By Sundy Locus
Admit it, you immediately got the Last Song Syndrome or LSS upon hearing the smash hit “Despacito.” With its addictive beat and refreshing summer vibe, the collaborative track from Luis Fonci and Daddy Yankee has been hypnotizing the local and international crowd for weeks; proving that in music, language was never a barrier.
The certified chart-topper which directly translates to “Slowly” has been breaking borders since its release. From dominating the Billboard charts to breaking YouTube records, “Despacito” is certainly a Latino history-maker.
Here are the five things you need to know about the global soundtrack.
1. “Despacito” is the only non-English hit to top Billboard Hot 100 for seven times. Not only for topping the Billboard list for seven consecutive weeks but the successful track had stolen the international limelight for being the only Spanish-language single to hit Hot 100 at No. 1 in more than 20 years.
2. It is the fastest track to reach 2 billion views in YouTube. The song’s popularity is no joke as it broke records one after another. “Despacito”’s original version holds the most views in its debut month for the year after gaining over 250 million views in its first 30 days. It also ruled over Vevo’s history as it collected a massive viewership of 5.4 million in 24 hours, making it as the Spanish language video with most hits in a day. Its remix version also reached a YouTube milestone after garnering 20 million views 24 hours after its release and 70 million after a week.
3. It boosted tourism in Puerto Rico. Just like how K-POP promoted South Korea, “Despacito” umped up the tourism in Puerto Rico with its upbeat music. Upon its release two months ago, tourists became curious about the spots featured in the music video, resulting to 45 percent increase in foreign interest. Local tours added the places in their itineraries which includes La Perla sector and Club La Factoría in Old San Juan.
4. Justin Bieber came up with the idea of remix version. The 23-year-old pop star contacted Fonci to create a remix version of the song. The collaboration ended positively as they produced another top-tier that further popularized Fonci’s global hit.
5. Philippines didn’t miss out on the viral tune. Not only by reigning Spotify Philippines’ Top Tracks playlist but “Despacito”’s prominence was evident in the country as Filipino celebrities got infected by its groovy melody. Kristel Fulgar and Julie Ann San Jose even did their own renditions of the international hit.