Despacito
"Despacito" (Latin American Spanish: [despaˈsito]; transl. "Slowly") is a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee as the lead single from Fonsi's 2019 studio album Vida.[1][2] Released on January 13, 2017, the song was written by Fonsi, Erika Ender and Daddy Yankee, and produced by Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres.[1] A remix version featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber was released on April 17, 2017, which helped to improve the chart performance of the song in numerous countries, including various number-one positions. "Despacito" has been widely credited by music journalists as being instrumental in the renewed popularity of Spanish-language pop music in the mainstream market.
"Despacito"
It is a reggaeton and Latin pop song composed in common time with lyrics about desiring a sexual relationship, performed in a smooth and romantic way. "Despacito" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who praised the fusion between Latin and urban rhythms, its catchiness, and its text painting. It has received Latin Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Urban Fusion/Performance, and Best Short Form Music Video at the 18th Latin Grammy Awards. "Despacito" has been also ranked among the best Latin songs of all time and the best songs of 2017 by various publications, which referred to it as one of the most successful Spanish-language tracks in pop music history.
The song topped the charts of 47 countries and reached the top 10 of six others. In the United States, it became the first song primarily in Spanish to top the Billboard Hot 100 since Los del Río's "Macarena" in 1996, subsequently tying the longest-reigning number one on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time with 16 weeks, as well as becoming the longest-running number-one on the Hot Latin Songs chart with 56 weeks. It also became the first Latin song to receive a diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. The music video shows both artists performing the song in La Perla neighborhood of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico and local bar La Factoría. It was the most-viewed YouTube video of all time from August 2017 to November 2020 and became the first video on the site to reach the milestones of three, four, five, six, seven, and eight billion views. It is now the second most-viewed video on the site, with "Baby Shark" by Pinkfong being the most-viewed.
"Despacito (remix)"
- Spanish
- English
April 17, 2017
April 13, 2017
- Noisematch (Miami, U.S.)
- Audiovisión (Bogotá, Colombia)
3:48
- Rodríguez
- Ender
- Ayala
- Justin Bieber
- Jason Boyd
- Marty James
- Rengifo
- Torres
- Josh Gudwin
Composition[edit]
"Despacito" is a reggaeton and Latin pop song composed in common time (4
4 time) with a length of three minutes and forty-seven seconds and written in the key of B minor[21] with a tempo of 89 beats per minute and a common chord progression of Bm—G—D—A.[22][23][24] The vocals span from F#3 to B4.[25] Its implicit lyrics are about having a sexual relationship in a smooth and romantic way, making heavy use of allegories.[26] However, Luis Fonsi expressed that some lines are free for interpretation.[27]
Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres produced "Despacito" using Pro Tools and the final mix consisted of 47 tracks.[28] The song begins with a Puerto Rican cuatro played by Christian Nieves, which is accompanied by an acoustic guitar played by Torres when Luis Fonsi starts performing.[28] Rengifo stated that the guitar "was actually played, but then [they] chopped it and made it really digital."[28] The producers decided to record a cuatro because they wanted "to feel very Puerto Rican and ethnic" and that it "gives the song a really unique character."[28] Nieves played salsa-influenced melodies during the chorus and the hook, which contains "old school pop" effects based on American producer Dr. Luke.[28] Percussion instruments guache and güira were synchronized with a hi hat in order to highlight the track's cumbia influences.[28]
The song uses the side-chaining production technique in order to make the chorus "more prominent," silencing the music as the kick drum hits.[29] It also makes heavy use of text painting when the music is slowed down as the word "despacito" (slowly) is performed at the beginning of every chorus.[29] Its percussion consists of guache, cowbell, timbales, güira, and sequenced drum patterns.[28] The remix featuring Justin Bieber maintained the original rhythms and Luis Fonsi translated some lines to English, singing a verse in Spanglish, while Daddy Yankee's verses were kept from the original version.[18]
Commercial performance[edit]
United States[edit]
In the United States, the single debuted at number two on Billboard's multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart on February 4, 2017, becoming Fonsi's highest-charting single since "Aquí Estoy Yo" on June 13, 2009.[65] "Despacito" reached number one on the US Hot Latin Songs chart on February 18, 2017, where it remained there for 35 consecutive weeks until October 14, 2017, when it was dethroned by "Mi Gente" by J Balvin and Willy William featuring Beyoncé the following issue.[40] In 2018, it returned to number one in three different runs for 21 non-consecutive weeks.[40] It is the longest-reigning number-one on Hot Latin Songs and surpassed the 41 weeks of 2014's "Bailando" by Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona on February 17, 2018.[66] "Despacito" became the list's second longest-charting title and was removed from the chart on March 9, 2019, after 110 weeks due to a recurrent rule.[67]
