Luisa Ionela Luca (born 22 August 1988), known professionally as Minelli, is a Romanian singer and songwriter. Upon being part of the girl group Wassabi from 2006 to 2009, she rose to fame with her 2019 single "Mariola", which topped the Romanian Airplay 100 chart. Subsequently, in 2021, "Rampampam" became a hit in multiple territories.
Minelli | |
|---|---|
 Minelli at the Artist Awards 2019 | |
| Born | Luisa Ionela Luca 22 August 1988 Slobozia, Romania |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Dance-pop, House |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Labels | Global |
| Formerly of |
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Life and career
Minelli was born as Luisa Ionela Luca on 22 August 1988, and began singing at the age of 11, when she formed a band in her hometown.[1] In 2004, she moved to Bucharest, and between 2006 and 2009, she was a member of the band Wassabi. They attempted to represent Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007, submitting the songs "Crazy" with Morandi and "Do the Tango with Me" to that year's national final.[2][3] After Wassabi disbanded, Minelli focused on her solo career and began working as a singer and songwriter.[4]
In 2019, Minelli released her first number-one single in Romania, "Mariola", which topped the country's Airplay 100 ranking. 2021's "Rampampam" became a hit multiple regions such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Lithuania and Poland. For the week ending 28 August 2021, "Rampampam" reached number 139 on the Billboard's Global Excl. U.S.[5] As a songwriter, Minelli's repertoire includes songs such as "Inimi de ceară" (2017) performed by Andra,[4] "Touch Me" (2019) by Antonia[6] and "Flashbacks" (2021) by Inna.[7]
Personal life
Minelli met Lucian Luca in 2007 at a recording studio, and the two later married.[8] In 2010, they became parents when Sarah Maria, their first child, was born. In 2017, Minelli gave birth to her second child, a boy named Filip.[9]
Discography
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Nostalgic Illusions |
|
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM [10] | BUL [11] | CIS [12] | CRO [13] | CZR [14] | GER Dig. [15] | HUN [16] | LIT [17] | POL [18] | RUS [19] | UKR [20] | WW Excl. US [21] | |||||||
| "Și m-am îndrăgostit de tine" (as part of Wassabi) | 2007 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||
| "Hello Lonely Girl" (as part of Wassabi) | 2008 | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Don't Go Baby" (as part of Wassabi) | 2009 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Dacă strig" (as part of Mojo) | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Empty Spaces" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "My Heart" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Mariola" | 2019 | 1 | — | 171 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Loca" (featuring Erik Frank) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Discoteka" (with Inna) | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Rampampam" | 2021 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 77 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 139 | |||||
| "Nothing Hurts" | 10 | 8 | 3 | 35 | — | — | — | 2 | 10 | 4 | 70 | — |
| |||||
| "MMM" | 2022 | — | — | 9 | 15 | 69 | — | 1 | 62 | 1 | 13 | 3 | — |
| ||||
| "Deep Sea" (with R3hab) | — | — | 11 | — | 65 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 14 | — | ||||||
| "Get Get Down" (with Crispie) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Could Be Something" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Peligrosa" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Think About U" (with Sickotoy) | — | — | — | — | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "No Tears" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM [10] | CIS [12] | FRA [24] | GER [25] | ||||||||||||||
| "Portilla de Bobo" (LoL Deejays vs. Minelli and Follow Your Instinct) | 2013 | — | — | 52 | — | Non-album singles | |||||||||||
| "Soare din nori" (Blitză featuring Minelli) | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||
