“Despacito” Almost Had a Different Remix Partner: Luis Fonsi on Reaching Out to Ariana Grande
Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” featuring Daddy Yankee, was a global smash hit in 2017. The song’s popularity skyrocketed even further with the release of a remix featuring Justin Bieber. But in a recent interview, Fonsi revealed that Ariana Grande was almost the one to hop on the remix instead.
On “The Interview with Yordi Rosado” podcast, Fonsi opened up about the song’s journey. He explained that they initially approached Ariana Grande’s then-manager, Scooter Braun, about the possibility of a collaboration. “We had talked to Scooter Braun, because he also managed Ariana Grande, and we told him it’d be cool to have her on the song,” Fonsi said [according to Pop Crave].
While the reason for not moving forward with Grande remains unclear, the “Despacito” remix with Justin Bieber became a massive success. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 16 weeks and broke the record for most-streamed song in a single year on Spotify.
This alternate history of “Despacito” leaves fans wondering what a remix with Ariana Grande might have sounded like. However, there’s no denying the impact the Justin Bieber version had on the song’s global reach.