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Alejandro Sanz
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Alejandro Sanz, Destiny's Child On The GRAMMYs remember-when-alejandro-sanz-destinys-child-perform-44th-grammys

Remember When? Alejandro Sanz, Destiny's Child Perform At The 44th GRAMMYs

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Back in 2002, the Latin GRAMMY winner hit the GRAMMY stage with a little help from the R&B trio
Renée Fabian
GRAMMYs
Oct 12, 2017 - 5:28 pm

Flashback to Feb. 27, 2002. 

Roughly six months had passed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and music's biggest names gathered at Los Angeles' Staples Center for the 44th GRAMMYs. The mood — while tempered — was celebratory. Jon Stewart was the show's host. Alicia Keys would go on to be the night's biggest winner with five wins (including the award for Best New Artist), and four-time Latin GRAMMY winner Alejandro Sanz made his GRAMMY stage debut with a little help from GRAMMY-winning R&B trio Destiny's Child.

Sanz, who'd just made headlines for being the first Spanish-language artist to record and release a live album under MTV's Unplugged franchise in November 2001, hit the stage to sing his 2000 hit single "Quisiera Ser," alongside Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland and Beyoncé Knowles (who was just mere months away from being the solo powerhouse we now have to come to know as simply Beyoncé).

Sang in Spanish, the chorus roughly translates in English to mean: I wanted to be the air escaping from your laughter/I wanted to be the salt to smart your wounds/I wanted to be the blood that you involve with your life/I wanted to be the dream that you'd never share and the garden of your joy in the party of your skin.

While the Madrid native didn't take home any awards that night, he would go on to win 14 more Latin GRAMMY Awards and three GRAMMY Awards. Sanz was recently named the 2017 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.

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Danay Suarez, Vicente García and Sofía Reyes
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Shakira at the 1st Latin GRAMMY Awards
Shakira
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Calle 13 at the 15th Latin GRAMMY Awards
Calle 13 
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Manuel Medrano
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Alejandro Sanz
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Latin GRAMMY winner Juanes
Juanes
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Luis Fonsi

Luis Fonsi

Photo: Victor Chavez/Getty Images

List
7 American Artists Who Recorded En Español beyonc%C3%A9-drake-7-american-artists-who-recorded-songs-en-espa%C3%B1ol

Beyoncé To Drake: 7 American Artists Who Recorded Songs En Español

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We rounded up some of the biggest English-speaking artists who got on the mic to sing in Spanish
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Sep 25, 2017 - 4:39 pm

For the most popular American artists, the Latin audience represents enticing new markets to tour filled with legions of fans to reach with their music. Considering the data showing Latin Pop as this summer's king of streaming, the desire for many artists to cross over is as understandable now as ever before.

But the draw is also a visceral one. The Spanish language is one filled with passionate cadences, dynamic enunciations and subtle nuances, all elements that great songwriting relies on to convey emotions through music.

In fact, crossing the language barrier in pop music is a phenomenon that has occurred many times over the years.  From pop sensations like Madonna taking the leap with her Spanish infused 1987 single "La Isla Bonita" to today's brightest rapper, Kendrick Lamar jumping on SchoolBoy Q's "Collard Greens" to drop a verse in Spanish, the urge to record en Español knows no era or genre limitations.

Here are seven times American artists recorded in Spanish, from Fifth Harmony joining Colombian Reggaeton singer/songwriter Maluma, to pop's biggest starts re-cutting their hits, and everything in between.

1. Beyoncé, "Irreemplazable"

2. Romeo Santos feat. Drake, "Odio"

3. Christina Aguilera, "Pero Me Acuerdo De Ti"

4. J Balvin feat. Pharrell Williams, BIA, Sky, "Safari"

5. 'N Sync, "Gone (Spanish Version)"

6. Maluma feat. Fifth Harmony, "Sin Contrato"

7. Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber, "Despacito (Remix)"

 

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Singer Selena Quintanilla Perez in 1994
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Melendi photographed in 2017
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Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images

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Juanes
Juanes
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Maluma
Maluma
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Thalía
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Los Del Río photographed in 2014
Los Del Río
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Danay Suarez, Vicente García, Sofía Reyes
Danay Suarez, Vicente García and Sofía Reyes
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Luis Fonsi
Luis Fonsi
Photo: Victor Chavez/Getty Images

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Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
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Shakira at the 1st Latin GRAMMY Awards
Shakira
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Beyoncé and JAY-Z

Beyoncé and JAY-Z

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation

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Poll: What's Your Favorite Beyoncé Feature? poll-savage-03-bonnie-clyde-whats-your-favorite-beyonc%C3%A9-feature

Poll: From "Savage" To "03' Bonnie & Clyde," What's Your Favorite Beyoncé Feature?

