Fiesta (R. Kelly song)

"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.^[1] For "Fiesta," Barnes traveled to Chicago to work directly with Kelly, while Olivier continued production duties with Smith.^[1] 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.^[1] The lyrics and vocals were developed in a single session that evening.^[1]

"Fiesta" spent five weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and also reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[2][3]

For the remix of "Fiesta," producers Barnes and Olivier aimed to include Jay-Z, whose participation was considered highly selective and difficult to secure.^[1] 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.^[1] When Jay-Z first heard the beat, he immediately recognized its potential, exclaiming that the track was a "monster."^[1] 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.^[1] After further coordination, he returned the following night, completed his verse, and delivered the final recording.^[1]

The music video for the single was directed by R. Kelly and Little X in Florida.^[4][5]

• 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

• "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)