Bebe Rexha Recalls Feeling 'Nervous' to Work with David Guetta as They Celebrate 2nd Joint Grammy Nod (Exclusive)

"David and I, musically, just have this chemistry that I can't explain," Rexha tells PEOPLE as their song "One in a Million" is up for a Grammy Award

With several platinum-selling collaborations and two joint Grammy nominations under their belts, Bebe Rexha and David Guetta have proven themselves as dance-pop's dream team.

Since the pair first teamed up on 2015's smash hit "Hey Mama," they've notched global success with earworm bangers including last year's inescapably massive "I'm Good (Blue)." Earlier this year, Rexha and Guetta followed up the party anthem with "One in a Million," which is nominated for best pop dance recording at the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards — marking their second as a duo.

"Every time I'm nominated, it's kind of a pinch-me moment," Rexha, 34, tells PEOPLE of the "unexpected" honor. "It shows that [Guetta] and I really do have a very special connection, musically."

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The pop singer-songwriter's years-long working relationship with the 56-year-old EDM superstar began early in her career, shortly after she earned her first major hit song, 2013's "Take Me Home" with Cash Cash. "I remember being really nervous," says Rexha, recalling their first meeting at a multi-artist studio session.

"I got in, and he played me an idea, and he said, 'I have this song that I worked on with Ester Dean, and I'm missing a pre-hook or a hook.' And I was like, 'Say less,'" she explains. "David walked in 30 minutes later, ['Hey Mama'] was done, and he was going crazy. It was a very surreal moment."

The trap-house collaboration, also featuring Nicki Minaj and Afrojack, became Rexha's first as a vocalist to chart in the top-10 of the Billboard Hot 100 and sold over four million units in the United States. But she looks back on its success as "bittersweet," as she wasn't originally credited as a featured artist on the song nor invited to be in its music video.

"That was really heartbreaking for me because my voice was literally on the song," says Rexha, who felt her former professional team didn't advocate for her at the time. "I put my foot down at some point, and maybe it was a little too late, because even 'til this day when I perform it, people's eyes open up, and they're like, 'Wait, this is Bebe? What the hell?' And that's the story of my life."

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Today, after continuing to work with Guetta, she doesn't hold any "grudges" over the experience and appreciates the impact "Hey Mama" had on her career. "You live and you learn, and that was part of my journey," notes Rexha. "We've created a stronger relationship since then."

Following "Hey Mama," the performer found another colossal hit with 2017's "Meant to Be," a collaboration with country duo Florida Georgia Line. The song spent 50 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, went diamond in the U.S. with over 10 million units sold and earned a Grammy nod for best country duo/group performance in 2019. Rexha was also up for best new artist at the ceremony in her first-ever nominations.

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Ultimately, "Meant to Be" lost its award to Dan + Shay's "Tequila," and Dua Lipa won best new artist over Rexha. "I got really bummed out. I told myself, 'If I do not win for "Meant to Be," I really do not think I'll ever win a Grammy for anything else,'" she says. "Ever since then, what I'm trying to get to is having no expectations."

Despite not taking home the awards that night, Rexha continued winning over audiences in the following years — partly alongside Guetta, whom she worked with on 2018's "Say My Name" and 2021's "Family" before their next monstrous hit weaseled its way into the world: "I'm Good (Blue)."

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After starting the dance track, which samples Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)," during a 2017 studio session, it leaked and went viral on TikTok in 2022. So, they finished and released the song — and it became an explosive success, spending 55 weeks atop the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and earning a Grammy nomination for best dance/electronic recording.

"I was in a slump after COVID — it was kind of depressing — and here comes this song out of nowhere that we'd written five years prior. It gave me this confidence, newfound energy and love for music again," says Rexha, adding with a laugh: "It also makes me think of all the songs I have in my computer that are still on the cutting room floor, never have gotten a chance and should probably have been big songs."

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Riding the wave of "I'm Good (Blue)" led the duo to join forces once again for "One in a Million," which Rexha started working on with other collaborators before realizing the song was reminiscent of Guetta and Kelly Rowland's "When Love Takes Over." So, Rexha brought the song to Guetta, who cleared the 2009 hit's interpolation, and they finished it together.

"When we found out we were nominated for the Grammy, it felt really good because it's our peers who are voting," she says. "David and I, musically, just have this chemistry that I can't explain. It's just fun working with him because he's so talented, and I feel like I've learned a lot."

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Rexha continues of the nomination: "I really am truly grateful to still be in the mix and still be able to do what I love. I started out as an underdog with a lot of labels not wanting to sign me because in the beginning, I didn't fit the look. I had to come to this point in my career by using the power of the pen and my writing."

Looking forward, fans can expect to hear more from the powerhouse pair. "I constantly hit him up and send him ideas," says Rexha, before quipping: "He called me his annoying little sister, and I was like, 'Don't get it twisted. You're my annoying little brother. This is a two-way street, honey.'"

She and Guetta plan to continue working together on new music, and they've even discussed the possibility of a full-length collaborative project. "He and I have built such an incredible connection," says Rexha. "I think we'll pretty much be working with each other and in each other's lives for as long as we can."

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