Overview
“Despacito” by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee (with Justin Bieber on the remix) became a global phenomenon in 2017. The remix spent 16 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (tied for longest-running #1 at the time with “One Sweet Day” and “Uptown Funk”) and became the first primarily Spanish-language #1 since “Macarena” (1996).
Cultural Impact
The song broke multiple records: first video to reach 3 billion, 4 billion, 5 billion, 6 billion, and 7 billion views on YouTube (currently 8+ billion views). It became the most-streamed song of all time across all platforms and sparked a Latin music resurgence in mainstream pop.
Chart Domination
“Despacito” won four Latin Grammy Awards and was nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2018 Grammys (controversially losing all three). The song’s reggaeton beat and catchy melody transcended language barriers and dominated summer 2017 globally.