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From her latest verses on Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage Remix" all the way back to "03' Bonnie & Clyde" in 2002 with JAY-Z, we want to know: What Queen Bey feature is your very favorite?
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
May 1, 2020 - 9:16 am

If you haven't heard Megan Thee Stallion's new "Savage Remix" featuring Beyoncé, do yourself a favor and press play on that Houston fire right now.

The internet—Stallion included—understandably lost their minds this past week over the Queen Bey-supported version of the catchy, confident track whose proceeds support their hometown's Bread Of Life COVID-19 relief efforts.

Listen: Beyoncé & Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage Remix" To Benefit Houston COVID-19 Relief

Now that we've all heard the latest golden vocals the 24-time GRAMMY winner has offered on another artist's track, we want to know: what is your favorite Beyoncé feature ever?

Vote in our latest poll below to let us know, and read on for a quick refresh on the songs.

Polls

What's Your Favorite Beyoncé Feature?

 

Back in June 2017, J Balvin and Willy William's joyful reggaetón track "Mi Gente" was everywhere and firmly established Balvin as a global superstar. Two months later, Beyoncé came on for a remix of the already inescapable track, delivering electric vocals in Spanish and English for another good cause—disaster relief in Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean. In December, she joined forces with pop singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran to turn his ÷ (Divide) love song "Perfect" into the "Perfect Duet."

Related: Beyoncé's BeyGOOD Foundation Announces $6M COVID-19 Relief Efforts

Two years prior, in December 2015, Coldplay dropped their GRAMMY-nominated seventh album, A Head Full Of Dreams, along with the euphoric pop track "Hymn for the Weekend," which opens with angelic vocals from Beyoncé. While technically not credited as a featured artist, she brings the track to heavenly heights and serves up goddess realness in the music video when it was released a single in early 2016.

In 2014, rap queen Nicki Minaj dropped her GRAMMY-nominated third studio album, The Pinkprint, along with a fierce Beyoncé collab in the form of bad b**** anthem "Feeling Myself." The song got new life in 2018 at Beychella in the form of an enchanting mashup with "Flawless." And before the world was gifted a Destiny's Child reunion on that Coachella stage, Kelly Rowland's 2013 track "You Changed," featuring Beyoncé and Michelle Williams brought the trio back together with R&B girl power perfection.

Dive In: "Say My Name" 20 Years Later: Why The Destiny's Child Staple Is Still On Everyone's Lips

Taking us back to the early '10s, in 2011, "Love A Woman" served up more female-led R&B power with the unstoppable vocal range of Mary J. Blige and Bey. The song was originally recorded for Bey's album 4 but didn't fit the final product—luckily it was released on 10th studio album My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act I). On 2009's "Put It In A Love Song," another fierce, empowered alliance was formed, this time with Alicia Keys, with an upbeat bop asking their lovers to let them know if the love is real, from Keys' The Element Of Freedom.

While there really is something special about the power of a song with Beyoncé slaying with another badass female, there is no denying the impact she's had bringing her feminine power and smoothness to remixes of male artist's tracks, a la "Mi Gente." Almost a decade prior to the Balvin collab, in 2008 she served up an appropriately rich dose of sexy to Usher's "Love in This Club, Pt. II," also featuring Lil Wayne, from Usher's fifth LP, Here I Stand.

This "Formation" singer's best features list would not be complete without inclusion of at least of few of her incredibly talented family members. Way back in December 2002, a then-16-year-old Solange released her debut album, Solo Star, with a sultry jam "Naive" featuring big sis/Destiny's Child lead Bey and '90s rap queen Da Brat. The album wasn't available digitally for years, but the track was recently released on streaming platforms just this year.

