, dressed up in green. This is followed by her getting ready for a photoshooting session with Tore Frisholm Jr. with various make-up artists. Subsequently, Inna is shown bathing and singing naked in a jacuzzi in front of a mountain area, as well as dancing at a party and being pictured by Frisholm privately. The clip continues in a similar way, closing with Frisholm and Inna standing close to each other at sunset.[36] The visual received notable airplay on Romanian television, peaking at number four on Media Forest's TV Airplay Chart in October 2010.[38]
The first live performance of "Sun Is Up" occurred at the 2010 Romanian Music Awards on 10 July 2010 in Craiova, Romania, in a medley with『Señorita』(2010), "10 Minutes" (2010) and "Amazing" (2009).[39] In 2011, Inna sang the song on several occasions, including as the opening act of her own Inna: Live la Arenele Romane gig in Bucharest on 17 May, where she arrived by helicopter "like a diva",[40] at the 2011 Balkan Music Awards on 4 June,[41] and at the ZDF-Fernsehgarten and The Dome 59 in Germany on 28 August and 31 August.[42][43] She also performed the song at the 2011 Romanian Music Awards in Brașov on 16 September,[44] and at French event Starfloor on 26 November at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-BercyinParis.[45] Other notable performances outside of the single's promotion phase include during her Wow Session series on her YouTube channel on 16 March 2012,[46] and at the World Trade Center Mexico City in September 2012 and March 2016.[47][48]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
^Hot (Liner notes). Inna. Australia. (Barcode: 9340269019223): Central Station. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Hot (CD liner notes). Inna. France. (Barcode: 6 02527 63653 5): Airplay Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^I Am the Club Rocker (liner notes/ CD booklet). Inna. Roton. 19 September 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Inna a castigat Eurodanceweb Award" [Inna won the Eurodanceweb Award] (in Romanian). Observator. 3 January 2011. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
^"Media Forest – Know You Are On Air". Media Forest. 24 October 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2017. Note: Select 'Songs – TV'. Romanian and international positions are rendered together by the number of plays before resulting an overall chart.
^Coman, Alina (18 May 2011). "Inna a uimit publicul prezent la Arenele Romane" [Inna has impressed the audience present at the Arenele Romane] (in Romanian). InfoMusic. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
^Orduña, Nancy (18 March 2016). "Detalles del concierto de Inna en México" [Details about Inna's concert in Mexico] (in Spanish). Star Media Latinoamerica. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201127 into search.
^Sun Is Up (Liner notes). Inna. France. (Barcode: 602527634753): Airplay Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Sun Is Up (Liner notes). Inna. United States. (Matrix: DIDX-667808): Ultra Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Sun Is Up (Liner notes). Inna. United Kingdom. (Matrix: r2782416: 3Beat Records. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Sun Is Up (Liner notes). Inna. Italy. (Barcode: 8033993895966: Do It Yourself Entertainment. 2011.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
