"Fiesta" is a song by singer R. Kelly featuring rappers Jay-Z and Boo & Gotti from his fourth solo album, TP-2.com (2000). With support from a remix featuring Jay-Z, the song spent five weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. The single is ranked by Billboard as the most successful R&B/hip-hop song of 2001. In Germany, the song entered the top 10, peaking at number eight on the Media Control singles charts.
Background "Fiesta" was produced by was produced by production duo Poke and Tone, consisting of Samuel Barnes and Jean-Claude Olivier, for R. Kelly's 2000 album TP-2.com. The production process was part of a period in which the duo was managing multiple high-profile projects simultaneously, including albums for Will Smith and other Columbia Records artists. For "Fiesta," Barnes traveled to Chicago to work directly with Kelly, while Olivier continued production duties with Smith. According to the producers, when the track first played, Kelly immediately responded to its upbeat energy by exclaiming "Ohh it's a party" and spontaneously using the word "fiesta," which inspired the song's central theme. The lyrics and vocals were developed in a single session that evening.
Release "Fiesta" spent five weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart and also reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Remix For the remix of "Fiesta," producers Barnes and Olivier aimed to include Jay-Z, whose participation was considered highly selective and difficult to secure. While label executive Steve Stoute and Jay-Z had a cordial working relationship, negotiations required persistence, and initial sessions were complicated by the absence of Kelly, who was temporarily unavailable due to his own working habits. When Jay-Z first heard the beat, he immediately recognized its potential, exclaiming that the track was a "monster." He began composing his verses mentally while discussing the project with the producers, but temporarily left the studio due to scheduling conflicts, providing only a preview of his intended performance. After further coordination, he returned the following night, completed his verse, and delivered the final recording.
Music video The music video for the single was directed by R. Kelly and Little X in Florida.
Personnel R. Kelly – songwriting, vocals, primary artist Jay-Z – songwriting, vocals, guest appearance Poke & Tone – songwriting, production Larry Gates (Precision) – songwriting, production Boo & Gotti – vocals, guest appearance Donnie Lyle – additional guitars Abel Garibaldi – recording, additional programming Ian Mereness – recording Andy Gallas – programming assistant Rich Travali – mixing Patrick Woodward – mixing assistant contains a guitar sample from "Fantasia" written and performed by Pavlo Simtikidis
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2001)PeakpositionCanada (Nielsen SoundScan)19Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)23Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)2
Year-end charts Chart (2001)PositionCanada (Nielsen SoundScan)101Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)130Germany (Media Control)74Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)52UK Urban (Music Week)6US Billboard Hot 10045US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks (Billboard)1US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)49
Release history Region Date Format(s) Label(s) United States April 10, 2001 Urban contemporary radio United Kingdom June 11, 2001 Australia June 25, 2001 CD
Samplings "Ignition (Remix)" by R. Kelly from the album Chocolate Factory (2003) "Ride Til I Die" by Shawn Do, Mistah F.A.B. and Dubb 20 from the album Thizz Nation Vol. 2 (2005) "Mafia (Remix)" by The Relativez featuring Nuttz from the album Legendary (2007) "We F'd Up" by J Dilla from the album Pay Jay (2008) "After Party" by The Lonely Island featuring Santigold from the album Turtleneck & Chain (2011) "Songs on 12 Play" by Chris Brown featuring Trey Songz from the album X (2014)
References