More: The Louvre Offers Up Art Tour Based On The Carters' "Apes**t" Video

Finally, in October 2002, back when The Carters were dating, they first shared their love and fierce partnership with the world on JAY-Z's unforgettable "03' Bonnie & Clyde." With this melodic track from his seventh studio album, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, the unstoppable Jay and Bey began their reign in music, pop culture and our hearts.

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Destiny's Child

Photo courtesy of Columbia Records and Sony Urban Music

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Destiny's Child's 'Destiny Fulfilled' Turns 15 destiny-fulfilled-turns-15-looking-back-destiny%E2%80%99s-childs-fifth-and-final-album

'Destiny Fulfilled' Turns 15: Looking Back At Destiny’s Child's Fifth And Final Album

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On their 2004 farewell record, Beyoncé, Kelly and Michelle peeled back the layers of the pop phenom girl group we once knew and re-introduced us to a trio of fully evolved, self-realized women
Dontaira Terrell
GRAMMYs
Nov 15, 2019 - 9:37 am

The late '90s and early '00s belonged to Destiny’s Child. As one of the greatest girl groups of all time, the Houston R&B/pop trio (the now-mononym'd Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams) shaped the music scene, consistently solidified the top spots on the charts and dominated airwaves. But it all changed on June 11, 2005, during their Destiny Fulfilled... and Lovin' It tour when Rowland announced before an adoring crowd of 16,000 in Barcelona that the threesome had collectively agreed to disband and move forward separately. 

Before their show-stopping announcement, they left fans with the perfect parting gift, which was the release of their fifth and final studio album, Destiny Fulfilled. Though it’s been 15 years since its release, having dropped on Nov. 15, 2004, the therapeutic themes of love and loss throughout the album’s entirety still resonate today. From breakup anthems to female empowerment lyrics, the album made women feel like sheroes of their own stories.

Read More: Say My Name" 20 Years Later: Why The Destiny's Child Staple Is Still On Everyone's Lips

After a three-year hiatus where the trio separated to focus on solo projects, there came a noticeable transition with the release of this album. DC3 was officially all grown up. Electrifying pop tunes such as “Bootylicious” and "Bug A Boo" were in the group’s rearview as they ushered in a more mature, nuanced sound deeply rooted with an R&B and a contemporary hip-hop vibe. With some assistance from hip-hop heavyweights and an all-star production team like T.I., Lil Wayne, Rodney Jerkins, 9th Wonder and Rockwilder, Destiny Fulfilled peeled back the layers of the pop phenom girl group we once knew and re-introduced us to a trio of fully evolved, self-realized women.

With each track inspired by the growing pains of relationships, Destiny Fulfilled chronicled some aspect of the ladies' journeys in their quest for love. At the time of the album’s release, I was a 20-something college student, and the entire track list spoke to my trials and tribulations of the deterioration, reconstruction and eventually, the glow-up following a heartbreak that most women know all too well. 

"It was a real conversation and a real feeling. When you get your heart broken, you question everything, especially if you feel like you have prayed for someone, and it didn't work out. The intensity of trying to find your way still affects a lot of people, especially women today," Sean Garrett, who penned six tracks on the album," tells the Recording Academy.

On the percussive single "Lose My Breath,” the intense wave of emotions and seamless storytelling is perfectly captured and continues to radiate through the album as a whole. The inspiration stemmed from the "perspective of a guy taking a girl's breath away and getting swept off her feet. She’s being swooned by a guy that at first she didn’t believe she would be interested in," states Garrett. However, this dance tune not only generated massive buzz with its pioneering visuals of Destiny’s Child styled as various versions of themselves competing in a back-alley dance battle. It also garnered the GRAMMY Award-winning group their ninth top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100.

Their follow-up was the edgy street anthem that had Beyoncé, Michelle and Kelly professing their admiration for a bad boy because, "If his status ain't hood. I ain't checkin' for him. Better be street if he lookin' at me." The ladies continued to let the fellas know that they "Need a soldier that ain't scared to stand up for me. Known to carry big things if you know what I mean." Garrett says that 'Soldier' was definitely a favorite because it was a different vibe for girls at the time."

With emotionally vulnerable lyrics, sultry vocals and synchronized three-part harmonies, the individual strengths of each DC member were on full display throughout the remainder of the album. Their vocal abilities together and independently were stronger than ever. It was evident in songs such as "Is She the Reason" and “Free,” which sampled singer Melba Moore, while “If” sampled legendary performer Natalie Cole's hit "Inseparable." 