On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, the single debuted at number 88 on February 4, 2017, becoming Fonsi's third entry and Daddy Yankee's seventh.[68][69] It subsequently peaked at number 44 on April 15, 2017, before the release of the remix version featuring Justin Bieber.[70][71] "Despacito" reached number one on the Hot 100 on the week ending May 27, 2017, becoming both Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's first number one on the chart and Bieber's fifth.[72] It topped the Hot 100 for 16 consecutive weeks, tying with "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men as the longest-leading number-one single in the chart's history at the time, before being surpassed by "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus on August 3, 2019.[73][74] It also became the first mostly-Spanish-language song to lead the all-genre US Digital Songs chart, as well as the first non-primarily-English-language song to top the all-format Radio Songs and Mainstream Top 40 charts.[75][76] On October 21, 2017, "Despacito" and "Mi Gente" by J Balvin and Willy William featuring Beyoncé marked the first time ever that two non-primarily-English-language songs ranked within the top 10 of the Hot 100 simultaneously.[77] The song spent 52 weeks on the Hot 100 and was removed through a recurrent rule.[78]
"Despacito" was the best-selling and most-streamed single of 2017 in the United States, with 2,692,000 downloads sold and 1,322,799,000 streams.[79][80] It was also the sixth most-played song of 2017, with 608,000 spins across US radio stations and an audience of 3,076,935,000.[80] It ranked at number two on the Hot 100 year-end chart and was the best-performing single on Hot Latin Songs for two years in a row in 2017 and 2018.[81][82][83] In the United States, the single sold 2,983,000 downloads as of June 20, 2019[a] and received a 13× platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 6, 2020, for units of over 13 million sales plus track-equivalent streams, making it the 14th highest-certified single of all time in the United States.[87] It became the first Latin and 18th overall single to receive a diamond certification by the RIAA.[88] It was the ninth best-performing single of the 2010s decade on the Hot 100 and was ranked at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[89][90] It is the best-performing track of all-time on Hot Latin Songs and the 33rd best-performing on the Hot 100.[91][92]
International[edit]
Internationally, "Despacito" has topped the charts of 47 countries, including the original version alone and combined chart entries with the remix version featuring Justin Bieber.[93][94] The song spent 26 weeks at number one in Spain,[95] 20 in Switzerland,[96] 18 in France,[97] 17 Germany,[98] 16 in Canada,[99][100] 14 in Italy,[101] 13 in Australia[102] and 11 in the United Kingdom, among others.[103] Across Europe, the song was certified 13× platinum in Sweden[104] and Spain,[105] diamond in France[106] and Italy[107] and 4× platinum in the United Kingdom[108] and Germany, among others.[109] It also received a diamond certification in Canada[110] and a 5× platinum certification in Australia.[111] In Latin America, it was certified 6× diamond in Brazil[112] and 5× diamond and 4× platinum in Mexico.[113] The remix version alone topped the charts of five countries and was certified platinum in New Zealand[114] and Brazil[112] and gold in Germany.[115]
In the United Kingdom, "Despacito" was the second best-selling and most-streamed song of the year, with 2.3 million combined sales.[116][117] It was also the best-selling single of 2017 in Canada, with more than 300,000 digital sales.[118] It topped the 2017 year-end charts of 16 countries and was the second best-performing song in 15 others. In Latin America, it was the most-played radio song of 2017, with 580,450 spins, as well as the best-performing foreign song of the year in Brazil.[119][120] "Despacito" was the second best-selling single of 2017 across the world, with 24.3 million sales plus track-equivalent streams.[121][122] In 2018, it was the sixth best-selling song of the year, with 11.8 million sales plus track-equivalent streams, and was the 72nd most-played song in Latin America, with 107,980 spins.[123] "Despacito" also peaked at number 114 on the recently inducted Billboard Global 200 chart on the issue date August 7, 2021.[124]
"Despacito" became the world's most-streamed song of all time in July 2017, with 4.6 billion streams between the original and remix version.[125] By this time, Universal Music Group awarded Luis Fonsi with a "Plutonium Disc" in recognition of global sales of "Despacito".[126] It was streamed 7.5 billion times as of April 2018.[93] The remix version became the first primarily-Spanish-language song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify in February 2018, while the original became the first non-English single to reach the milestone in June 2019.[127][128] In the United Kingdom, it became the longest-reigning foreign language number-one and is the 30th best-selling single in the country with 1,900,599 combined sales as of September 19, 2017.[103][129] It also became the song with most weeks at number one in Switzerland and Germany.[130]
