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"Dragostea din tei"[A] (pronounced [ˈdraɡoste̯a din ˈtej] ⓘ; Romanian: "Love From the Linden Tree"[15]) is a song recorded by Moldovan group O-Zone, released around July 2003 in Romania by Media Services as the lead single from their third studio album DiscO-Zone (2003). It was written by band founder Dan Balan and produced by Bogdan Popoiag, with the latter eventually initiating an unsuccessful lawsuit where he claimed that his alleged contribution as a songwriter had remained uncredited. "Dragostea din tei", a 1980s-inspired dance-pop, synth-pop, Eurodisco and Europop song, is performed in Romanian, with its lyrics about having sexual intercourse under trees according to Balan. Music critics have described the lyrics as nonsensical or as being about a phone conversation with a love interest. Alongside elements of camp, the track also prominently features a yodelling sequence.
| "Dragostea din tei" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of multiple covers used for the song | ||||
| Single by O-Zone | ||||
| from the album DiscO-Zone | ||||
| Language | Romanian | |||
| Released | cca. July 2003[1] | |||
| Recorded | April 2003[2] | |||
| Studio | MOF Records studio | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:33 | |||
| Label | Media Services[8] | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dan Balan | |||
| Producer(s) | Bogdan Popoiag | |||
| O-Zone singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Dragostea din tei" on YouTube | ||||
Reviewers have praised the catchy nature of "Dragostea din tei", while also noting that the song's melody and rhythm had a universal appeal in spite of the language barrier imposed on international audiences by the use of the Romanian language. At the 2005 Echo Music Prize in Germany, "Dragostea din tei" won in the "Single of the Year" category. Commercially, it first topped the Romanian Top 100 in late 2003 before attaining worldwide success throughout 2004 and into 2005, reaching number one in Austria, Wallonia, Denmark, Europe, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland, which was something unprecedented for a song in Romanian. Among others, it was certified diamond by the French Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (SNEP) and quadruple million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ). It stands as one of the best-selling singles of all time with sales of over 12 million copies as of October 2007.
Multiple observers have opined that the song's international success was fueled by a dance cover released by Italy-based Romanian singer Haiducii in December 2003 by Universo. It first topped the Italian singles chart in early 2004 and eventually also reached number one in Austria and Sweden. Haiducii competed with O-Zone's original version in several territories, while also either impacting the charts before the original or outpeaking it in some regions. Haiducii's cover was involved in a controversy in which Balan claimed that it was released without his permission. The original "Dragostea din tei" was further popularized by a Japanese animated video circulating on the internet, which in turn inspired American vlogger Gary Brolsma to use the song in his video "Numa Numa Dance" in December 2004. Featuring him sitting in a chair in front of his computer and dancing to "Dragostea din tei" in a cheerful manner, the clip went viral, with it standing as one of the most-viewed internet videos of all time and consolidating the song's status as a meme.
"Dragostea din tei" was accompanied by a music video directed by Dmitri Voloshin, which mainly sees the group members in the cockpit of a plane, as well as dancing to the song inside it and on one of its wings. For further promotion, O-Zone also gave several live performances of the song in Europe, Russia and Japan. In the United States, Balan appeared on Today to sing "Ma Ya Hi",[B] an English language-version of "Dragostea din tei" released exclusively to that region as a solo venture featuring American musician Lucas Prata. Over the years, "Dragostea din tei" has been used in several other works which have experienced varying levels of commercial success. In 2008, American rapper T.I. and Barbadian singer Rihanna sampled and interpolated it in "Live Your Life", which topped the American and British charts. It was also interpolated in French DJ David Guetta and American band OneRepublic's successful 2024 single "I Don't Wanna Wait", among others. Furthermore, "Dragostea din tei" was featured in several films, including Chicken Little (2005) and Happy Feet Two (2011).
