"Nirvana" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her fifth studio album of the same name (2017). It was made available for digital download on 28 November 2017 by Global Records, as the record's third single. The track was written by Inna and Thomas Troelsen, while production was handled by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, David Ciente, Vlad Lucan and Troelsen. Musically, "Nirvana" is a Latin-influenced club song, featuring a rap delivered in Spanish during its drop.
Music critics were generally positive towards the dance nature of "Nirvana", and predicted its commercial success, although some felt it was inferior to her previous work. An accompanying music video was uploaded onto Inna's official YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release to positive response from reviewers. Shot by Bogdan Păun of production team NGM Creative, the clip was noted to have no plot. It makes use of neon lighting and features Inna wearing outfits from different brands. For further promotion, the singer performed "Nirvana" for native radio stations and appeared on Vocea României. Commercially, the single reached the top three in Romania and Serbia and the top ten in Turkey.
Background and composition
"Nirvana" was written by Inna and Thomas Troelsen, while production was handled by Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan, David Ciente, Vlad Lucan and Troelsen. It was released for digital download as the third single from her fifth studio album of the same name (2017) on 28 November 2017 by Global Records.
Musically, it is a club song. Its drop features a rap portion delivered in Spanish, while lyrically, Inna "miss[es] her lover being on her body". It commences with the lyrics "Boom boom, contigo te hace", while other lines include "Nine one one, I'm on fire", "Smoking Nirvana / Ring the ala-the-la-larm / Smoking Nirvana / Come on ring the ala-la-la-larm" and "Pues sabes que tu corazón conmigo, Hace boom boom contigo". Jonathan Currinn from website CelebMix noticed the inclusion of a post-chorus, comparing its structure to Inna's "Heaven" (2016), "Ruleta" (2017) and "Bop Bop" (2015). Pure Charts's Julien Goncalves thought that Inna "continues to surf on the craze of the Latin culture [...] on a sensual and feverish tempo", while Valentin Malfroy of French website Aficia noticed a similar production to its predecessor. The singer herself said "[the song] gives [her] a good mood, it is energetic [and] fresh."
Critical reception
Upon its release, "Nirvana" was met with positive reviews from music critics. Kevin Apaza from Direct Lyrics praised the song and its drop as "feel-good", "sexy" and "party-ready", although naming it inferior to Inna's past singles including "Hot" (2008), "10 Minutes" (2010) and "Cola Song" (2014). David Watt, writing for British portal All-Noise, predicted the commercial success of "Nirvana": "[...] it’s a surefire hit."; Aficia's Malfroy also noted its hit potential. Pure Charts's Goncalves wrote: "That's good, 'Nirvana' is a bomb where desire shows through every note".
Music video
An accompanying music video for "Nirvana" was uploaded onto Inna's official YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release on 28 November, preceded by the premiere of two teasers on 24 November and 27 November 2017. Production team NGM Creative was hired for the shooting, of which Bogdan Păun was credited as the director and Alexandru Mureșan as the director of photography of the clip. RD Styling procured Inna's outfits from brands including Alexandru Simedru, Trashkin, Vetements, Off White and Balenciaga. Hair styling was done by Make-up and Beauty Studio, and Endorphin Lab. Direct Lyrics noted that the music video "doesn’t have much storyline-wise".
The visual opens with Inna walking through a hallway full of background dancers, sporting an outfit similar to the one wore in her previous music video for "Ruleta", consisting of animal print-designed shorts and overcoat with black boots. She then reaches a room with multiple people, watching two women eating and drinking; product placement of Coca-Cola is also incorporated in the scene. Other scenes include Inna "lounging around dressed in a teal outfit" and her in a gold box accompanied by two women with their arms out. The clip continues in a similar way and ends with Inna staring at a camera in a blue dress. Nearly all scenes make use of neon lighting, with cut shots showing her dancers performing choreography, and the singer singing to the song against multiple backdrops.