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Despacito

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"Despacito" is a landmark Spanish-language song that reshaped the global music landscape.

It is a fusion of Latin pop and reggaeton, which is an urban music genre known for its rhythmic beats. The track was primarily created by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi and Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee. This song is considered a vital tool in spreading the popularity of Spanish-language music into the global mainstream. It reached number one on the music charts in 47 different countries. These countries included the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Erika Ender picby Raymond Collazo
Erika Ender picby Raymond Collazo

The creation of the song was a collaborative process that took place between 2015 and 2016. Luis Fonsi began the process in late 2015 at his home in Miami. He wanted to create a "swinging song" for his tenth studio album, titled *Vida*. Fonsi worked with Panamanian-American and Brazilian singer-songwriter Erika Ender to write the lyrics. During their sessions, Fonsi used a Gibson Emmylou Harris guitar to compose the music. Originally, the song was intended to be a cumbia and pop song with ballad-style lyrics. However, the creators decided to give it an "urban injection" to change its energy. They then sent a demo to Daddy Yankee to incorporate his reggaeton style.

Recording the final version involved several skilled professionals and specific technical steps. The song was recorded at Noisematch Studios in Miami in late 2016. Daddy Yankee improvised his rap verses in a corner of the studio's control room. He was inspired by the sound of his father playing the bongos. The track was produced by Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres. Rengifo is a member of the Colombian pop duo Cali y El Dandee. Torres has worked with famous artists like Ricky Martin and Thalía. The final audio was mixed by engineer Jaycen Joshua at Larrabee Sound Studios in Los Angeles. The production utilized Pro Tools and resulted in a complex mix of 47 different tracks.

The musical composition uses specific instruments and techniques to create its unique sound. The song is written in the key of B minor with a tempo of 89 beats per minute. It begins with the sound of a cuatro, which is a traditional Puerto Rican string instrument.

This instrument was chosen to provide an "ethnic" and Puerto Rican character to the track. The producers also used percussion instruments like the guache, cowbell, timbales, and güira. A technique called side-chaining was used during the chorus to make it sound more prominent. This technique briefly silences the music when the kick drum hits. The song also uses "text painting," where the music slows down when the singers say "despacito," which means "slowly" in Spanish.

In April 2017, a remix was released that included Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber.

Erika Ender picby Raymond Collazo
Erika Ender picby Raymond Collazo

This version added English lyrics written by Poo Bear and Marty James. Bieber recorded his vocals at Estudios Audiovisión in Bogotá, Colombia. This was the first time Bieber sang in the Spanish language. To help him, musician Juan Felipe Samper wrote the lyrics phonetically. This allowed Bieber to achieve perfect pronunciation in just two hours. The remix process was very fast, taking only six days from start to finish. This version helped the song find even more success in English-speaking markets.

The commercial success of "Despacito" was unprecedented for a Spanish-language track. In the United States, it was the first Spanish song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since "Macarena" in 1996. It tied the record at the time for the longest-reigning number one song with 16 weeks. It also spent 56 weeks at the top of the Hot Latin Songs chart. The song earned a digital Diamond certification from the RIAA, meaning it sold over 13 million units. It also achieved over 141 digital Latin Platinum certifications. In 2025, Billboard magazine named it the most successful Latin song of the 21st century.

Beyond radio charts, the song left a massive mark on digital media and awards history. The music video features the artists in the La Perla neighborhood of Old San Juan and a local bar called La Factoría.

The video held the record for the most-viewed YouTube video for several years. It was the first video on the platform to reach milestones of three, four, five, six, seven, and eight billion views. It also set records for likes, being the first to reach 55 million likes. The song also earned major recognition at the Latin Grammy Awards. It won awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Short Form Music Video. These achievements solidified its place in music history.

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File:Erika Ender picby Raymond Collazo.jpg
Erika Ender picby Raymond Collazo.jpg
File:Zuleyka Rivera Mexico 2 (cropped).jpg
Zuleyka Rivera Mexico 2 (cropped).jpg
File:LaPerla SanJuan PuertoRico.jpg
LaPerla SanJuan PuertoRico.jpg
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