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Moldovan band O-Zone, consisting of founder Dan Balan alongside Radu Sîrbu and Arsenie Todiraș, have experienced success in Romania with their 2002 singles "Numai tu" and "Despre tine", with the latter reaching number one on the Romanian Top 100 in February 2003.[3][16] The group recorded the follow-up "Dragostea din tei" in April 2003 at the MOF Records studio with the assistance of Bogdan Popoiag. It was written and composed by Balan, whilst the production was handled by Popoiag; the latter also mastered the track.[2]
Around September 2004, Popoiag filed a lawsuit against Balan and Media Serivces, the label that signed O-Zone, at the Bucharest court, claiming that he had not received credit for his alleged contribution as a composer of the song.[17][18] Balan countersued for defamation,[19] and won the case, with Popoiag ordered to award him 60 million ROL after failing to present evidence for his claims. Balan announced that he would donate the money to the winner of a songwriting competititon.[20][21]
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"Dragostea din tei" was first released as the lead single from O-Zone's third studio album DiscO-Zone (2003) in Romania by local label Media Services.[2][8][4] As part of an almost 100,000 euro-deal, it was eventually licensed to Italian label Time Records, who in turn authorized various labels in Europe to issue the song.[8][23] Mentions of "Dragostea din tei" in Romanian media date back to at least July 2003,[1] and its copyright was legally registered in the region a month later.[24] A CD of the song was released in Romania in 2003 by Cat Music, also containing the music videos of previous singles "Numai tu" and "Despre tine".[3][25]
Throughout 2004, "Dragostea din tei" was physically released in several other countries, including France,[26] Germany,[27] Italy,[28] the Netherlands,[29] Spain,[30] and the United Kingdom.[31] In France, the track was first released on 14 April 2004 and was aided by an advertising campaign on local television channels and radio stations.[32] The song received a similar treatment in Germany, with it additionally being advertized at half-time during soccer matches and O-Zone partnering with travel agencies.[33] As part of the 2004 international reissue of "Despre tine", "Dragostea din tei" was featured as the B-side on CDs released in selected regions.[34]
Also in 2004, Ultra Records issued two 12-inch vinyls in the United States that included "Ma Ya Hi",[B] an English language-version of "Dragostea din tei" featuring American musician Lucas Prata.[10][36] This version was recorded in Milan, Italy, and was written by both Balan and Prata.[10][22] "Ma Ya Hi" was a solo venture for Balan,[10] and media reports speculated that this caused internal tensions within O-Zone.[37] "Ma Ya Hi" was included on Prata's studio album Let's Get It On (2006),[35] while a remixed version was featured on the American version of DiscO-Zone.[38] The original Romanian version of the song was digitally released in the United States on 22 June 2004 by Media Services, under the name of "Mai Ai Hee (Dragostea din tei)".[11] In 2005, a CD of "Dragostea din tei" was issued in Japan by Avex Trax, titled "恋のマイアヒ" ("Koi No Maiahi").[13]
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"Dragostea din tei" is a 1980s-inspired[41] dance-pop,[3] synth-pop,[4] Eurodisco,[5] and Europop song,[6][7] whose instrumentation features synthesized bass and what Rolling Stone Australia described as "robotic stop-start rhythms".[39][14] Billboard's staff has described "Dragostea din tei" as a novelty song,[42] while several other publications have pointed out elements of camp.[6][43][44] The song is set in the key of A minor and has a tempo of 130 beats per minute (BPM).[45] It follows a F-C-G-Am chord progression.[39] "Dragostea din tei" is performed in Romanian and mentions the linden tree (Romanian: "tei"), which is commonly used in Romanian literature.[46] Throughout the song, its title is pronounced in an ambiguous way that could lead the listener to hear the phrase "Dragostea dintâi" (Romanian: "The first love").[47] According to The Believer's Douglas Wolk, the track's name also "alludes to a hipster neighborhood in Bucharest".[39]
While Balan has stated that the lyrics describe having sexual intercourse under trees, other publications have argued that they were nonsensical.[14][48][49] Wolk called them "nonspecific", but elaborated that they were the lyrical subject's side of a phone conversation with their love interest.[39] The former also mentions beeping the latter, which Rivista Studio's Pietro Minto pointed out as something emblematic of the "adolescent life in the early 2000s".[50] During the song, O-Zone refer to themselves as hajduks and Pablo Picasso.[1][3][39] In the English version, "hajduk" is replaced with duke, and Picasso is further referenced through the addition of lines such as "I will paint my words of love / With your name of every wall".[22]
The sequence "Ma-ia-hii, Ma-ia-huu, Ma-ia-hoo, Ma-ia-haha" is prominently yodeled at the beginning and during the track.[8][39][51] Analyzing the delivery, Ulf Lippitz of Der Spiegel thought that Balan provided vocals similar to those found in old Romanian folk songs.[43] In the refrain, the words "nu mă, nu mă iei" (Romanian: "won't, won't take me") are repeated as the lyrical subject details their love interest wanting to leave them;[39][40] this has been perceived as "numa numa yay" by foreign listeners, prompting "Dragostea din tei" to also be referred to as the "Numa Numa Song".[14][5][40] In the English version of the track, this sequence is changed to "Oo-aa-oo-aa-ay", which Wolk criticized for not having the "baby-talk singability" of the original.[39]
