VUNK and Olivia Addams meet for the first time on a song that puts love at the center of everything: “Viva la Vida, dragostea.” With energy, emotion, and a direct message, the song speaks about the courage to love the way you feel, beyond the voices that say what’s “right” and what’s “not right.”

“Viva la Vida, dragostea” is a celebration of love fully embraced and the freedom to listen to your heart. The story of the song starts from a simple, romantic gesture someone showing up at the door of the person they love with a guitar, refusing to leave until love gets its chance. In the song, mind and heart contradict each other, the world has its say, but the choice remains a personal one: to love how you want, who you want, and to give your heart what it wants.

The music video for “Viva la Vida, dragostea,” directed by Isabella Szanto, carries the song’s energy forward through a visual story built around emotion, movement, and the chemistry between the characters. The choreography and presence of dancers Alexandra Coman and Costi Antone add extra dynamism to the song’s world, while the cinematography by DOP Andrei Burac completes the visual atmosphere.

The song’s lyrics were written by Cornel Ilie, the music by Cornel Ilie and Olivia Addams, and production, mixing, and mastering were done by Călin Grăjdan.

Cornel Ilie states: “There’s a line in the song about loving however and whoever you choose, no matter what anyone else has to say about it I think that’s the strongest line in our song, and I think it should be the mindset each of us lives by when we love.

‘Viva la Vida, dragostea’ is a song in which we wanted to celebrate love and its immense power, but it was also born out of the need to say loudly that love between people shouldn’t be judged by anyone. The choices we make in the name of love shouldn’t isolate anyone through labels and prejudice of any kind. Love has this power to bring out the best in a person, and that’s what we wanted to do with this song and its message.”

Olivia Addams states: “Working with VUNK is one of those joys I’ve waited a long time for and one I’m extremely grateful for. I’d wanted for a long time for us to make something together, and it feels amazing that the stars aligned exactly when I expected it least.

‘Viva la Vida, dragostea’ was born out of a lot of good energy and, I think, out of a very pure joy in making music. It was one of the most beautiful sessions I’ve had. Cornel is an incredibly gentle person, extremely talented and passionate about what he does, but also the kind of person whose energy inspires you and from whom you always feel like you have something to learn.

I can’t wait for the song to reach people, and I hope they receive it with open arms, because when we wrote it, we made sure to put into it all the good energy, warmth, and joy we felt that day.”

Who is VUNK?

On the Romanian music scene for over 30 years, VUNK is the band of innovation in Romanian rock. Throughout their career, the band has achieved numerous firsts: the first 3D music video, the first multimedia concert, a poster made entirely of GIFs, and the first music video filmed live on Facebook.

Singles such as “Pleacă” (Hit Gold), “Vino, du-te” (feat. Lidia Buble), “Vreau o țară ca afară” (a popular hit that became a national slogan), “Așa și,” and “Numai la doi” topped the radio charts for weeks, cementing the band’s status as a landmark of Romanian music.

In 2018, VUNK became the subject of the first documentary about a Romanian artist, “Jur să spun adevărul,” and through technology, spectacular shows, and songs with deep messages, the band continues to fulfill its vision of connecting people and bringing them joy, trust, and hope.

In 2025, the band continued its string of releases with songs such as “Te aștept,” “Aleluia, mi-e bine!,” “2 vulcani,” a collaboration with Anastasia, “Parfum de îmbrățișare” (feat. Eligarf), and “Scrisoare.” That same year, VUNK held a symphonic concert at Sala Palatului, where they performed orchestral songs live for the first time, a moment followed by the release of “Se aude până la tine?,” a tribute dedicated to drummer Nicu Sârghea.

In 2026, the band released the album “Suflet digital,” presented in a special concert at Sala Palatului that combined acting, dance, and music in a show set in the year 2088. What’s more, this year VUNK also released its first collaboration with Alexandra Ungureanu, the song “Dragostea cu mine.”

Who is Olivia Addams?

Olivia Addams, originally from Romania, is already an international presence thanks to the success of her song “Stranger,” which earned her a platinum disc in Poland. The artist has collaborated with major names in the music industry and has racked up millions of streams across digital platforms. “Beautiful” marks a new chapter in her career, once again demonstrating her ability to cross borders and win over diverse audiences through emotion and authenticity.