Fonsi Earns Seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with “Despacito”

It’s Lucky No. 7 for Luis Fonsi

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s latest single “Despacito,” featuring Daddy Yankee, rises 2-1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart dated March 11.

Luis Fonsi

The seventh career chart-topper for both Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.

The ascent marks Fonsi’s first Latin Airplay No. 1 since 2009, when “Aqui Estoy Yo” topped the chart. Daddy Yankee most recently crowned the list in 2016 when “Vaiven” spent a week at the top (January 23).

The song’s rise to the summit is due to a 13 percent increase at the format, to 18.2 million audience impressions in the week ending February 26, according to Nielsen Music. Both act’s hometown station WKAQ, San Juan, Puerto Rico (a Univision Radio station), was a top contributor with 77 weekly spins of the song.

Univision Communications, Inc.’s vice president, managing director of radio strategy Ismar Santa Cruz tells Billboard, “Luis Fonsi took a heritage sound that he has been known for and successfully adapted it to the sounds that are impacting the market and our audience today.” Adding, “the inclusion of Daddy Yankee as a featured artist added an additional rhythmic element by a core star artist that complemented the track very well.”

Fonsi, who has dotted the chart with 30 songs since debuting in 1998, has traditionally been known known for his ballads. “Despacito” is his first foray into a more rhythmic, reggaeton sound aided by a pioneer in reggaeton’s shift into the mainstream, Daddy Yankee (the record holder for most chart hits on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Songs chart, with 59).

Univision’s WXNY, New York also championed the track with 45 plays (and 1.2 million audience impressions). Of its nationwide draw, Santa Cruz comments “Univision listeners are really relating to the rhythm and lyrics— and we’re seeing that in various formats across multiple top markets including Puerto Rico, Miami, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles, among others.”

Santa Cruz sums up the tracks appeal, “all in all, the track really hits on all levels, and we see it resonating to that degree with our audiences.”

Luis Fonsi’s Seven No. 1s on Latin Airplay
Title, peak date (weeks at No. 1)
“Imaginame Sin Ti,” Sept. 9, 2000 (two weeks)
“Abrazar La Vida,” May 22, 2004 (one week)
“Nada Es Para Siempre,” Aug. 27, 2005 (one week)
“Tu Amor,” Feb. 24, 2007 (one week)
“No Me Doy Por Vencido,” (19 weeks)
“Aqui Estoy Yo,” June 13, 2009 (one week)
“Despacito,” featuring Daddy Yankee, March 11 (one week, so far)

Elsewhere, “Despacito” concurrently spends a fourth straight week at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart thanks to increased digital sales and steady streams, in addition to the on-air rise.

For a third consecutive week it is the most streamed Spanish-language song in the U.S., supporting its stay atop Hot Latin Songs (despite a 3 percent dip to 7.6 million plays in the week ending Feb. 23). YouTube accounts for nearly half of the streams (49 percent), where the music video for the track has collected over 369 million global views since its January 12 release. Digital sales also aid the ranking, hiking 11 percent, to 9,000 downloads sold.

Prince Royce’s “Te Robaré” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart

It’s Lucky No. 7 for Prince Royce

The 24-year-old Dominican American singer-songwriter’s latest single “Te Robaré” has reached the summit on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart.

Prince Royce

The single raches 4-1 on the chart to give Prince Royce his seventh consecutive chart-topper on the list and his eighth No. 1 single overall.

In terms of successive No. 1s, the Bachata singer ranks second only to Enrique Iglesias, who started his chart career with eight straight trips to the summit (1995-97).

“Te Robaré” rises with 14.6 million audience impressions (up 33 percent), according to Nielsen BDS.

Royce will perform live on Telemundo‘s broadcast of the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards on April 24. He’s a 16-time finalist in 15 categories, including artist of the year.

On Top Latin Albums, 3BallMTY debuts its newest set, Globall, which enters at No. 4 with 2,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Mexican trio, known for blending tribal-guachera with electronic sounds, also climbs 22-18 on the sales/airplay/streaming-based Hot Latin Songs chart with “La Noche Es Tuya,” featuring America Sierra and Gerardo Ortiz.

Mexican pop group Camila is back with new single “Decidiste Dejarme.” Formerly a trio, the duo enters Hot Latin Songs at No. 31 with the first track from its forthcoming album, due in June.

The cut debuts at No. 13 on the  Latin Digital Songs chart, moving 2,000 downloads in its opening week. The group had last charted with “De Que Me Sirve La Vida,” which reached No. 24 on Hot Latin Songs in April 2012.