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Music critics have praised the catchy nature of "Dragostea din tei", with The Believer's Wolk writing that "[t]here's scarcely a second without some extraordinary hook, starting with the wordless keening at the beginning".[4][39] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian opined that the song "wobbles unsteadily along the line that separates catchy from infuriating".[6] laut.de's Alexander Cordas categorized "Dragostea din tei" as "unpretentious" and "simple light music".[52] Dana Dorian of Jurnalul echoed this thought, writing that the composition was "puerile and very predictable", meant for "the masses, [...] regardless of the language they speak". She further called the voices "thin, not at all technical and studied", but concluded that "neither do they need more".[41]
Another topic of discussion among music critics was the nonsensical nature of the song's lyrics. While this was criticized by Libertatea's Petre Dobrescu, who likened this aspect to the band's other work,[1] Harald Peters of Die Tageszeitung regarded it as something that "Dragostea din tei" had in common with other worldwide hits such as "The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)" (2002) by the Spanish group Las Ketchup.[48] Other reviewers opined that it did not matter for the success of "Dragostea din tei" that the lyrics were written in a foreign language because the song's melody and rhythm had a universal appeal.[39][14][49] BBC's Greg Kot further wrote: "What unites most [summer hits] through the last couple of decades is that they're energetic and at least sound upbeat, even when they're not. Also crucial: give summer revelers something catchy, no matter how mindless, to sing along with. [...] [I]t leaps all language barriers in a single bound and allows everyone to feel like a star".[53] The Believer's Wolk concluded that the song had a refrain "as big as an abandoned government building" which allowed "huge legions of drunk people [to] sing easily [to]".[39]
Some critics saw "Dragostea din tei" as part of a trend where music by artists originating from the Eastern European countries in the Eastern Bloc, including Russian duo t.A.T.u. and Ukrainian singer Ruslana, would become popular across Europe.[43][49] Lippitz of Der Spiegel opined that this was facilitated by the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, which allowed said territories to be exposed to Western media and trends.[43] Other reviewers have likened "Dragostea din tei" to works by Austrian singer DJ Ötzi, as well as to the song "Chihuahua" (2003) by Swiss musician DJ BoBo.[32][52] At the MTV Romania Music Awards 2004, "Dragostea din tei" received a nomination for "Best Single".[54] It also won in the "Single of the Year" category at the 2005 Echo Music Prize in Germany,[55] and was nominated for "Foreign Radio Hit" and "Ringtone of the Year" at the 2005 Russian Music Industry Awards.[56]
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"Dragostea din tei" was a commercial success. As of October 2007, it has sold in excess of 12 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.[57] Among several achievements, it stands as the third-most successful song of the 2000s in Germany,[58] and as the fourth best-selling track of the 21st century in France with 1,170,000 copies moved as of September 2014.[59] At one point, it was Japan's best-selling digital single with four million units sold until surpassed by "Flavor of Life" by Japanese-American singer Hikaru Utada in 2007.[60]
Initial domestic success in 2003 and international recognition in 2004
"Dragostea din tei" first attained commercial success in Romania, where it held the number-one position on the Romanian Top 100 for three weeks in September 2003,[62] making it the band's second number-one after "Despre tine" earlier that year.[16] As of April 2004, "Dragostea din tei" has sold over 250,000 copies in Romania.[32] In March 2004, the song reached number 17 on the Italian singles chart.[63] One month later, it debuted at number one in Spain―the first country outside of Romania where the song received radio support―reclimbing to the chart's top position on two more occasions in May and June 2004.[33][64] In April 2004, "Dragostea din tei" further topped the French chart, holding that spot for 15 consecutive weeks.[65] At one point, four versions of the song were present in the top 50 in France—the original, a cover recorded by Romanian singer Haiducii, as well as the parodies "Ma cé ki? Massimo" by Italian media personality Massimo Gargia and "Le poulailler" by French radio station Le 6-9.[61] "Dragostea din tei" was eventually certified diamond in the region by Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (SNEP).[66]
By June 2004, the song had shipped around 500,000 copies in Europe.[8] From June to August 2004, it impacted several other territories. It reached number one in all DACH countries, holding that position for 14 weeks in Germany and Switzerland,[67][68] and for 13 weeks in Austria.[69] In the former, it was certified double platinum by Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI).[70] In the Netherlands, the song topped the Dutch Single Top 100.[71] "Dragostea din tei" was also successful in Nordic countries, becoming a number-one hit in Norway and Denmark,[72][73] as well as peaking at numbers two and three in Finland and Sweden, respectively.[74][75] The song further topped Billboard's European Hot 100 Singles chart for 12 weeks,[76] at one point being followed by Haiducii's version at number two and "Le poulailler" at number 18.[77] "Dragostea din tei" peaked at numbers one, two and three in Ireland,[78] Scotland and the United Kingdom,[79][80] respectively, while the Unu' in the Dub Mix peaked at number nine on the radio airplay chart in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).[81] The song topped the 2004 year-end charts in Austria,[82] Europe,[83] France,[84] Germany,[85] Netherlands and Switzerland, among others.[86][87]
Continued success in the United States and Japan in 2005
In the United States, the Lucas Prata version reached number 14 on Billboard's Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart at the end of August 2004, however it was not until March 2005 that the song peaked at number 16 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, as well as at positions 69 and 72 on the Digital Song Sales and Pop 100 rankings, respectively.[88][89] As of that month, it has sold over 35,000 digital downloads in the region,[90] and was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[91]
