Dragostea din tei

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox song "Dragostea din tei"Template:Efn ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; Romanian: "Love From the Linden Tree"<ref name="ny">Template:Cite news</ref>) 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 Template:Ill, 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.

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, 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.

The original "Dragostea din tei" was accompanied by a music video directed by Dmitri Voloshin, which mainly sees the members of O-Zone in the cockpit of a plane, as well as dancing to the song inside it and on one of its wings. For further promotion the group 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",Template:Efn an English language-version of "Dragostea din tei" released exclusively to that region as a collaboration between him and 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), where in the latter it is mistakenly referred to as being in Spanish.

Background and writing

File:Dan Balan.jpg

Dan Balan (pictured), O-Zone's founder, was involved in a lawsuit with Template:Ill over the song's songwriting credits in 2004.<ref name="lawsuit evz"/>

O-Zone is a Moldovan Eurodance group established in 1999. In 2002, the band, which consisted of founder Dan Balan, Radu Sîrbu and Arsenie Todiraș, moved to Romania where they found success with their singles "Numai tu" and "Despre tine".<ref name="laut bio"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="allmusic bio">Template:Cite news</ref> The latter reached number one on the Romanian Top 100 in February 2003.<ref name="Despre tine number one">Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2003, the group recorded the follow-up "Dragostea din tei" at the MOF Records studio with the assistance of Template:Ill. It was written and composed by Balan, while the production was handled by Popoiag; the latter also mastered the track.<ref name="album">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Around September 2004, Popoiag filed a lawsuit against Balan and Media Services, the label that signed O-Zone, at the Template:Interlanguage link, claiming that he had not received credit for his alleged contribution as a composer of the song.<ref name="lawsuit evz">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Balan countersued for defamation,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Release and marketing

File:Lucas Prata cropped.png

An English language-version of the song, titled "Ma Ya Hi", was released in the United States in 2004 and features American musician Lucas Prata.<ref name="curentul prata"/>

"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.<ref name="album"/><ref name="consequence">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="billboard tops"/> 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.<ref name="billboard tops"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Mentions of "Dragostea din tei" in Romanian media date back to at least July 2003,<ref name="libertatea cazuti"/> and its copyright was Template:Interlanguage link in August 2003.<ref name="jurnalul lawsuit"/> 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".<ref name="laut bio">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Romania CD"/>

Throughout 2004, "Dragostea din tei" was physically released in several other countries, including France,<ref name="France CD1"/> Germany,<ref name="Germany CD1"/> Italy,<ref name="Italy CD"/> the Netherlands,<ref name="Netherlands CD"/> Spain,<ref name="Spain CD"/> and the United Kingdom.<ref name="UK CD1"/> 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.<ref name="jurnalul eu"/> The song received a similar treatment in Germany, with it additionally being advertised at half-time during soccer matches and O-Zone partnering with travel agencies.<ref name="avex o-zone"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref>

Also in 2004, Ultra Records issued two 12-inch vinyls in the United States that included "Ma Ya Hi",Template:Efn an English language-version of "Dragostea din tei" featuring American musician Lucas Prata.<ref name="US vinyl1"/><ref name="US vinyl2"/> This version was recorded in Milan, Italy, and was written by both Balan and Prata.<ref name="US vinyl1"/><ref name="curentul prata">Template:Cite news</ref> "Ma Ya Hi" included only Balan out of the other band members,<ref name="US vinyl1"/> and media reports speculated that this caused internal tensions within O-Zone.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "Ma Ya Hi" was included on Prata's studio album Let's Get It On (2006),<ref name="get it on"/> while a remixed version was featured on the American version of DiscO-Zone.<ref name="US discozone">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> 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)".<ref name="US mai ai hee"/> In 2005, a CD of "Dragostea din tei" was issued in Japan by Avex Trax, titled Template:Nihongo.<ref name="Japan CD"/>

Composition and lyrics

{{#invoke:Listen|main}} "Dragostea din tei" is a 1980s-inspired<ref name="jurnalul genre"/> dance-pop,<ref name="laut bio"/><ref name="music picks">Template:Cite magazine</ref> synth-pop,<ref name="consequence"/> Eurodisco,<ref name="reason">Template:Cite news</ref> and Europop song,<ref name="guardian">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="libertatea british">Template:Cite news</ref> whose instrumentation features synthesized bass and what Rolling Stone Australia described as "robotic stop-start rhythms".<ref name="rolling stone au">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="believer"/> BillboardTemplate:'s staff has described "Dragostea din tei" as a novelty song,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while several other publications have pointed out elements of camp.<ref name="guardian"/><ref name="spiegel ost"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The song is set in the key of A minor and has a tempo of 130 beats per minute (BPM).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It follows a F-C-G-Am chord progression.<ref name="believer"/> "Dragostea din tei" is performed in Romanian and mentions the linden tree (Romanian: "tei"), which is commonly used in Romanian literature.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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").<ref name="hora">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

