From Drake to Daft Punk: Stevie Wonder’s Wildest Collaborations

Stevie Wonder has done his fair share of collaborations. In his heyday, his duets were legendary. He joined forces with the greatest voices of his era. However, his modern career isn’t lacking in timeless partnerships either. Check out three of Wonder‘s most surprising, modern collaborations below.

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[RELATED: On This Day in 1982, Stevie Wonder Helps Paul McCartney Score His 24th No. 1 Hit]

“Faith” with Ariana Grande

Stevie Wonder doing a song for an animated movie about animals who sing isn’t something I could’ve predicted…Nevertheless, he hopped on a duet with Ariana Grande for Sing back in 2016. Wonder took on piano duties (duh) and co-lead vocals while Grande provided her signature high notes to this collaboration. Grande certainly has a voice that can go toe-to-toe with icons, but singing with Wonder isn’t for the weak. Grande pulled it off beautifully, and Wonder wowed as per usual.

I got faith in you, baby
I got faith in you now
And you’ve been such a, such a good friend to me
Know that I love you somehow

“Get Lucky” with Daft Punk

Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” was no doubt inspired by soulful icons that came before them. Wonder would fall into that category. So, in many ways, it’s not surprising that he joined the electronic duo–and a host of other mega-talented artists–at the Grammys to perform this hit. What is surprising though is Wonder’s willingness to join forces with his progeny. Not every iconic artist is so generous with their time. Wonder hasn’t been stingy, passing the torch to countless younger artists through collaborations.

We’ve come too far
To give up who we are
So let’s raise the bar
And our cups to the stars

“Doing It Wrong” with Drake

Wonder lent his harmonica skills to Drake in 2011 on “Doing It Wrong”. It’s hard to mistake Wonder’s playing with any other musicians’. He has something distinctive about his instrumentation that speaks to his cross-generational appeal. Though casual fans may not have known that Wonder was on this track, fans of the soul genre certainly picked up on the familiar harmonica sound towards the end of this collaboration.

So cry if you need to
But I can’t stay to watch you
That’s the wrong thing to do
Touch if you need to
But I can’t stay to hold you
That’s the wrong thing to do

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)