In his book The Click Moment: Seizing Opportunity in an Unpredictable World, Frans Johansson attributed the song's mediocre performance in the United States to Ultra Records not having "the experience or ressources to successfully market [it]", further noting that "Dragostea din tei" had been released there "at a time when techno-based club tracks were ebbing in popularity [...] [and] airwaves were dominated by R&B and hip-hop". According to Johansson, the song's resulting poor sales and radio performance were the reasons for Ultra Records pulling back all promotional efforts and cancelling plans to tour the United States.[92] In Japan, the original version of "Dragostea din tei" peaked at number 72 on the Oricon Singles Chart in June 2005, with the song being awarded quadruple million, platinum and gold certifications by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) across multiple formats.[93]
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American vlogger Gary Brolsma (left) used "Dragostea din tei" in his viral video "Numa Numa Dance". He had come across the song through a Japanese clip that paired it with animations of what resembles the cat figure Monā (right).[39]
In Japan, an anonymous user nicknamed Ikari used "Dragostea din tei" in an animated video which features a character that resembles Monā, a popular cat frequently illustrated with typed symbols by users on the Japanese textboard 2channel. During the clip, Romanian lyrics in the song are purposefully misheard as English or Japanese expressions—for example, "salut" (Romanian: "hello") is accompanied by an image of a "monkey" (Japanese: "saru"), while "fericirea" (Romanian: "happiness") is misheard as "looking up for a skirt" (Japanese: "panchira") and "nu mă, nu mă iei" as "drink, drink, yay" (Japanese: "noma, noma, yay"). The video became popular, prompting other similar clips to be created by fellow users globally. In response, O-Zone's Japanese label Avex Trax launched merchandise depicting what they called the "Noma neko" ("Noma cat").[39]
Having reportedly come across the song through Ikari's video, American vlogger Gary Brolsma lip-synched to "Dragostea din tei" in a video that he posted to website Newgrounds on 6 December 2004. Called "Numa Numa Dance", the clip sees Brolsma sitting in a chair in front of his computer and dancing to the song.[39][94] Wren Graves of Consequence elaborated: "At times he is almost still, holding his mouth open wide or punctuating a musical moment with a perfectly-timed raised eyebrow. [...] [A]nd then a sudden obliteration of matter — a solid man becoming pure, dancing air. Brolsma captures all the joy of the chorus with a sly humor and full commitment, [...] pump[ing] his fists above his head".[4] Shortly after, the video went viral, with reported views of 700 million as of November 2006,[95] giving Brolsma mainstream media's coverage and inspiring several parodies and remakes.[39][94] It is regarded as one of the most-watched internet videos of all time,[96] with "Dragostea din tei" consequently also becoming a meme.[39][94] Referring to this phenomenon as "numanumamania", The Believer's Wolk wrote that Brolsma's video was "better advertising for [...] 'Dragostea din tei' than anything a record label could have paid for".[39] Francesco Gerardi, writing for Rivista Studio, opined that "Numa Numa Dance" was instrumental for the song's chart entrance in the United States.[94]
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Music video
An accompanying music video for "Dragostea din tei", directed and animated by Dmitri Voloshin,[97] was released in 2004 at the latest.[9] The video opens with Todiraș stretching on a couch as elements of "Despre tine" play. Following this, shots of a fictional futuristic city from the "Numai tu" music video are shown, as well as of a magazine advertizing O-Zone's comeback paired with highlights of the "Despre tine" video.[98][99][100] Subsequently, the group is shown running to the exit of a building and towards a plane. They enter its cockpit and take off as "Dragostea din tei" starts playing. They are then seen dancing to the song on one of the airborne aircraft's wings, as well as dancing inside the plane and recording at a studio. All wear white pants and colorful shirts, with Todiraș and Balan's open to the waist and paired with suspenders and glasses.[98]
Computer-generated shots of the flying plane are also shown, with it having a built-in red "on air" sign and engines that turn into speakers. Various animated stills are briefly interspersed throughout the video, among others showing Balan as a cyborg, Sîrbu at a bodybuilding competition, Balan and Todiraș in a laboratory with an alien or them as vampires, Batman, three men of different ethnicities dressed in traditional clothing in front of a dove with an olive branch, and the Moldovan flag. The song ends with an animated shot of the group members in front of a crashed plane in flames, followed by them leaving the site. The video then returns to the opening sequence with Todiraș on the couch as a mellower version of "Dragostea din tei" plays. Balan is seated next to him drawing on his pencil board, and all three members come together smiling to look at Balan's sketch. The clip ends with the reveal of the drawing, which is a storyboard of the music video.[98]
In her book New Media Literacies and Participatory Popular Culture Across Borders, Bronwyn Williams likened the style of the animations to anime and called them "inexplicable", concluding that the video was "eminently forgettable".[101] Minto of Rivista Studio called the clip "spectacular", although noting that the dance scenes were "out-of-context" and the special effects low quality and "botched".[50] In Thede Kahl's book Von Hora, Doina und Lăutaren, it is elaborated on the possibility that the video alludes to the Zburător myth.[47] In a 2017 interview, Balan retrospectively opined that the video had helped "Dragostea din tei" become a gay anthem, particularly because of the group's outfits and display of affection for each other.[102]