While Balan has stated that the lyrics describe having sexual intercourse under trees, other publications have argued that they were nonsensical.<ref name="rolling stone au"/><ref name="taz"/><ref name="abendblatt">Template:Cite news</ref> The BelieverTemplate:'s Douglas Wolk called them "nonspecific", but elaborated that they were the lyrical subject's side of a phone conversation with their love interest.<ref name="believer"/> The former also mentions beeping the latter, which Template:IllTemplate:'s Pietro Minto pointed out as something emblematic of the "adolescent life in the early 2000s".<ref name="rivista essay"/> During the song, O-Zone refer to themselves as hajduks and Pablo Picasso.<ref name="libertatea cazuti"/><ref name="laut bio"/><ref name="believer"/> 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".<ref name="curentul prata"/>

The sequence "Ma-ia-hii, Ma-ia-huu, Ma-ia-hoo, Ma-ia-haha" is prominently yodeled at the beginning and during the track.<ref name="billboard tops"/><ref name="believer"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Analyzing the delivery, Ulf Lippitz of Der Spiegel thought that Balan provided vocals similar to those found in old Romanian folk songs.<ref name="spiegel ost"/> 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;<ref name="believer"/><ref name="laut numa"/> 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".<ref name="reason"/><ref name="rolling stone au"/><ref name="laut numa">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="believer"/>

Critical reception

Music critics have praised the catchy nature of "Dragostea din tei", with The BelieverTemplate:'s Wolk writing that "[t]here's scarcely a second without some extraordinary hook, starting with the wordless keening at the beginning".<ref name="consequence"/><ref name="believer">Template:Cite news</ref> Alexis Petridis of The Guardian opined that the song "wobbles unsteadily along the line that separates catchy from infuriating".<ref name="guardian"/> laut.de's Alexander Cordas categorized "Dragostea din tei" as "unpretentious" and "simple light music".<ref name="laut discozone">Template:Cite news</ref> 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".<ref name="jurnalul genre">Template:Cite news</ref>

Another topic of discussion among music critics was the nonsensical nature of the song's lyrics. While this was criticized by LibertateaTemplate:'s Petre Dobrescu, who likened this aspect to the band's other work,<ref name="libertatea cazuti">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="taz">Template:Cite news</ref> 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 that transcended language barriers.<ref name="believer"/><ref name="abendblatt"/><ref name="bbc yodel">Template:Cite news</ref> The BelieverTemplate:'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]".<ref name="believer"/>

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.<ref name="spiegel ost">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="abendblatt"/> 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.<ref name="spiegel ost"/> 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.<ref name="jurnalul eu">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="laut discozone"/>

Accolades

Awards and nominations received by "Dragostea din tei"

Ceremony	Year	Award	Result	Template:Abbr
MTV Romania Music Awards	2004 {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	Best Single	Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Echo Music Prize	2005 {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	Single of the Year	Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Template:Interlanguage link		Foreign Radio Hit	rowspan="2" Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
		Ringtone of the Year

Commercial performance

"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.<ref name="allmusic bio"/><ref name="Adevarul sales">Template:Cite news</ref> Among several achievements, it stands as the third-most successful song of the 2000s in Germany,<ref name="Germany decade"/> and as the fourth best-selling track of the 21st century in France with 1,170,000 copies moved as of September 2014.<ref name="France sales"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Initial domestic success in 2003 and international recognition in 2004

File:Paula-Monica-Mitrache-in-arte-Haiducii.jpg

At one point, five versions of the song were present in the French top 20, including a cover by Romanian singer Haiducii.<ref name="five versions"/>

"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,<ref name="Romania"/> making it the band's second number-one after "Despre tine" earlier that year.<ref name="Despre tine number one"/> By April 2004, "Dragostea din tei" had sold over 250,000 copies in Romania.<ref name="jurnalul eu"/> In March 2004, the song reached number 17 on the Italian singles chart.<ref name="Italy"/> 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.<ref name="avex o-zone"/><ref name="Spain"/> In April 2004, "Dragostea din tei" further topped the French chart, holding that spot for 15 consecutive weeks.<ref name="France"/> At one point, five versions of the song were present in the top 20 in France—the original, a cover recorded by Romanian singer Haiducii, as well as the parodies "Ma cé ki? Massimo" by Italian media personality Template:Ill, "Le poulailler" by French radio show Template:Interlanguage link and "Argent-Argent" by French host Cauet and Mopral.<ref name="five versions">Template:Cite news</ref> "Dragostea din tei" was eventually certified diamond in the region by Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (SNEP).<ref name="France cert"/>

By June 2004, the song had shipped around 500,000 copies in Europe.<ref name="billboard tops">Template:Cite news</ref> 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,<ref name="Germany"/><ref name="Switzerland"/> and for 13 weeks in Austria.<ref name="Austria"/> In Germany, it was certified double platinum by Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI).<ref name="Germany cert"/> In the Netherlands, the song topped the Dutch Single Top 100.<ref name="Netherlands"/> "Dragostea din tei" was also successful in Nordic countries, becoming a number-one hit in Norway and Denmark,<ref name="Norway"/><ref name="Denmark"/> as well as peaking at numbers two and three in Finland and Sweden, respectively.<ref name="Finland"/><ref name="Sweden"/> The song further topped BillboardTemplate:'s European Hot 100 Singles chart for 12 weeks,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> at one point being followed by Haiducii's version at number two and "Le poulailler" at number 18.<ref name="European Hot 100"/> "Dragostea din tei" peaked at numbers one, two and three in Ireland,<ref name="Ireland"/> Scotland and the United Kingdom,<ref name="Scotland"/><ref name="UK"/> respectively, while a remixed version, the "Unu' in the Dub Mix", peaked at number nine on the radio airplay chart in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).<ref name="Unu Tophit"/> The song topped the 2004 year-end charts in Austria,<ref name="Austria2004"/> France,<ref name="France2004"/> Germany,<ref name="Germany2004"/> Netherlands and Switzerland,<ref name="Dutch100-2004"/><ref name="Switzerland2004"/> as well as the year-end list of the European Hot 100 Singles chart, among others.<ref name="Eurochart year end"/>

