“Despacito” is currently the second most viewed music video on YouTube, with 7.9 billion hits.
Celebrating the 5th anniversary of the song’s release, Luis Fonsi said in Billboard: “Thanks to globalization, the development of the Internet, Despacito began the era of worldwide popular Latin music, highlighting the universality of Latin music. language and rhythm. I believe Despacito is the catalyst for this change. I am proud that the song opens a new door, making non-Latin audiences flutter with this musical language.”
According to Billboard, the song opened the period when Latin songs dominated the international charts. Before Despacito, in 2016, four songs entered the Billboard Hot 100. After the song’s release, this number increased to 19 in 2017 and 21 in 2018. Last year, 26 songs achieved the above achievement, of which including Neverita’s Bad Bunny .
Luis Fonsi sings “Despacito” in Danang 2018. Video: Kokofest
English-speaking stars have since been more open to collaborating with Latin-based artists. Right after the collaboration of Justin Bieber and Luis Fonsi, Beyoncé sang with Willy William and J Balvin in Mi Gente, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J Balvin also collaborated in I like it.
The success of Despacito also inspired many pop artists to exploit Latin material. 20 years ago, Christina Aguilera released the album Mi Reflejo in Spanish, which reached number one on Billboard’s Latin album chart, but was called “cultural appropriation” by some viewers at the time. Now, when the world has become “flatter”, many artists like Selana Gomez, Camila Cabello freely take advantage of Latin music, releasing albums entirely in Spanish.
Not only destroying the internet, Despacito contributed to changing the way the radio system viewed Latin music. Mike Chester, head of promotion for SB Projects radio station (USA), said that when the song was on the system, many technicians complained that the song was too much Spanish, and suggested that the English version be played. . However, he struggled to promote the record. “After Despacito, no Spanish-language songs have dominated pop radio shows yet, but they are still an important part of the ecosystem.”
Justin Bieber, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee sing the remix version of “Despacito” in English.
5 years ago, Despacito stirred up the music industry, becoming a phenomenon mainly thanks to its catchy melody. The 4/4 beat consists of strong and light beats alternating, combined with bass and Spanish-style guitar, attracting listeners. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s lilting vocals, especially the way they press and release the word “Despacito” (Slow down). “The song came out at a time when audiences liked the perfect mix of pop, reggaeton and Latin melodies,” says Luis Fonsi. The original lyrics are the voice of the boy’s heart for the girl he loves, but few viewers care about this, because the song’s charm comes from the music.
When he heard the song in a bar in Colombia, Justin Bieber immediately became obsessed, offering to collaborate with Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. A remix sung in English was later released, but did not reduce the appeal of the original song. Video Despacito reached a billion views in 97 days, two billion views in 150 days, surpassing Justin Bieber’s Sorry , Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s See You Again, PSY’s Gangnam style … It’s also a spanish song The only house to win the number one spot on the US Billboard chart since the achievement of Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix) in 1996.