Live performances
O-Zone performed "Dragostea din tei" in Germany in 2004 at the Hessentag festival on 25 June,[103] on the television show Wetten, dass..? on 3 July,[104] twice on the local version of Top of the Pops,[105][106] on The Dome 30,[107] as well as on fellow programmes broadcast by German television channels RTL, ZDF and RBB.[108][109][110] In France, the group performed the song twice on channel M6, including on the show Hit Machine,[111][112] and further sang it during the fourth season of Star Academy.[113] O-Zone also performed "Dragostea din tei" on the show Fabrika Zvyozd in Russia,[114] on Top of the Pops in the Netherlands,[115] and on TVE in Spain.[116]
In 2005, the group sang the track on several shows in Japan,[117][118][119] including on Music Station and SMAPxSMAP,[33] and Balan also appeared with Prata to sing "Ma Ya Hi" on Today in the United States.[120][121] Before disbanding in 2005, O-Zone gave a performance of "Dragostea din tei" at the Romanian Golden Stag Festival in September 2005.[122][123] They also performed it during their reunions for Europe Day on 9 May 2017 at University Square in Bucharest,[124] and on the occasion of New Year's Eve at the Constitution Square in 2019 also in Bucharest.[125]
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| "Dragostea din tei" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Haiducii | ||||
| from the album Paula Mitrache in Haiducii | ||||
| Language | Romanian | |||
| Released | December 2003[24] | |||
| Studio | MM Studio | |||
| Genre | Dance[50] | |||
| Length | 3:35 | |||
| Label | Universo[24] | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Balan | |||
| Producer(s) | Max Minoia | |||
| Haiducii singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Dragostea din tei" on YouTube | ||||
Background and composition
Italy-based Romanian singer Paula Monica Mitrache recorded a cover of "Dragostea din tei" after having been advised to do so by her label Universo,[128][129] although she had initially opposed to the idea.[130] Her stage name, Haiducii, was inspired by the mention of hajduks in the song.[129] The cover was produced and mixed by Max Minoia at MM Studio in Rome, Italy,[131] and features uncredited vocals by Italian singer Vittorio Centrone, who notably provides the "Ma-ia-hii, Ma-ia-huu, Ma-ia-hoo, Ma-ia-haha" sequence.[132][133] This dance version was reframed as a conversation between a man and a woman, which Francesco Gerardi of Rivista Studio likened to "Buonasera dottore" (1974) by Italian singer Claudia Mori.[50][94]
Release
"Dragostea din tei" was serviced as Haiducii's debut single in December 2003 in Italy by Universo.[24] It was physically released in various countries throughout 2004, including in France,[134] Germany,[135] Italy,[136] Netherlands,[127] Spain and the United States.[137][138] The CDs and vinyls all included a remix produced by Italian DJ and group Eiffel 65 member Gabry Ponte.[136][139] A remix EP was made available for digital download on 3 August 2004 in various countries.[140] In 2005, a CD was released in Taiwan by Avex Trax under the title of "嘜阿喜" ("Mai A Hi"), featuring cartoon characters on its cover that were used to promote the song in the region.[141][142] "Dragostea din tei" was eventually included on Haiducii's sole studio album, Paula Mitrache in Haiducii (2008).[143] A remix, titled "Dragostea din tei 2k13", was released in 2012, featuring the contribution of Eiffel 65 lead vocalist Jeffrey Jey alongside Ponte.[144] On 11 August 2023, Haiducii issued a solo re-recording of the song for its 20th anniversary.[145][146]
Commercial performance
In several territories, Haiducii's version of "Dragostea din tei" impacted the charts before O-Zone's original, including in Germany,[67][148] Italy,[63][149] Spain,[64][150] and France.[65][151] It debuted atop the Italian singles chart in January 2004 with 200,000 copies sold, outpeaking the original.[24][63][149] Significantly aided by the Gabry Ponte remix,[49][147] the song claimed the top position for a total of six weeks and remained within the top 10 for over four months.[63] In March 2004, Haiducii's version debuted and peaked at number four in Spain,[150] following which she reached numbers one and two in Austria and France, respectively, in April.[151][152] The track also reached number two in Wallonia in May 2004, being blocked from number one by the original.[153][154]
In June 2004, the cover peaked at number two in Germany—blocked by the original—and Switzerland,[148][155] as well as number four in Norway and number six in Flanders.[156][157] Throughout July, it was held back by O-Zone's original to peak atop the European Hot 100 Singles chart,[77] while also peaking at numbers four, five and seven in the Netherlands, Denmark and Hungary, respectively.[158][159][160] In Sweden, Haiducii topped the chart in August, outcharting the original.[75][161] It held the top spot for five consecutive weeks and spent five months in the top ten.[161] For the year of 2004, Haiducii's version of "Dragostea din tei" ended within the top 10 of the best-performing singles in Austria,[82] Germany,[85] Italy,[162] Sweden,[163] Switzerland and Europe.[83][87] It was further awarded gold certifications in Austria,[164] Belgium,[165] France,[166] Sweden and Switzerland.[167][168] As of February 2021, the song has sold one million copies in Europe.[169]
Promotion
An accompanying music video was released in 2004 at the latest.[170] It opens with a man entering a hotel room and throwing himself on the bed. He then proceeds to walk through the room and the hallway of the hotel seemingly confused and in search of something. Haiducii, meanwhile sitting in another room, is watching him on a TV that shows the footage of a surveillance camera. The man ultimately finds a hidden camera and walks to Haiducii's site, which is now empty. He watches the footage on the aforementioned TV, which now depicts her leaving through the hallway in a red fur outfit. The video often has its screen split in four, and includes interspersed shots of Haiducii dancing to the song wearing different dresses.[171]