Continued success in the United States and Japan in 2005

In the United States, the Lucas Prata version reached number 14 on BillboardTemplate:'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.<ref name="Dan Balan US history"/><ref name="Pop 100"/> As of that month, it had sold over 35,000 digital downloads in the region,<ref name="US sales">Template:Cite news</ref> and was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).<ref name="US cert"/>

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 resources 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.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name="Japan cert"/>

Virality

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Multiple image

In Japan, an anonymous user nicknamed Ikari used "Dragostea din tei" in an animated video that 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").<ref name="believer"/>

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.<ref name="believer"/><ref name="rivista"/> 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".<ref name="consequence"/> Shortly after, the video went viral, with reported views of 700 million as of November 2006,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> giving Brolsma mainstream media's coverage and inspiring several parodies and remakes.<ref name="believer"/><ref name="rivista"/> It is regarded as one of the most-watched internet videos of all time,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with "Dragostea din tei" consequently also becoming a meme.<ref name="believer"/><ref name="rivista"/> Referring to this phenomenon as "numanumamania", The BelieverTemplate:'s Wolk wrote that Brolsma's video was "better advertising for [...] 'Dragostea din tei' than anything a record label could have paid for".<ref name="believer"/> Francesco Gerardi, writing for Rivista Studio, opined that "Numa Numa Dance" was instrumental in the song's chart entrance in the United States.<ref name="rivista"/>

Promotion

Music video

An accompanying music video for "Dragostea din tei", directed and animated by Dmitri Voloshin,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> was released in 2004 at the latest.<ref name="DACH CD"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.

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.

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".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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".<ref name="rivista essay">Template:Cite news</ref> In the book Von Hora, Doina und Lăutaren, Marina Cap-Bun elaborates on the possibility that the video alludes to the Zburător myth.<ref name="hora"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Live performances

O-Zone performed "Dragostea din tei" in Germany in 2004 on the television show Wetten, dass..? on 3 July,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> twice on the local version of Top of the Pops,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and on The Dome 30.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In France, the group performed the song on the show Hit Machine,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and further sang it during the fourth season of Star Academy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> O-Zone also performed "Dragostea din tei" on the show Fabrika Zvyozd in Russia,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and on Top of the Pops in the Netherlands.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2005, the group sang the track on shows in Japan, including on Music Station and SMAPxSMAP,<ref name="avex o-zone">Template:Cite news</ref> and Balan also appeared with Prata to sing "Ma Ya Hi" on Today in the United States.<ref name="music picks"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Before disbanding in 2005, O-Zone gave a performance of "Dragostea din tei" at the Romanian Golden Stag Festival in September 2005.<ref name="gigolo">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> They also performed it during their reunions for Europe Day on 9 May 2017 at University Square in Bucharest,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and on the occasion of New Year's Eve at the Constitution Square in 2019 in the same city.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Legacy

"Dragostea din tei" is the first song in Romanian to have achieved international success.<ref name="tgcom24"/>Template:Efn While Libertatea wrote that it had "done more for Romania's image than all politicians put together",<ref name="siebenbuerger"/> Balan stated in an interview that, for him, "the greatest pride is the fact that [he] promoted the Romanian language".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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".<ref name="billboard greatest">Template:Cite news</ref> Rivista StudioTemplate:'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.<ref name="rivista essay"/>

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".<ref name="rivista essay"/> Elaborating on the impact of "Dragostea din tei", The BelieverTemplate:'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".<ref name="believer"/>

Listicles

Listicle inclusions of "Dragostea din tei"

Publication	Year	List	Rank	Template:Abbr
Rolling Stone	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Billboard	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
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Use in popular media

"Dragostea din tei" has been adapted in over 35 languages.<ref name="adevarul reinviata"/> 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.<ref name="four versions"/><ref name="FRA"/> In 2008, American rapper T.I. and Barbadian singer Rihanna released "Live Your Life", which samples and interpolates "Dragostea din tei".<ref name="stereogum"/> The song became an international success, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number two in the United Kingdom, among others.<ref name="UKc"/><ref name="USc"/>

Balan covered the song in 2006 on "Sugar Tunes Numa Numa" with his rock band Balan,<ref name="believer"/><ref name="sugar tunes"/> and in 2008 on "Numa Numa 2" for his project Crazy Loop as a B-side to the single "Mm-ma-ma".<ref name="mama"/> 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.<ref name="numanuma2"/> 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.<ref name="UKc"/><ref name="GERc"/> Acts such as Romanian singer Inna and American band Bloodhound Gang have covered or parodied "Dragostea din tei" live,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with the song also having been covered by various artists on Your Face Sounds Familiar internationally.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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$,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005),<ref name="gigolo"/> Happy Feet Two (2011),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and It's Only the End of the World (2016),<ref name="adevarul reinviata">Template:Cite news</ref> as well as throughout the telenovela Triunfo del amor (2010–2011),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the series Stargate Universe (2009–2011).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The song was furthermore included on the dance video game Just Dance 2017,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as used for commercials by companies such as Yakult,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lazada,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> AliExpress,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Ant Bank.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notable works that use "Dragostea din tei"

