Why Bebe Rexha’s new album ‘Bebe’ left her in tears

Bebe Rexha has released new music, and this time, with a self-titled 70s disco inferno-inspired album. With features from legendary artists such as Snoop Dogg and Dolly Parton, Rexha opened up about how emotional creating the new tracks was for her.

Rexha started tearing up after hearing Dolly Parton on her song ‘Seasons’ for the first time. She initially believed that asking the country music icon with a career lasting over decades was a “shot in the dark.”

Dolly Parton’s lasting impact

“The first time I listened to it, I cried,” said the Grammy nominee. “It’s just so beautiful. I cry every time — I get goosebumps all over my body.”

“I was really inspired by Fleetwood Mac, and they have a song called ‘Landslide’… ‘Landslide’ is one of the greatest songs of all time, but I just loved how it talked about change. And I was like, ‘I want to write my own version,’” said Rexha to the Associated Press.

“Growing up with immigrant parents, I never thought that I would have Dolly Parton on my song, you know? She’s an icon. Not only is she an incredible artist, but she’s a songwriter, which is how I started. Yeah, it’s surreal.”

The new album ‘Bebe’ features contributions from Snoop Dogg, David Guetta, and Dolly Parton. The album has 12 tracks total including her viral hit ‘I’m Good (Blue)’ which was initially released back in 2022.

Friendship with Snoop Dogg

She also explained how other features for the album were surprisingly easy to get. Rexha developed a friendship with rapper Snoop Dogg after sending him a message on Instagram.

Within 24 hours of the message, Snoop Dogg was working on a guest feature for the track ‘Satellite’.

“I’m always sliding into other celebrities’ DMs, constantly,” she said. “I think that sometimes you can create friendships like that, and I think it never hurts to reach out.”

Inspired by the 1970s

The album has strong 1970s influences. Rexha explained that she wanted to capture the aesthetics from those years into sounds.

“We’re like, ‘How could we take all of our favorite sounds of the ‘70s and put it into a project?’” said the 33-year-old. “I just love the freedom when it came to music… And I love the aesthetic, I love the fashion of it — everything that it encapsulates,” Rexha explained.

She also explained how she wanted to create sounds that felt good, as the world enters a post-coronavirus pandemic era.

“I wanted to do something a little different… There are thoughtful songs and slower records, but the majority of the songs are definitely feel-good and very uplifting and dancey,” explained Rexha, who also serves as the executive producer. “That was really important to me.”