For further promotion, Haiducii performed the song as a musical guest at the Italian Sanremo Music Festival 2004 on 4 March 2004,[172] as well as on the local version of Top of the Pops and on Rai 2.[173][174] She also sang "Dragostea din tei" in Germany on Interaktiv and RTL,[175][176] as well as in France on La Chanson de l'année and France 2.[177][178] In 2020, she appeared on Die ultimative Chartshow in Germany.[179] In 2023, she performed on ZDF-Fernsehgarten in the same region on 7 May, as well as on Dai 60 ai 2000 in Italy on 27 September.[180] Haiducii further made an appearance during Centrone's audition on the Italian version of The Voice Senior in 2024 to sing the song with him.[133]
Dispute over legality and impact on the original version
In February 2004, Balan claimed that, although he had been credited as a songwriter, Haiducii's cover was released without his permission. He threatened to sue Haiducii and Universo if they would not pull back her version. According to Balan, they had relied on an Italian law which they alleged allowed the release of covers, however he concluded that such a law did not exist and would not apply to Haiducii, a Romanian citizen, as well as not to "Dragostea din tei", which had been recorded in Romania first.[24] Gerardi of Rivista Studio wrote that Haiducii "didn't even ask permission" for her cover, but concluded that this was "a pracice that was still legal at that time".[94] In a 2016 interview, Haiducii said that no legal action had been taken against her cover.[129]
Multiple observers argue that Haiducii's cover was a key factor in bringing international attention to the original version.[103][181][182] Rivista Studio's Gerardi wrote: "[In 2003, 'Dragostea din tei' by O-Zone] had achieved a fair amount of success in Romania and Moldova, only to then be forgotten along with many of the things that happen in the summer. But [...] Universo [...] did not miss the commercial potential of the song. [...] [After Haiducii's success, Balan] called all the people he knew in the music industry to find one who would reissue [the original] 'Dragostea din tei' and give the single global distribution".[94] According to media reports, Haiducii's success was also the reason why O-Zone postponed their intended disbandment in December 2003.[183] Balan saw the coexistence of Haiducii's cover as an impediment in commercializing the original version internationally, since O-Zone "[had] to convince other labels [...] that the original song belong[ed] to [them]".[24]
Other usage
A version of the song titled "Maya Hi, Maya Hu" credited to Swedish animated character Crazy Frog was released in 2009.[184] In 2019, Haiducii and Catholic pastor Don Allessandrou Cosu published "Parliamo di Gesú" ("Let's Talk About Jesus") on YouTube,[169] which is an alternate version of "Dragostea din tei" with rewritten religious lyrics.[185] The accompanying music video, which was filmed in a church, went viral on Italian social media in 2021.[169][186] In June 2023, Caffellatte and Haiducii released "Troppo Chic (Dragostea din tei)", which uses portions of "Dragostea din tei" that Haiducii re-recorded. She also took part in promotional endeavours for the song on television.[130][180]
Track listings
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
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Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[164] | Gold | 15,000* |
| Belgium (BEA)[165] | Gold | 25,000* |
| France (SNEP)[166] | Gold | 250,000* |
| Italy | — | 200,000[24] |
| Sweden (GLF)[167] | Gold | 10,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[168] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe | — | 1,000,000[169] |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Version | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | December 2003 | Unknown | Universo | Original |
|
| Austria | 2004 |
CD single | Edel | ||
| Belgium | ARS Productions | ||||
| France | Universo | ||||
| 12-inch single | Bertelsmann | ||||
| Germany | CD single |
|
|||
| Italy | Sony | ||||
| 12-inch single | Spy | ||||
| Netherlands | CD single | Digidance | |||
| Spain | Blanco y negro | ||||
| Sweden |
|
||||
| Switzerland | Ministry of Sound | ||||
| United States | Empire Musicwerks | ||||
| Various | 3 August 2004 | Digital download | Unknown | Remix EP |
|
| Taiwan | 2005 |
CD single | Avex Trax | Original |
|
"Dragostea din tei" is the first song in Romanian to have achieved international success.[130][D] While Libertatea wrote that it had "done more for Romania's image than all politicians put together",[103] Balan stated in an interview that, for him, "the greatest pride is the fact that [he] promoted the Romanian language".[203] Paul Sexton of Billboard wrote how "Dragostea din tei" served as a "reminder of music's power to connect across borders", further noting that it "managed to convey uninhibited joy better than any phrase in the English language probably could".[204] Rivista Studio's Minto views the song's "conquest of the West [...] in a language atypical of contemporary pop" as a "very rare event", likening it to the popularity of South Korean rapper Psy's 2012 single "Gangnam Style" performed in Korean.[50]
Minto further regards "Dragostea din tei" as a precursor to modern virality, writing that "[t]he cultural diffusion of the song – and its mutation into a 'catchphrase' – can be placed at a point of transition between [Los del Río's 1993 single] 'Macarena' – which exploded in a pre-mass internet era – and 'Gangnam Style' – which instead blossomed on the now high crests of global social networks".[50] Elaborating on the impact of "Dragostea din tei", The Believer's Wolk opined that "not even the words but the sound of the recording [are] now part of the fabric of the internet. It's bypassed the monolithic American entertainment industry to become a standard".[39] In 2018, "Dragostea din tei" was included on Billboard's ranking of the "100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time" at number 82.[204] The American edition of Rolling Stone listed it at number 18 on their "50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time" ranking in 2015,[205] with the Australian edition of the publication listing it at number 27 on their "75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time" ranking in 2020.[14]