| "Hump" (Arnold Palmer featuring Minelli) | 2015 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "Murder the Dancefloor" (Emrah Is featuring Follow Your Instinct and Minelli) | 2016 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "Love On Repeat" (Dave Ramone featuring Minelli) | — | — | — | 87 | |||||||||||||
| "My Mind" (Vanotek featuring Minelli) | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||
| "În dormitor" (Vanotek featuring Minelli) | 58 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||
| "Summer Love" (Dave Ramone featuring Minelli) | 2017 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "No Sleep" (Vanotek featuring Minelli) | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||
| "Paradise" (PAX Paradise Auxiliary featuring Minelli) | 2019 | 63 | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "Addicted" (Sickotoy featuring Minelli) | 2 | 130 | — | — | |||||||||||||
| "Done" (Pascal Junior featuring Minelli) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||||
Uncredited vocals
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROM [10] | |||||||||||||||||
| "Fire to My Heart" (Marco & Seba) | 2019 | 58 | Non-album singles | ||||||||||||||
| "Pa Mi" (Gran Error featuring Spania '99) | 64 | ||||||||||||||||
| "Jacket" (PAX Paradise Auxiliary) | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "Muzica e pentru toți" (Vanotek or Irina Rimes and Vanotek) | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "Dum Dum" (Sickotoy and Ilkay Sencan) | 2020 | 20 | |||||||||||||||
| "F..k That" (Bastard!) | 24 | ||||||||||||||||
| "Scara 2, etajul 7" (Carla's Dreams) | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| "You Lose" (Bastard!) | 2021 | — | |||||||||||||||
| "Shukar" (Gran Error) | — | ||||||||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||||
Promotional singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIS [12] | CRO [13] | RUS [19] | |||
| "21 Reasons" (as part of Wassabi featuring Matteo) | 2006 | — | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "Haos" | 2018 | — | — | — | |
| "Bo$$" | 2019 | — | — | — | |
| "Separated" | 2020 | — | — | — | |
| "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" | — | — | — | ||
| "Hola!" (with Romanian House Mafia and Jade Shadi) | 2021 | — | — | — | |
| "Party" (with Inna and Romanian House Mafia) | — | — | — | ||
| "Heart Instructions" | 2022 | — | — | — | |
| "Confused" | 36 | 39 | 23 | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Reality & Dreams" (Morandi featuring Lisa) | 2007 | N3XT |
Songwriting credits
| Title | Year | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Dame Dame" | 2012 | Mandinga | Club de Mandinga |
| "Sufletul zâmbea" | |||
| "Inima nu vrea" | 2014 | Horia Brenciu featuring Delia | None |
| "NaNaNa" | 2017 | Alina Eremia | 360 |
| "Dream About the Ocean" | Inna | Nirvana | |
| "Între noi nu mai e nimic" | FreeStay featuring Andra | None | |
| "Inimi de ceară" | Andra | ||
| "Magique" | Carine | ||
| "Come Around" | Soundland and Timebelle | ||
| "Magical place" | 2018 | DJ Sava featuring Iova | |
| "Nu mai e" | Ioana Ignat | ||
| "Touch Me" | 2019 | Antonia | |
| "Fuego" | Maria Ilieva | ||
| "Jacket" | PAX Paradise Auxiliary | ||
| "Take Me" | Vanotek featuring Myata | ||
| "You Don't Love Me" | Sickotoy featuring Roxen | ||
| "Hurricane" | Alessiah | ||
| "Como ¡Ay!" | 2020 | Antonia | |
| "Escape" | Roxen | ||
| "Waiting For" | Alessiah | ||
| "Touché" | Sickotoy and Misha Miller | ||
| "Slow Dance" | Gran Error | ||
| "Storm" | Roxen | ||
| "Göz Göze" | Alper Erözer | ||
| "Love Me" | Alessiah | ||
| "Maza Jaja" | 2021 | Inna | Heartbreaker |
| "Flashbacks" | |||
| "One Reason" | |||
| "Beautiful Lie" | |||
| "Gucci Balenciaga" | |||
| "Sunset Dinner" | |||
| "You and I" | |||
| "Thicky" | |||
| "Till Forever" | |||
| "Call 911" | Sickotoy and Maruv | None | |
| "Someone" | Vanotek featuring Denitia | ||
| "Up" | Inna with Sean Paul | ||
| "Lonely" | 2022 | Inna | Champagne Problems |
| "Love Bizarre" | |||
| "Baby" | |||
| "Fire & Ice" | |||
| "Solo" | |||
| "Cryo" | |||
| "Millennium" | |||
| "Kumera" | |||
| "Don't Let Me Down" | |||
| "Tattoo" | Eva Timush | None |
