It’s time to take you back, way back to 2007 — a time when Phat Farm sneakers were it, when we still read print magazines while chewing Hubba Bubba (or eating a Bon Bon Bum lollipop), and when “Ratatouille” was released, changing cinema forevermore. What a time to be alive.

Something else that happened in 2007 that you may not remember? Beyoncé released an all-Spanish album titled “Irremplazable,” featuring a Spanish version of her famous track “Irreplaceable”— and a collab with Mexican legend Alejandro Fernandez. And if you were wondering, she never sang “A la izquierda, a la izquierda.”

Loading the player...

Beyoncé’s 8-track extended play “Irremplazable” was created to bring her closer to her Latino fans, and can we just say it’s iconic? If you didn’t know about this — prepare for a treat. As TikToker Sergio Sanchez reminded everyone in a recent video, the album even includes a special rendition of “Bello Embustero,” A.K.A. “Beautiful Liar” in Spanish. There’s also a Norteño version of “Irremplazable” (wait for it), and did we mention her collab with Fernandez was the theme song of a telenovela? Let’s get into it.

First up — Beyoncé said listening to Selena Quintanilla helped with her Spanish pronunciation while recording “Irremplazable”

As Beyoncé explained to People en Español back in 2007, her all-Spanish EP was at least partly inspired by her love of Selena Quintanilla’s music. She told the outlet, “I grew up in Texas and one of my good friends from there is Mexican… She turned me on to Selena’s album when I was growing up and I listened to it all the time.”

Fast-forward to when she recorded the album, the Houston-born star told MTV Tr3s that listening to Selena helped her Spanish pronunciation. She described, “Growing up in Texas, I heard [Selena] on the radio and I think listening to her album, even though I didn’t know exactly what she was singing, helped me in the studio with my pronunciation.”

So yes, Selena’s legacy is at least partly present in Beyoncé’s Spanish work… and it also harkens back to when the two actually met in at a Houston mall. The “Halo” singer also told the TV show: “I did actually meet Selena in The Galleria Mall in Houston but I didn’t say much to [her] because I wasn’t a celebrity.” Mind=blown.

Here’s everything to know about Beyoncé’s 2007 Spanish album “Irremplazable”

Apart from featuring the Spanish version of her hit “Irreplaceable,” Beyoncé’s 2007 EP also included “Oye,” the direct translation of her 2006 “Dreamgirls” song “Listen.” While those were top-tier recordings, her Alejandro Fernandez collab “Amor Gitano” was… life-changing.

The song is a beautiful duet of two stellar vocalists, featuring Spanish guitars and flamenco-driven melodies at the beginning. In the thick of it, the song is romantic, passionate, and everything we wanted in a song in 2007. Who else remembers singing to this one in the car? “Amor Gitano” had us — and our moms — in a chokehold.

The best part? “Amor Gitano” became the theme song for the 2007 Telemundo novela “El Zorro,” and was actually released the day the show premiered. Beyoncé talked about her experience recording the track, telling People en Español that Fernandez was “Very humble, very handsome, very nice, very talented. Oh my God, I was so amazed.” She also said the Guadalajara-born singer’s voice “puts you in a trance” with such a “masculine, beautiful” and “sexy” tone… and you know what? 10/10 no notes — no lies detected. She also said he told her how to roll her R’s, which she said was “very nice” of him.

Here’s a video of Beyoncé recording her Spanish album, where she says Fernandez is “beautiful” and “so talented.” A treasure:

Apart from her collab with Alejandro Fernandez, Beyoncé also featured a Norteño remix on her album

The next tracks on this gem are “Beautiful Liar” featuring Shakira, a classic we know and love, as well as its accompanying remixes. For one, we have the Spanish version, “Bello Embustero,” which was sung just by Beyoncé. There’s also a Spanglish version of the track with two singers… but really just one. Yes, there’s a song titled “Beautiful Liar (Spanglish Version)” on the album, sung by Beyoncé… featuring Sasha Fierce, her alter-ego. Only the “Crazy In Love” star could collab with herself, and we respect it.

The EP also brought us the song “Get Me Bodied” Timbaland remix featuring Puerto Rican reggaetonero Julio Voltio. Yep, we were today-years-old when we found out Beyoncé collabed with Voltio. And last, we arguably have the album’s most precious treasure: a Norteña remix of “Irremplazable.”

We never knew we needed the mix of Beyoncé’s voice, “Irreplaceable” in Spanish, and música Norteña — until today. You need to listen to this:

Talking about hearing herself singing in Spanish, Beyoncé said in 2007 that it felt “shocking” — and we have to agree. While it may be “crazy” hearing her sing in the language, our señora hearts need more Spanish Beyoncé stat.

Tags:

Share this Story