US Billboard Hot 100 number-one "Live Your Life" (2008) by T.I. (left) and Rihanna (right) samples and interpolates "Dragostea din tei".[206]
"Dragostea din tei" has been adapted in over 35 languages.[207] The 2004 parodies "Le poulailler" by Le 6-9 and "Ma cé ki? Massimo" by Gargia were both top 10 hits in France and competed with the original version and Haiducii's cover on the charts there.[61][208] In 2008, American rapper T.I. and Barbadian singer Rihanna released "Live Your Life", which samples and interpolates "Dragostea din tei".[206] The song became an international success, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number two in the United Kingdom, among others.[209][210]
Balan covered the song in 2006 on "Sugar Tunes Numa Numa" with his rock band Balan,[39][211] and in 2008 on "Numa Numa 2" for his project Crazy Loop as a B-side to the single "Mm-ma-ma".[212] He also used the refrain of "Dragostea din tei" on the identically named, but unrelated "Numa Numa 2" featuring American singer Marley Waters in 2018.[213] In 2024, French DJ David Guetta and American band OneRepublic interpolated "Dragostea din tei" on their single "I Don't Wanna Wait", which reached the top 20 in multiple territories including Germany and the United Kingdom.[209][214] Acts such as Romanian singer Inna and American band Bloodhound Gang have covered or parodied "Dragostea din tei" live,[215][216] with the song also having been covered by various artists on Your Face Sounds Familiar internationally.[217][218][219]
The original or alternative versions of "Dragostea din tei" have been used in multiple films, including in Chicken Little (2005) for a reported payment of one million US$,[220] Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005),[122] Happy Feet Two (2011),[221] and It's Only the End of the World (2016),[207] as well as throughout the telenovela Triunfo del amor (2010–2011),[222] and the series Stargate Universe (2009–2011).[223] The song was furthermore included on the dance video game Just Dance 2017,[224] as well as used for commercials by companies such as Yakult,[225] Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG),[226] Lazada,[227] and AliExpress.[228]
| List of notable works that use "Dragostea din tei" | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title Artist |
Country of origin | Peak chart positions | Notes | |||||||||||||
| AUT [229] |
BEL (Fl) [230] |
BEL (Wa) [231] |
CIS [232] |
FRA [208] |
GER [214] |
JPN [233] |
NLD [234] |
SWI [235] |
UK [209] |
US [210] | |||||||
| 2003 | "Dragostea din tei"[24] Haiducii |
Romania | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | ||||
| 2004 | "Allo! (Dragostea din tei)"[236] De Feestridders |
Belgium | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Argent-Argent"[237] Cauet featuring Mopral |
France | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Dragostea din tei"[238] Audiosmog |
Germany | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Dragostea din tei"[239] Fancy |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Festa no Apê (Dragostea din tei)"[240] Latino |
Brazil | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Lekker Lekker (Ga Maar Met Me Mee) (Dragostea din tei)"[242] Ome Henk |
Netherlands | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Le poulailler"[243] Le 6-9 |
France | — | — | 8 | — | 2 | ― | — | — | 30 | — | — |
Parody[61] | ||||
| "Ma cé ki? Massimo"[244] Massimo Gargia |
— | — | 13 | — | 9 | — | — | — | 38 | — | — |
Parody[61] | |||||
| "Muggen hier, muggen daar"[245] Gebroeders Ko |
Netherlands | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5[E] | — | — | — | |||||
| "Numerakirály"[246] Irigy Hónaljmirigy |
Hungary | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Nur ma' so"[247] Frank Lars |
Germany | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Ra la la (Rudi hier, Rudi da)"[248] Bangman |
Germany | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Rumba rej (Dragostea din tei)"[249] Toxic Babe |
Czech Republic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Unsichtbar"[250] Lisa Aberer |
Austria | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Won the 2004 Kiddy Contest.[251] | ||||
| "Wenn der Hafer sticht"[252] Antonia aus Tirol |
7 | — | — | — | — | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Ya Yeyo Khoy"[253] ("Я её хой") Professor Lebedinsky featuring Russkiy Razmer and Dmitry Nagiyev |
Russia | — | — | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Zauberschule (Dragostea din tei)"[254] Die Schlümpfe |
Germany | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2005 | "Dragostea din tei"[255] Minisztár |
Hungary | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Koi No Buchiage"[256] ("恋のブチアゲ") Maeken Trance Project |
Japan | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Medley of multiple songs, including "Dragostea din tei".[39] | ||||
| "Koi No Maiahi"[257] ("恋のマイアヒ") Yu Hasebe, Miori Takimoto and Mai Iwasaki |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Pluma Gay"[258][259] Los Morancos de la Triana |
Spain | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Also known as "Marica tú" (Spanish: "Gay You").[39] With lyrics altered to talk about partying and coming out, the song attained commercial success in several Spanish-speaking territories and became popular with the LGBTQ community there.[39][259] | ||||
| 2006 | "Bài Ca Mi Ya Hee"[260] ("戀愛瘋") Đan Trường |
Vietnam | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Liàn'ài fēng"[261] ("戀愛瘋") Elva Hsiao |
Taiwan | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Sem Drama Aguardarei"[262] Onda Choc |
Portugal | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Shabu Shabu"[263] 2moro |
Taiwan | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Sister's Dream"[264] Hyun Young |
South Korea | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Sugar Tunes Numa Numa"[211] Balan |