Year	Title Template:Small	Country of origin	Peak chart positions											Notes
			[[Ö3 Austria Top 40|Template:Abbr]] <ref>Template:Cite news Note: Enter the name of the song into the search bar.</ref>	[[Ultratop|Template:Abbr]] <ref>Template:Cite news Note: Enter the name of the song into the search bar.</ref>	[[Ultratop|Template:Abbr]] <ref>Template:Cite news Note: Enter the name of the song into the search bar.</ref>	[[Tophit|Template:Abbr]] <ref>Template:Cite news Note: Enter the name of the song into the search bar.</ref>	[[SNEP|Template:Abbr]] <ref name="FRA">Template:Cite news Note: Enter the name of the song/album and/or the artist(s) into the "Recherche" search bar and select "Singles" or "Albums" from the dropdown menu.</ref>	[[GfK Entertainment charts|Template:Abbr]] <ref name="GERc">Template:Cite news Note: Enter the name of the song/album and/or the artist(s) into the "Suchen" search bar.</ref>	[[Billboard Japan Hot 100|Template:Abbr]] <ref>For peak positions in Japan: For "Girls": Template:Cite magazine For "Numa Numa 2": Template:Cite news</ref>	[[Dutch Single Top 100|Template:Abbr]] <ref name="NL">Template:Cite news Note: Enter the name of the song/album and/or the artist(s) into the "Zoek" search bar and select "Songs" or "Albums" from the dropdown menu.</ref>	[[Swiss Hitparade|Template:Abbr]] <ref>Template:Cite news Note: Enter the name of the song into the search bar.</ref>	[[UK singles chart|Template:Abbr]] <ref name="UKc">Template:Cite news Note: Click on the magnifying glass symbol, insert the name of the artist into the "Search bar" and select from the results in the drop-down menu that appears.</ref>	[[Billboard Hot 100|Template:Abbr]] <ref name="USc">For peak positions in the United States: For "Live Your Live": Template:Cite news For "I Don't Wanna Wait": Template:Cite news</ref>
2003	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref name="jurnalul lawsuit"/> Template:Small	Romania	1	5	2	—	2	2	—	4	2	—	—
2004	"Allo! (Dragostea din tei)"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Belgium	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Argent-Argent"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	France	—	—	—	—	14	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Germany	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Festa no Apê (Dragostea din tei)"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Brazil	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Experienced notable commercial success in Brazil.<ref name="adevarul reinviata"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	"Lekker Lekker (Ga Maar Met Me Mee) (Dragostea din tei)"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Netherlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Le poulailler"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	France	—	—	8	—	2	―	—	—	30	—	—	Parody<ref name="four versions">Template:Cite news</ref>
	"Ma cé ki? Massimo"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small		—	—	13	—	9	—	—	—	38	—	—	Parody<ref name="four versions"/>
	"Muggen hier, muggen daar"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Netherlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5Template:Efn	—	—	—
	"Numerakirály"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Hungary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Nur ma' so"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Germany	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Ra la la (Rudi hier, Rudi da)"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Germany	—	—	—	—	—	41	—	—	—	—	—
	"Rumba rej (Dragostea din tei)"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Czech Republic	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Unsichtbar"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Austria	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Won the 2004 Kiddy Contest.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	"Wenn der Hafer sticht"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small		7	—	—	—	—	90	—	—	—	—	—
	"Я её хой" ("Ya Yeyo Khoy")Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	Russia	—	—	—	40	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Zauberschule (Dragostea din tei)"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Germany	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2005	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Hungary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	Template:NihongoTemplate:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	Japan	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Medley of multiple songs, including "Dragostea din tei".<ref name="believer"/>
	Template:NihongoTemplate:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Pluma Gay"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="bae"/> Template:Small	Spain	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Also known as "Marica tú" (Spanish: "Gay You").<ref name="believer"/> 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.<ref name="believer"/><ref name="bae">Template:Cite news</ref>
2006	"Bài Ca Mi Ya Hee"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Vietnam	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"戀愛瘋" ("Liàn'ài fēng")Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Taiwan	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Sem Drama Aguardarei"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Portugal	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Shabu Shabu"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Taiwan	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Sister's Dream"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	South Korea	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Sugar Tunes Numa Numa"Template:Dagger<ref name="sugar tunes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Moldova	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2007	"Bu Pa Bu Pa"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Singapore	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Lyrics rewritten to delve on overcoming the fear of cockroaches.<ref name="believer"/>
	"Kumimies"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Finland	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2008	"Live Your Life"Template:Hash-tag<ref name="stereogum"/> Template:Small	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.<ref name="stereogum">Template:Cite news</ref>
	"Numa Numa 2"Template:Dagger<ref name="mama">Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Template:Small	Moldova	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Trzech Tenorow"Template:Dagger<ref name="tt">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Poland	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Medley of parodies of "Time to Say Goodbye" and "Dragostea din tei".<ref name="tt"/>
	"When You Leave (Numa Numa)"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	Romania	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—Template:Efn
2011	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref name="hf2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	United States	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Recorded in a humppa version and included on the soundtrack of Happy Feet Two (2011).<ref name="hf2"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	"Ma-Ya-Hi"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Germany	—	—	—	—	—	84	—	—	—	—	—
2012	"Girls"Template:Hash-tag<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Japan	—	—	—	—	—	—	11	—	—	—	—
	"My Life Is a Party"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Germany	18	—	—Template:Efn	—	103	43	—	—	62	—	—
2018	"Numa Numa 2"Template:Hash-tag<ref name="numanuma2">Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	Moldova United States	—	—	—	78	—	—	64	—	—	—	—	Marketed as a continuation of "Dragostea din tei".<ref name="numanuma2"/> Not to be confused with an unrelated video of Brolsma's of the same name.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Released under the title Template:Nihongo in Japan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2019	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref name="begu">Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	Moldova Ukraine	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Viral cover performed on Holos Krainy by contestant Begu and juror Balan.<ref name="begu"/>
2020	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Romania	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Travel the World"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	South Korea	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2021	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	France	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Faded Love"Template:Hash-tag<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	Germany	11	31	—	—	—	17	—	58	24	—	—
	"Numa Numa Yey"Template:Dagger<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	United Kingdom	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2022	"Dragostea din tei"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	Germany	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Feuerschwanz also performed their cover while competing in the German national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	"Coup de vieux"Template:Hash-tag<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	France	—	—	3	—	36	—	—	—	—	—	—
2023	"Let's Go MIA"Template:Hash-tag<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	United States Greece	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"Stupid Heart"Template:Hash-tag<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	Romania	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2024	"I Don't Wanna Wait"Template:Hash-tag<ref name="adevarul reinviata"/> Template:Small	France United States	8	10	4	3	13	10	—Template:Efn	12	7	19	96
Template:N/A	"Người Tình Mai-Ya-Hee"Template:Dagger<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	Vietnam	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. Template:Dagger Green cells denote cover versions that use the original or altered lyrics. Template:Hash-tag Blue cells denote releases that sample and/or interpolate the original.