Not to mention, the band's behind-the-scenes writing chemistry, which captures the highs and lows of love, is a testament to DC's forever bond and shared history as a cohesive unit.  

The title itself signifies a full-circle moment, a sense of completion and closure. An achievement Destiny’s Child had been striving towards from their earlier days of member swapping and "TRL" stardom, Destiny Fulfilled is an experience that made women feel seen—both in the band and out. It is an ode to the life lessons of friendship, spiritual enlightenment, personal growth and transformation. Its resonance is still widespread, and the baton of wisdom found in the albums lyrical content is just as relevant today as it was 15 years ago. 

Since parting ways, DC have briefly teamed back up, most memorably for on-stage performance at the 2013 Super Bowl halftime show, and again at Beyoncé’s 2018 headlining Coachella set. They've also appeared on each other’s solo records. But with '00s nostalgia running rampant across pop culture, fans understandably want more. In 2012, contemporary pop icon Ariana Grande tweeted to her 67 million followers, "I miss Destiny's Child so much." It's probably safe to say that everyone—including Grande—is waiting for Bey, Michelle and Kelly to drop a new female empowerment anthem for all the women, once again.

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Destiny's Child

Photo by Mirek Towski/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images

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Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" 20 Years Later say-my-name-20-years-later-why-destinys-child-staple-still-everyones-lips

"Say My Name" 20 Years Later: Why The Destiny's Child Staple Is Still On Everyone's Lips

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Two decades after its release, DC's late-'90s empowerment anthem continues to inspire today's pop/R&B hit-makers
J'na Jefferson
GRAMMYs
Jun 18, 2019 - 12:15 pm

Destiny's Child's sophomore album The Writing's On The Wall is the final project from the original four members of the iconic girl group: Beyoncé Knowles, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Roberson and Kelly Rowland. It was released to a moderate response, debuting at No. 6 in July 1999 and receiving mixed reviews from critics. However, one of the LP's breakout singles revitalized the album after its initial release, assisted in catapulting the group to superstardom, and earned DC4 their first pair of golden GRAMMYs.

"Say My Name" hopscotches through various sonic elements, shifting from a slow, sexy bass to syncopated, synth-heavy strings and DJ scratches. Adlibs, vocal riffs and stunning harmonies from the Texas songbirds are peppered in throughout the over four-minute song. The track, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 after 12 weeks on the chart, permits listeners to eavesdrop on a woman confronting a triflin', good-for-nothin' type of brotha who she suspects is fooling around behind her back.

"When no one is around you, say ‘'baby, I love you,' if you ain't runnin' game," they urge their fellas, followed by the assertion, "You actin' kinda shady, ain't callin' me 'baby,' why the sudden change?"

The theme of "Say My Name" was inspired by a relationship experienced by LaShawn Daniels, who—in addition to the ladies of Destiny’s Child, Fred Jerkins III and producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins—is one of the song's award-winning writers.

"I would be places, I would be at work, and if [my girlfriend] would call or hear anyone laughing, or speaking, or doing anything in the background, she'd be like, 'Who is that?'" the New Jersey native tells the Recording Academy of his inspirational (yet "insecure") ex-flame. "Then she'd be like, 'Well, say my name then, and tell me that you love me.' [The song] was actually the premise of what I would go through, and we had the conversation of 'how embarrassing is that?' Beyoncé was in a relationship at that time, and she could relate well to the situation."

While Daniels notes that he and longtime creative collaborator Darkchild constructed the "perfect marriage" of instrumentation and lyricism on "Say My Name," Destiny's Child was equally as hands-on when it came to contributions that worked best for the track's overall theme.

"As time went forward, their creative input was undeniable," he notes of the quartet. "If you came up with a melody or something, and it just didn't sit well with them, or if they didn't think it was dope, their creativity would absolutely speak back. We always had a respect of each other's creativity. There were no egos to stop any idea from making it out of any of our mouths."

While the musicians involved were focused on creating the very best material for the group, they had no idea the song would amount the levels of success it eventually attained. Daniels notes, however, that Darkchild went back to the drawing board and started the track entirely from scratch, proving that there was something different about "Say My Name." Not even a "synthesizer line" from the original stayed on the track we know now.

