The song almost sounded very different. Initially, David Guetta and J Balvin recorded the track with . For reasons that remain private, that version was never released, and the song was eventually re-recorded with Rexha. Guetta's manager even announced at one point that the song wouldn't be released at all, but it eventually found its home on Guetta’s album, 7 . Merging Three Worlds
The lyrics explore the universal human need for public recognition in a relationship. Say My Name (David Guetta, Bebe Rexha and J Balvin song) David Guetta - Say My Name ft. Bebe Rexha, J Balvin
For Bebe Rexha, "Say My Name" was a pivotal moment of artistic reclamation. The song almost sounded very different
He aimed to fuse pop, reggaeton, and electronic dance music into a "minimalist" production. Guetta's manager even announced at one point that
Guetta admitted that producing the track was a "challenging" feat of Musical Engineering .
Rexha had previously collaborated with Guetta on the 2014 hit "Hey Mama," but she was initially uncredited despite being the primary voice.