Track listings

• Romanian CD single<ref name="Romania CD"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" – 3:33
2. "Despre tine" (Unu' in the Mix) – 7:38
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Unu' in the Dub Mix) – 3:39
4. "Numai tu" (Music video) – 4:10
5. "Despre tine" (Music video) – 3:53

• DACH CD single<ref name="DACH CD"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35
5. "Dragostea din tei" (Unu' in the Dub Mix) – 3:39
6. "Dragostea din tei" (Music video) – 4:46

• European and Swedish CD single 1<ref name="Europe CD2"/><ref name="Sweden CD1"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15

• European CD single 2<ref name="Europe CD1"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35

• French CD single 1<ref name="France CD1"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Unu' in the Dub Mix) – 3:39

• French CD single 2<ref name="France CD2"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Nectar Remix) – 5:57
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Spike Norton Tekmix) – 6:37
5. "Dragostea din tei" (Almighty Mix) – 7:00

• French 12-inch single 1<ref name="France vinyl1"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Nectar Remix) – 5:57
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Spike Norton Flymix) – 6:34
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Spike Norton Tekmix) – 6:37
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Almighty Mix) – 7:00

• French 12-inch single 2<ref name="France vinyl2"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Acapella) – 3:30

• German CD single<ref name="Germany CD1"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35
5. "Dragostea din tei" (Unu' in the Dub Mix) – 3:39

• German mini CD and UK CD single 2<ref name="Germany CD2"/><ref name="UK CD2"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15

• Italian, Mexican, Dutch and Spanish CD single,
  and Swedish CD single 3<ref name="Italy CD"/><ref name="Netherlands CD"/><ref name="Spain CD"/><ref name="Mexico CD"/><ref name="Sweden CD3"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15
4. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
5. "Dragostea din tei" (Unu' in the Dub Mix) – 3:39

• Italian 12-inch single<ref name="Italy vinyl"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Unu' in the Dub Mix) – 3:39
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35
5. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33

• Spanish 12-inch single<ref name="Spain vinyl"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33

• Swedish CD single 2<ref name="Sweden CD2"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Aligator vs. CS-Jay Radio Version) – 3:35
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
4. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15
5. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
6. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Aligator vs. CS-Jay Club Version) – 6:04

• UK CD single 1<ref name="UK CD1"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Almighty Mix) – 6:58
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Unu' in the Dub Mix) – 3:39
5. "Dragostea din tei" (Almighty Dub) – 6:01

• UK 12-inch single<ref name="UK vinyl"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Almighty Mix) – 6:58
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Almighty Dub) – 6:01

• US 12-inch single 1<ref name="US vinyl1"/>

1. "Ma Ya Hi" (featuring Lucas Prata) – 3:36
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:35
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Romanian Version) – 3:33
4. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:22
5. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:15

• US 12-inch single 2<ref name="US vinyl2"/>

1. "Ma Ya Hi" (featuring Lucas Prata) [Valentin Remix Club Version] – 6:38
2. "Ma Ya Hi" (featuring Lucas Prata) – 3:37
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Italian Version) – 3:33
4. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Radio Remix) – 4:16
5. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:23

• Japanese CD single<ref name="Japan CD"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" – 3:39
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Overhead Champion Remix) – 6:46
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Kaya & DJ Kousuke Remix) – 5:40
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Eurobeat Remix) – 4:09
5. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross Extended Remix) – 6:23