Moldova | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2007 | "Bu Pa Bu Pa"[265] Jocie Kok |
Singapore | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Lyrics rewritten to delve on overcoming the fear of cockroaches.[39] | |||
| "Kumimies"[266] Frederik |
Finland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2008 | "Live Your Life"[206] T.I. featuring Rihanna |
United States Barbados |
5 | 15 | 19 | 49 | 17 | 12 | — | 21 | 8 | 2 | 1 | The song's producer Just Blaze came up with the idea of sampling and interpolating the song through Brolsma's viral "Numa Numa Dance" video.[206] | |||
| "Numa Numa 2"[212] Crazy Loop |
Moldova | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Trzech Tenorow"[267] Kabaret pod Wyrwigroszem |
Poland | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Medley of parodies of "Time to Say Goodbye" and "Dragostea din tei".[267] | ||||
| "When You Leave (Numa Numa)"[268] Alina |
Romania | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | —[F] | |||||
| 2011 | "Dragostea din tei"[270] Hank Azaria and Happy Feet Two Chorus |
United States | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Recorded in a humppa version and included on the soundtrack of Happy Feet Two (2011).[270][271] | |||
| "Ma-Ya-Hi"[272] Jamatami |
Germany | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2012 | "Girls"[273] Gille |
Japan | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "My Life Is a Party"[274] ItaloBrothers |
Germany | 18 | — | —[G] | — | 103 | 43 | — | — | 62 | — | — | |||||
| 2018 | "Numa Numa 2"[213] Dan Balan featuring Marley Waters |
Moldova United States |
— | — | — | 78 | — | — | 64 | — | — | — | — |
Marketed as a continuation of "Dragostea din tei".[213] Not to be confused with an unrelated video of Brolsma's of the same name.[276] Released under the title "恋のマイアヒ2018" ("Koi No Maiahi 2018") in Japan.[277] | |||
| 2019 | "Dragostea din tei"[278] Dan Balan featuring Katerina Begu |
Moldova Ukraine |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Viral cover performed on Holos Krainy by contestant Begu and juror Balan.[278] | |||
| 2020 | "Dragostea din tei"[279] Mira |
Romania | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Travel the World"[280] Spookiz |
South Korea | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2021 | "Dragostea din tei"[281] Julien Doré featuring Simone and Jean-Marc |
France | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Faded Love"[282] Leony |
Germany | 11 | 31 | — | — | — | 17 | — | 58 | 24 | — | — | |||||
| "Numa Numa Yey"[283] The Lathums |
United Kingdom | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2022 | "Dragostea din tei"[284] Feuerschwanz |
Germany | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Coup de vieux"[285] Bigflo & Oli featuring Julien Doré |
France | — | — | 3 | — | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2023 | "Let's Go MIA"[286] Evangelia |
United States Greece |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Stupid Heart"[287] Sorana |
Romania | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2024 | "I Don't Wanna Wait"[207] David Guetta and OneRepublic |
France United States |
8 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 10 | —[H] | 12 | 7 | 19 | 96 | ||||
| N/A | "Người Tình Mai-Ya-Hee"[289] Vũ Hà |
Vietnam | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. Green cells denote cover versions that use the original or altered lyrics. Blue cells denote releases that sample and/or interpolate the original. | |||||||||||||||||
|
|
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[329] | Platinum | 30,000* |
| Belgium (BEA)[330] | 2× Platinum | 100,000* |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[331] | Gold | 4,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[66] | Diamond | 1,170,000[59] |
| Germany (BVMI)[70] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI)[332] | Gold | 50,000‡ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[93] Ringtone |
4× Million | 4,000,000* |
| Japan (RIAJ)[93] Full-length ringtone |
Platinum | 250,000* |
| Japan (RIAJ)[93] PC download |
Gold | 100,000* |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[333] | Platinum | 60,000^ |
| Romania | — | 250,000[32] |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[334] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| Sweden (GLF)[335] | Gold | 10,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[336] | Platinum | 40,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[337] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[91] | Gold | 35,000[90] |
| Summaries | ||
| Worldwide | — | 12,000,000[57] |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Version | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | cca. July 2003 | Unknown | Media Services | Original |
|
2003 |
CD single | Cat | |||
| DACH | 2004 |
Universal | |||
| Europe |
|
||||
| France | 14 April 2004 | Unknown | |||
2004 |
CD single | Universal | |||
| 12-inch single | |||||
| Germany | CD single |
|
|||
| Mini CD | |||||
| Italy | CD single | Time | |||
| 12-inch single | |||||
| Mexico | CD single | Musart | |||
| Netherlands | BMG | ||||
| Spain | Vale | ||||
| 12-inch single | |||||
| Sweden | CD single | Bonnier | |||
| United Kingdom | 24 May 2004 | Unknown | |||
2004 |
CD single | Time | |||
| 12-inch single | Jive | ||||
| United States | Ultra | Lucas Prata version |
|||
| 22 June 2004 | Digital download | Media Services | Original |
||
| 30 November 2004 | Time | Remix EP incl. Lucas Prata version |
|||
| Japan | 2005 |
CD single | Avex Trax | Original |
|
2006 |
12-inch single | Rhythm Republic | |||
| Various | Unknown | Digital download | Cat | ||
- Charted together with their fellow recording "Zonnebril".[234]
- "When You Leave (Numa Numa)" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, but reached number six on the magazine's Hot Dance Airplay chart.[269]
- "I Don't Wanna Wait" did not chart on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, but reached number eight on the magazine's Japan Hot Overseas chart.[288]
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