"It wasn't until we got into the mix session of the record, [Darkchild] listened back, and the song was more dominant than the track was," he recollects. "While we were all prepared to mix down what we had, he said, 'Wait a minute, you have to give me a couple of hours. I have to make this track as exciting as the song…'"

"Once he finished and played it back, he invited the girls to come back. They were blown away," Daniels continues. "We knew we had written a great song, so much so that Rodney [Jerkins] felt the he had to redo the track." 

The alterations paid off in a huge way. "Say My Name" brought The Writing’s On The Wall back into the Top 10 of Billboard’s 200 Album Chart, where it peaked at No. 5 in May 2000. It was the girl group’s second song to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 after "Bills, Bills, Bills," and it was the sixth-biggest single of 2000. The song holds a Gold RIAA certification, and the album itself is certified 8x Platinum.

So, from where does "Say My Name" garner its allure? Daniels points to the song's universal relatability and well-fleshed out conceptualization. "The people on the other end of the phones saying 'say my name' felt like it was the anthem for them, and the people going through it felt like it was the anthem for them," he says. "I'm so glad [the song] was able to resonate with whatever the spectrum you're on."

Additionally, he suggests that "Say My Name" still resonates decades later due to the musical era whence it came. The song’s sonic freedom, authentic instrumentation and emotion-evoking chord progressions helps to classify the track as a quintessential late-'90s staple, as well as a flagship record for Destiny's Child.

"['Say My Name'] was more intimate and more detailed in their standpoint of why [Destiny's Child] don't tolerate foolishness from men," he explains of the song. "'Bills Bills Bills' and all of the other songs [were] broad strokes––this was a situation. This was a moment in a relationship where everybody would listen and go, 'Oh, dudes do that, it's not them bashing men, it's them telling the truth…' All of the elements, sonics, the lyrics... it just became a closer look as to why they were so fed up in certain relationships. It took on its own life."

Daniels has a long history of writing R&B hits with themes of empowerment. Having co-written such '90s and early-aughts hits as Brandy and Monica’s "The Boy Is Mine" and Toni Braxton’s "He Wasn’t Man Enough," his mission has always been to inspire listeners to create a change.

"I'm one of the guys who believes that women are extremely smarter than men," he chuckles after acknowledging his discographic track record. "I think if you empower a woman, you empower the world. Even the influence from a great woman can make a great man… Right now, it's my thought to just do the best I can in creating positive language, positive melodies––especially those that can be regurgitated by younger women."

Every factor put into creating "Say My Name" contributed to its accolades, which paid off in spades. In 2001, the song won Best R&B song and Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals at the 43rd Annual GRAMMY Awards. It was also up for wins in the Record and Song of the Year categories. The pair of gramophones were Destiny’s Child's first, and, as we know decades later, they were not the last of their respective careers. Daniels says that he is "happy" that he was able to be part of a monumental moment for the talented women.

"If you look at the ladies now, it was just a stepping stone for them," he says of the group, which formally disbanded in 2006. "They have [gone] far and beyond what the call was. It's just great to have a page marker in their legacy, because it makes you feel like, ‘Hey, we were a part of the whole movement, and we started together, and we believed it in the beginning.’ Everything that we thought these ladies were, they absolutely are. It did not stop for them."

While "Say My Name" is nearly two decades old, it continues to inspire and excite R&B fans, and finds itself continually referenced in popular music to this day. Singer/songwriter James Fauntleroy sang the hit’s chorus during his appearance on Drake’s version of “Girls Love Beyoncé” in 2014. Kehlani’s 2016 video for "Distraction," off of her album SweetSexySavage drew parallels to DC's famously colorful music video. Rap superstar Cardi B referenced the track on her husband Offset's 2019 song "Clout." While no one could have predicted the legacy the song would carry, Daniels—such as the other musicians involved—is pleased beyond words with its turnout.

"You look up 20 years later, and it's like, 'Wow, I was a part of history, and didn't even know it,'" he beams. "We knew we had an opportunity to be in the studio to be with Destiny's Child, and it wasn't taken lightly. We stayed up days thinking and trying to put it together. We did everything we possibly could to make sure we were successful, and lo and behold, 20 years later, I'm doing an interview about a song that we did. I think the mission was accomplished."

LaShawn Daniels, GRAMMY-Winning Songwriter & Producer, Dies At 41

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