• Japanese 12-inch single<ref name="Japan vinyl"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Overhead Champion Remix) – 6:46
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Kaya & DJ Kousuke Remix) – 5:40
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Version) – 3:39
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Eurobeat Remix) – 4:09

• Other official digital versionsTemplate:Efn

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Crystal Mix) – 3:45
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Seb Version) – 3:53
3. "Ma Ya Hi" (featuring Lucas Prata) [Valentin Radio Edit] – 3:34
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Ole Ed Remix) – 2:52
5. "Dragostea din tei" (Radu Sirbu Remix) – 3:35
6. "Dragostea din tei" (W&W Remix) – 2:54
7. "Dragostea din tei" (Besomorph & It's Different Remix) – 2:08

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

2003–2005 weekly chart performance for "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2003–2005)	Peak position
CIS (TopHit)<ref name="Unu Tophit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	9
CIS (TopHit)<ref name="DJ Ross Tophit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	146
Czech Republic (IFPI)<ref name="Czech Republic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref name="European Hot 100">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1
Japan (Oricon)<ref name="Japan">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	72
Poland (Polish Airplay Chart)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	5
Romania (Romanian Top 100)<ref name="Romania">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Russia Airplay (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	72
Russia Airplay (TopHit)<ref name="Russia">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	31
Russia Airplay (TopHit)<ref name="DJ Ross Tophit"/> Template:Small	116
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)<ref name="Unu Tophit"/> Template:Small	7
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)<ref name="DJ Ross Tophit"/> Template:Small	68
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard)<ref name="Dan Balan US history"/> Template:Small	16
US Digital Songs Sales (Billboard)<ref name="Dan Balan US history">Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Small	69
US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)<ref name="Dan Balan US history"/> Template:Small	14
US Pop 100 (Billboard)<ref name="Pop 100">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Small	72

2017 weekly chart performance for "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2017)	Peak position
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)<ref name="CIS O-Zone"/>	103

2024 weekly chart performance for "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2024)	Peak position
Moldova Airplay (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	85

Year-end charts

2003 year-end chart performance for "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2003)	Position
Romania (Romanian Top 100)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	12

2004 year-end chart performance for "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2004)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref name="Austria2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)<ref name="Flanders2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)<ref name="Wallonia2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
CIS (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	73
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref name="Eurochart year end">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1
France (SNEP)<ref name="France2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Germany (GfK)<ref name="Germany2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	48
Ireland (IRMA)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} Note: Select "best of 2004</ref>	9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref name="Dutch40-2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref name="Dutch100-2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
Russia Airplay (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	188
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)<ref name="Sweden2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref name="Switzerland2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	28
Ukraine Airplay (TopHit)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	26

Decade-end charts

2000–2009 decade-end chart performance for "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2000–2009)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref name="Austria decade">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	9
Germany (GfK)<ref name="Germany decade">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	12

Release history

Release dates for "Dragostea din tei"

Region	Date	Format	Label	Version	Template:Abbr
Romania	Template:Abbr July 2003	Template:N/A	Media Services	Original {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	2003 {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	CD single	Cat		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
DACH	2004 {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}		Universal		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Europe			Template:Hlist		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
France	14 April 2004	colspan="2" Template:N/A	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	2004 {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	CD single	Universal		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
		12-inch single			{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Germany		CD single	Template:Hlist		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
		Mini CD			{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Italy		CD single	Time		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
		12-inch single			{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Mexico		CD single	Musart		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Netherlands			BMG		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Spain			Vale		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
		12-inch single			{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Sweden		CD single	Bonnier		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
United Kingdom	24 May 2004	colspan="2" Template:N/A	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	2004 {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	CD single	Time		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
		12-inch single	Jive		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
United States			Ultra	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	22 June 2004	Digital download	Media Services	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	30 November 2004		Time	Remix EP Template:Abbr Lucas Prata version {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Japan	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	CD single	Avex Trax	Original {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	12-inch single	Rhythm Republic		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Various	Template:N/A	Digital download	Cat	Remix album {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

Haiducii version

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,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="blog">Template:Cite news</ref> although she had initially opposed to the idea.<ref name="tgcom24">Template:Cite news</ref> Her stage name, Haiducii, was inspired by the mention of hajduks in the song.<ref name="blog"/> The cover was produced and mixed by Max Minoia at MM Studio in Rome, Italy,<ref name="H Sweden CD1"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="centrone">Template:Cite news</ref> This dance version was reframed as a conversation between a man and a woman, which Francesco Gerardi of Rivista Studio likened to "Template:Interlanguage link" (1974) by Italian singer Claudia Mori.<ref name="rivista essay"/><ref name="rivista"/>