Impact[edit]
The success of the song and its remix version led Daddy Yankee to become the most listened-to artist worldwide on streaming service Spotify on July 9, 2017, being the first Latin artist to do so.[131] He later became the sixth most listened-to artist of 2017 on Spotify.[132] "Despacito" was cited by Billboard's Leila Cobo as the song that renewed interest in the Latin music market from recording labels in the United States.[133] Xander Zellner of Billboard credited the influence of the single's success for the Latin music domination in the US mainstream market during 2017, as 11 primarily-Spanish-language songs debuted on the Hot 100.[77] American songwriter Desmond Child and Cuban musician Rudy Pérez expressed that "not since Ricky Martin's 'Livin' La Vida Loca' has there been a song in any genre that has had the global impact of 'Despacito', changing the course of pop music forever."[50] In 2017, six out of the 10 most-viewed YouTube music videos were for songs performed in Spanish by Latin artists and Billboard's Lars Brandle referred to it as "the 'Despacito' effect."[134]
British Official Charts Company recognized it as the song that "helped Latin pop crossover to the mainstream once again."[135] Nielsen's Erin Crawford stated that the track had "a halo effect on several other Latin hits ripe for crossover success", most notably on J Balvin and Willy William's "Mi Gente"[80] Rolling Stone stated that the song "hastened a massive historical turn in American music, demonstrating the mainstream viability of Spanish-language pop."[60] John Ochoa of Rolling Stone stated that "the resulting so-called 'Despacito effect' has advanced a wave of subsequent Spanish-language hits and mainstream crossovers."[61]
The Recording Industry Association of America reported that Latin music revenues grew 37% in 2017, mostly due to music streaming.[136] Latin music's consumption in the United States increased 15% between the first half of 2016 and the first half of 2018.[137] The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that revenue in Latin America grew 17.7% in 2017 and described "Despacito" as a "game-changing hit."[121] In 2018, eight out of the 10 most-viewed YouTube music videos of the year were for songs performed in Spanish and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation referred to it as "the 'Despacito' effect."[138][139]
Sony/ATV Music Publishing President Jorge Mejía stated that the song marked a "before and after" in the global consumption of Latin music.[140] Before its success, Sony "had a big Latin single roughly every two years," a situation that reverted into an "avalanche of Latin songs around the world."[140] Andrew Unterberger of Billboard stated that "2017 was the year that Latin pop took over the United States" due to the song and its quick impact on "Mi Gente", Camila Cabello's "Havana", and the chart performance of acts including Maluma, Ozuna and Bad Bunny, who achieved their biggest hits in the country.[141]
In July 2017, it was reported that tourist interest in Puerto Rico increased by 45% since the worldwide success of the song.[142][143] Tour operators cite the song's music video for increasing interest in locations such as Club La Factoría and La Perla district in Old San Juan, which were featured in the video.[144]
Live performances[edit]
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee performed "Despacito" live together for the first time at the 2017 Billboard Latin Music Awards on April 27, 2017, and later on The Voice season 12 finals on May 23, 2017.[160][161] The only live performance by Justin Bieber and Luis Fonsi was at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico on April 18, 2017, during the former's Purpose World Tour.[162] Bieber was not able to sing the song during live performances and was caught replacing portions of the lyrics with the word "blah" and nonsensical ramblings during one performance in a much publicized incident.[163] Fonsi has defended him for not knowing the lyrics, saying that he has to be given "a little bit of a pass" because Spanish is not Bieber's main language.[164]
Luis Fonsi performed "Despacito" on American talk show Conan on June 12, 2017 -his first late-night television appearance in the United States- and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 14, 2017.[165][166] He also performed the song with random lyrics alongside American television host Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 30, 2019.[167]
Both Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee included the song on their setlists for the 2017–18 Love + Dance World Tour and the 2017 Tamo En Vivo Europe Tour, respectively.[168][169][170] On November 16, 2017, Luis Fonsi sang "Despacito" featuring Puerto Rican singer Victor Manuelle, Colombian band Bomba Estéreo and American disc jockey Diplo at the 18th Latin Grammy Awards.[171] On January 28, 2018, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee performed the song at the 60th Grammy Awards on the Madison Square Garden, becoming the 12th and 13th Latin artists ever to perform at the Grammy Awards.[172][173] Fonsi also participated on United States President Joe Biden's inauguration by performing "Despacito" at the Celebrating America special on January 20, 2021.[174]