Why?
It is the most streamed song in history — and it is in Spanish. Despacito is a cheesy if irresistible ballad that will be soundtracking holidays this summer from Magaluf to Margate. It has been streamed 4.6 billion times, has gone to No 1 around the world and reportedly increased tourist interest in Puerto Rico by 45 per cent.
A seduction song (the title translates as Slowly), Despacito is a phenomenon. It’s by the Puerto Rican crooner Luis Fonsi, with help from the reggaeton rapper Daddy Yankee and, latterly, a guest spot from Canada’s own superbrat Justin Bieber. A product of the internet age where a song from any territory has the potential to be heard across the globe, Despacito has been hailed, not least by Fonsi himself, as a symbol of unity in a divided world. It is also extremely rude.
“We will do it on the beaches of Puerto Rico till the waves scream, dear Lord,” cries Fonsi before promising to leave his seal with his intended lover. Whether he means he is giving her his individual mark of authenticity or his pet semi-aquatic marine mammal is not clear.
In any case, a lot of English-speaking children are singing along to some extremely inappropriate, if slightly surreal, descriptions of seduction techniques.
Fonsi, a star in his home country, intended initially to write a ballad with enough of a rhythm to make people dance. Given an injection of urban energy by Yankee and pop hooks by the Panamanian songwriter Erika Ender, Despacito became a Latin hit on its release in January. It crossed over when a remix featuring Bieber, who heard the song in a club and asked to contribute a verse, was released in April.
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Now the biggest Spanish-language hit since 1996’s Macarena is this year’s musical version of a holiday romance: a bit tacky, almost definitely not a good idea, but too tempting to resist.
Will Hodgkinson
What they say
“We’re living in an interesting time right now when people want to divide us. And for a song to bring people and cultures together, that’s what makes me proud.”
Luis Fonsi, singer
“Streaming will continue to open up music from Latin American artists globally. Anything and everywhere is up for grabs.”
Lucian Grainge, head of Universal Music