Release

"Dragostea din tei" was serviced as Haiducii's debut single in December 2003 in Italy by Universo.<ref name="jurnalul lawsuit"/> It was physically released in various countries throughout 2004, including in France,<ref name="H France CD"/> Germany,<ref name="Haiducii CD Ger/SWI"/> Italy,<ref name="H Italy CD"/> Netherlands,<ref name="H Netherlands CD"/> Spain and the United States.<ref name="H Spain CD"/><ref name="H US CD"/> The CDs and vinyls all included a remix produced by Italian DJ and group Eiffel 65 member Gabry Ponte.<ref name="H Italy CD"/><ref name="H Italy vinyl"/> A remix EP was made available for digital download on 3 August 2004 in various countries.<ref name="Haiducii remix EP"/> In 2005, a CD was released in Taiwan by Avex Trax under the title of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("Mai A Hi"), featuring cartoon characters on its cover that were used to promote the song in the region.<ref name="H Taiwan CD"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> "Dragostea din tei" was eventually included on Haiducii's sole studio album, Paula Mitrache in Haiducii (2008).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A remix, titled "Dragostea din tei 2k13", was released in 2012, featuring the contribution of Eiffel 65 lead vocalist Jeffrey Jey alongside Ponte.<ref name="2k13"/> On 11 August 2023, Haiducii issued a solo re-recording of the song for its 20th anniversary.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Commercial performance

File:Gabry Ponte @ Troppifiky Bellaria.jpg

A remix produced by Italian DJ Gabry Ponte significantly aided the song's performance on the Italian charts.<ref name="abendblatt"/><ref name="haiducii laut"/>

In several territories, Haiducii's version of "Dragostea din tei" impacted the charts before O-Zone's original, including in Germany,<ref name="Germany"/><ref name="Germany H"/> Italy,<ref name="Italy"/><ref name="Italy H"/> Spain,<ref name="Spain"/><ref name="Spain H"/> and France.<ref name="France"/><ref name="France H"/> It debuted atop the Italian singles chart in January 2004 with 200,000 copies sold, outpeaking the original.<ref name="jurnalul lawsuit"/><ref name="Italy"/><ref name="Italy H"/> Significantly aided by the Gabry Ponte remix,<ref name="abendblatt"/><ref name="haiducii laut">Template:Cite news</ref> the song claimed the top position for a total of six weeks and remained within the top 10 for over four months.<ref name="Italy"/> In March 2004, Haiducii's version debuted and peaked at number four in Spain,<ref name="Spain H"/> following which she reached numbers one and two in Austria and France, respectively, in April.<ref name="France H"/><ref name="Austria H"/> The track also reached number two in Wallonia in May 2004, being held from number one by the original.<ref name="Wallonia"/><ref name="Wallonia H"/>

In June 2004, the cover peaked at number two in Germany—behind by the original—and Switzerland,<ref name="Germany H"/><ref name="Switzerland H"/> as well as number four in Norway and number six in Flanders.<ref name="Norway H"/><ref name="Flanders"/> Throughout July, it ranked behind O-Zone's original at number two on the European Hot 100 Singles chart,<ref name="European Hot 100"/> while also peaking at numbers four, five and seven in the Netherlands, Denmark and Hungary, respectively.<ref name="Netherlands H"/><ref name="Hungary H"/><ref name="Denmark H"/> In Sweden, Haiducii topped the chart in August, outcharting the original.<ref name="Sweden"/><ref name="Sweden H"/> It held the top spot for five consecutive weeks and spent five months in the top ten.<ref name="Sweden H"/> For the year of 2004, Haiducii's version of "Dragostea din tei" ended within the top 10 of the best-performing singles in Austria,<ref name="Austria2004"/> Germany,<ref name="Germany2004"/> Italy,<ref name="Italy2004"/> Sweden,<ref name="Sweden2004"/> Switzerland,<ref name="Switzerland2004"/> as well as on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.<ref name="Eurochart year end"/> It was further awarded gold certifications in Austria,<ref name="Austria H cert"/> Belgium,<ref name="Belgium H cert"/> France,<ref name="France H cert"/> Sweden and Switzerland.<ref name="Sweden H cert"/><ref name="Switzerland H cert"/> As of February 2021, the song has sold one million copies in Europe.<ref name="ilfatto">Template:Cite news</ref>

Promotion

An accompanying music video was released in 2004 at the latest.<ref name="H Germany CD2"/> 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 room, 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.

For further promotion, Haiducii performed the song as a musical guest at the Italian Sanremo Music Festival 2004 on 4 March 2004,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as on the local version of Top of the Pops.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also sang "Dragostea din tei" in Germany on Interaktiv,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as in France on Template:Ill.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, she appeared on Template:Ill in Germany.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2023, she performed on ZDF-Fernsehgarten in the same region on 7 May, as well as on Template:Interlanguage link in Italy on 27 September.<ref name="mr frog">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="centrone"/>

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.<ref name="jurnalul lawsuit">Template:Cite news</ref> Gerardi of Rivista Studio wrote that Haiducii "didn't even ask permission" for her cover, but concluded that this was "a practice that was still legal at that time".<ref name="rivista"/> In a 2016 interview, Haiducii said that no legal action had been taken against her cover.<ref name="blog"/>

Multiple observers argued that Haiducii's cover was a key factor in bringing international attention to the original version.<ref name="siebenbuerger">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="mz">Template:Cite news</ref> Rivista StudioTemplate:'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".<ref name="rivista">Template:Cite news</ref> According to media reports, Haiducii's success was also the reason why O-Zone postponed their intended disbandment in December 2003.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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]".<ref name="jurnalul lawsuit"/>

