Making a name for himself through his YouTube remix/mashups of hit songs, producer Lonelez has struck gold with his most viral project yet; a reggaeton remix of "Willow" featuring artists Ozuna and Wisin.
First going viral in 2020 by garnering over 1M views on YouTube and has since become the highest-searched song on Shazam in Mexico, Chile, and Ecuador, gaining the attention of a variety of esteemed Latin and international music media.
Now resurfacing for a second wave of virality, Lonelez's vibrant rendition creates a refreshing twist surrounding Taylor Swift's passionate croons performed on "Willow." The rhythmic essence of this record is smooth and breezy as it conveys a fanciful magnetism you can't help but follow.
The danceability encapsulated by Lonelez's remix allows us to see why listeners are obsessed with traditional reggaeton fusion and are bringing it back to the surface. Accompanying the alto singer's rich, dark vocals, Lonelez samples verses from Ozuna's hit record, "Caramelo," and Wisin's "Mi Nina." The infectious energy that surges through your speakers is undoubtedly why we love the track.
As this isn't a mashup we typically expect, we didn't think that Taylor's lush harmonies in "Willow" would accompany the potent effervescence of reggaeton that we know and love. Thankfully for Lonelez, he's pushing the envelope and allowing listeners to bask in innovative fusions which fit together effortlessly.
So whether you add it to your favorite playlist or use the sound on TikTok, this surge of Lonelez is bound to get you moving as his immaculate production rules you.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Lonelez! We're thrilled to have you here discussing your rendition of "Willow" featuring Ozuna and Wisin. What was it like for this song to go viral on TikTok, not just once but twice organically? How did you find out?
I’m happy to be here; thank you for having me! Well, the first time was almost out of the blue. I’ve had some other remixes go viral, but nothing of this magnitude. One day the remix on Youtube was sitting at around 400 views, and then the next, it was climbing to over 10,000. The comments were coming in as well. So I was curious as to why all of a sudden, the remix was getting so popular. I did a quick Google search, and that’s when I saw so many tweets and blog posts about the remix. This continued for months, and eventually, the remix reached TikTok. So many people made their own trends and dance challenges with the remix. This was in early 2021. It was exciting, really! I think what really came as a surprise for me was how much love the remix was getting from listeners who don’t consider themselves Taylor Swift fans. I read one tweet that said my remix was the first Taylor Swift song they heard, and now they are officially Swiftie. That’s crazy but also so cool to hear! The remix was played on the radio in El Salvador, Argentina, Mexico, supermarkets, clubs, and bars throughout Latin America and Spain. But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
The buzz around the remix had slowed down by the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. Then came the 2022 VMAs. Someone recorded Taylor dancing Reggaeton at the award show and uploaded that to TikTok using the Willow remix as a sound. That TikTok video went viral, and then came so many more. Wisin – whose acapella I included in the remix – even tweeted about the remix and made two TikTok videos. Insane! Taylor herself also liked a TikTok video where the song was being played at a nightclub in Paraguay. I received many DMs on Instagram, with people sending me videos of places where the remix was being played. It was truly incredible to witness, and I couldn’t be happier.
How have Latin American Taylor Swift fans been embracing this remix?
The Latin American Swifties are the best fans in the world, for real. They have accepted and embraced this remix with open arms. Thanks to them, the remix has gone viral and stayed buzz-worthy for so long. To this day, I still see tweets from fans asking Taylor to release the remix officially. Countless tweets say that they are manifesting that Taylor takes the Midnights tour to Latin America and performs the remix with Ozuna and Wisin as special guests. The love is real, and I’m so grateful. That’s why I’ve made so many Taylor Swift remixes since the Willow one, haha. I get many requests in the comments from Taylor Swift fans to remix her songs. Funny enough, every time I start producing a Taylor Swift remix, it all comes together pretty effortlessly. For some reason, Taylor Swift and Latin American music genres flow together.
Please take us into your creative process regarding remixes and sampling artists for mashups.
So, I approach it from a curiosity point of view. I’m always listening to all types of music, so I always get thoughts of, “I wonder what this would sound like in merengue or cumbia?” That’s 90% of how all my remixes and mashups come to life. I also like to mix genres in a single remix or mashup. I’m known for that, haha.
Do your mashups often take the route of blending Latin music genres? What favorite mashups do you have, and what genres and major artists do they incorporate?
Absolutely. It’s exciting to see so many Latin American artists go mainstream nowadays. Our music is heard all over the world! Like, you are telling me the number one artist in the world is Bad Bunny? That’s amazing! Inspiring! So, I’m also on a mission to put our music out there for the world to hear. And in ways, they’ve probably never heard before. For example, one of my favorite remixes/mashups I’ve done is “Modo End Game.” It’s a remix and a mashup of Taylor Swift’s “End Game” with “Modo Turbo” by Anitta, Pablo Vittar, and Luisa Sonza. I produced a fully original Brazilian funk beat and mashed up all the acapellas to make it sound as if it was a real feature. Taylor’s fans loved it! They had never heard Taylor Swift over a funk beat before. And likewise for the merengue remix of Taylor’s Vigilante Shit. I really like that remix because I’m always experimenting with ways to make merengue sound different. It’s one of my favorite genres because you can really mix it with almost everything. This reminds me of my merengue remix of the Jonas Brothers and Marshmello’s “Lose You To Love Me.” Another of my favorites!
What's next for you?
Honestly, I don’t know. I focused mainly on original music in 2022. But I always love making remixes, so that’s never going to stop. Working with these artists and releasing an official remix would be awesome. Yeah, that’s definitely the goal. So, we’ll see!