Other usage

A version of the song titled "Maya Hi, Maya Hu" credited to Swedish animated character Crazy Frog was released in 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2019, Haiducii and Catholic pastor Don Allessandrou Cosu published "Parliamo di Gesú" ("Let's Talk About Jesus") on YouTube,<ref name="ilfatto"/> which is an alternate version of "Dragostea din tei" with rewritten religious lyrics.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The accompanying music video, which was filmed in a church, went viral on Italian social media in 2021.<ref name="ilfatto"/><ref name="libertatea jesus">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="tgcom24"/><ref name="mr frog"/>

Track listings

• Austrian, Italian, Dutch, US and Taiwanese CD single,
  and Swedish CD single 1<ref name="H Netherlands CD"/><ref name="H Sweden CD1"/><ref name="H Italy CD"/><ref name="H US CD"/><ref name="H Taiwan CD"/><ref name="H Austria CD"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Mix) – 3:35
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Radio Version) – 3:42
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Radio Remix) – 4:15
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Extended Version) – 6:30
5. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Club Remix) – 6:22

• Belgian and French CD single<ref name="H Belgium CD"/><ref name="H France CD"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Mix) – 3:35
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Radio Version) – 3:42
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Radio Remix) – 4:15

• French 12-inch single<ref name="H France vinyl"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Club Remix) – 6:22
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Extended Version) – 6:30
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Mix) – 3:35

• German CD single 1 and Swiss CD single<ref name="Haiducii CD Ger/SWI"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Mix) – 3:35
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Radio Version) – 3:42
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Radio Remix) – 4:15
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Extended Version) – 6:30
5. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Club Remix) – 6:22
6. "Dragostea din tei" (Potatoheadz Club Mix) – 6:55
7. "Spring" – 7:17

• German CD single 2<ref name="H Germany CD2"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Mix) – 3:35
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Extended Version) – 6:30
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Friki Remix) – 5:17
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Karaoke Version) – 3:35
5. "Dragostea din tei" (Music Video) – 3:35
6. Kultvideo von DJ Friki – 2:21

• Italian 12-inch single<ref name="H Italy vinyl"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Extended Version) – 6:30
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Radio Version) – 3:42
3. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Club Remix) – 6:22
4. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Mix) – 3:35

• Spanish CD single<ref name="H Spain CD"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Radio Version) – 3:42
2. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Radio Remix) – 4:15
3. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Extended Version) – 6:31
4. "Dragostea din tei" (DJ Ross 4 the Club Remix) – 6:22

• Sweden CD single 2<ref name="H Sweden CD2"/>

1. "Dragostea din tei" (Original Version) – 3:35
2. "Dragostea din tei" (Haiducii vs. Gabry Ponte Radio Version) – 3:42

• Other official digital versionsTemplate:Efn

1. "Dragostea din tei 2k13" (Gabry Ponte featuring Haiducii and Jeffrey Jey) [Radio Edit] – 3:26
2. "Dragostea din tei 2k13" (Gabry Ponte featuring Haiducii and Jeffrey Jey) [Extended] – 4:52
3. "Dragostea din tei 2k13" (Gabry Ponte featuring Haiducii and Jeffrey Jey) [Alien Cut & Dino Brown Radio Remix] – 3:38
4. "Dragostea din tei 2k13" (Gabry Ponte featuring Haiducii and Jeffrey Jey) [Alien Cut & Dino Brown Remix] – 5:46
5. "Dragostea din tei" (with Dual Beat and Mr. Frog) [Future Rave Extended Mix] – 5:30
6. "Dragostea din tei" (with Dual Beat and Mr. Frog) [Future Rave Radio Mix] – 3:18

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

2004 weekly chart performance for Haiducii's version of "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2004)	Peak position
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref name="European Hot 100"/>	2

Year-end charts

2004 year-end chart performance for Haiducii's version of "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2004)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref name="Austria2004"/>	3
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)<ref name="Flanders2004"/>	14
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)<ref name="Wallonia2004"/>	22
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)<ref name="Eurochart year end"/>	9
France (SNEP)<ref name="France2004"/>	39
Germany (GfK)<ref name="Germany2004"/>	9
Italy (FIMI)<ref name="Italy2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref name="Dutch40-2004"/>	82
Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref name="Dutch100-2004"/>	28
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)<ref name="Sweden2004"/>	5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)<ref name="Switzerland2004"/>	9

Decade-end charts

2000–2009 decade-end chart performance for Haiducii's version of "Dragostea din tei"

Chart (2000–2009)	Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref name="Austria decade"/>	77
Germany (GfK)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	95

Release history

Release dates for Haiducii's version of "Dragostea din tei"

Region	Date	Format	Label	Version	Template:Abbr
Italy	December 2003	Template:N/A	Universo	Original {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Austria	2004 {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	CD single	Edel		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Belgium			ARS Productions		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
France			Universo		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
		12-inch single	Bertelsmann		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Germany		CD single	Template:Hlist		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Italy			Sony		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
		12-inch single	Spy		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Netherlands		CD single	Digidance		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Spain			Blanco y negro		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Sweden			Template:Hlist		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Switzerland			Ministry of Sound		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
United States			Empire Musicwerks		{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Various	3 August 2004	Digital download	Template:N/A	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
Taiwan	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	CD single	Avex Trax	check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	{{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

See also

• List of music released by Moldovan artists that has charted in major music markets
• List of music released by Romanian artists that has charted in major music markets
• List of best-selling singles in Japan
• List of best-selling singles by country