[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.] The Billboard Latin and Billboard Español edit teams (including Leila Cobo, Luisa Calle, Ingrid Fajardo, Griselda Flores, Sigal Ratner-Arias, Isabela Raygoza, and Jessica Roiz) rank the ultimate Spanish-language pop songs from Y2K to now. I see so many of my favs here—too many to list. Remarkably, these selections cross generational (and other) gaps; for example, #1 is Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” and #11 is “La negra tiene tumbao” (Celia Cruz & Mikey Perfecto), while in 50th place is Manu Chao’s “Me gustas tú.” Close to the middle (in 22nd place) is another all-time favorite, Calle 13’s “Atrévete-te-te”! We have chosen four descriptions below; see Billboard for descriptions of all 50 songs.
The teams explain: Our list of the best 50 Latin pop songs of the 2000s is culled from the collective input of our Latin editorial team. While the list is meant to be a compilation of pop recordings, it includes songs in other genres — tropical, regional Mexican, reggaetón — that were so impactful that they entered the realm of pop culture, regardless of genre.
While the definition of “pop” can be argued endlessly, what’s not arguable is that “pop” in music means popular. These are songs that are recognizable in the very broad stylistic and geographical universe of Latin music; obscure works or deep cuts, no matter how merit-worthy, are not on this list.
But broad recognition alone didn’t translate to inclusion on this list. Our choices had to truly meet the definition of a great pop song: Catchy, hooky, beautifully crafted, compelling lyrics, universally appealing, innovative. In compiling this list, we wanted to focus on the new century, the time period when Latin music truly began to become global and have only included tracks released from 2000. [. . .] We focused on enduring tracks, those that sound as fresh and relevant today as they did the day we heard them for the first time. Standing the test time matters.
Other criteria we took in mind was inclusivity. Although some artists boast multiple masterpieces, in order to widen the scope of our list and allow for more artists to be part of it, we limited representation to one song per artist, with the exception of key collabs. Last, but certainly not least, a song’s cultural and musical impact affects its placement in the rankings. [. . .]
- Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, “Despacito” (2017)
If there is a before-and-after for Latin music since the year 2000, it would be “Despacito.” The 2017 hit, written by Luis Fonsi, Erika Ender and Daddy Yankee, originally recorded by Fonsi and Yankee and later remixed with Justin Bieber, not only shattered all records, but unequivocally changed the way Latin music was perceived and eventually consumed globally in the streaming era. Released Jan. 13 of 2017 on Universal Music Latin, the now-ubiquitous song — with its instantly catchy “Des-pa-cito” refrain –exploded almost instantly, going to No.1 on Hot Latin Songs just three weeks after its release, where it held for a still-record 56 weeks. When Bieber jumped on the remix, adding a touch of English and a touch of Bieber to the mix, it soared to the top of the Hot 100 within a month, where it stayed for an astounding 16 weeks, tying Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” for the all-time record of most weeks at No. 1 (a record that has since been broken).
Globally, “Despacito” continues to be a force of nature, shattering viewing records on YouTube; it currently stands as the most-watched music video of all time. It wasn’t only that no other Latin song, in history, has had that level of success: It was also everything that came in its wake. “Despacito” opened the industry’s eyes to the vast possibilities of music in Spanish, or bilingual music with the right song. It made it clear that, in the age of streaming, language was no longer a barrier for listeners hungry for new songs.
All that, however, started with the song itself, which Fonsi originally conceived of as a sensual, romantic pop track with Ender, his friend and regular writing partner. Producers Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres added the reggaetón beat, which in turn led to the search for an urban voice that could contrast with Fonsi’s R&B balladeer croon. The perfect blend of urban and pop was born. And then, of course, the remix with Justin Bieber, and its blend of cultures. “Now, ‘Despacito’ sounds normal,” Fonsi said last year, of the mix of sounds that make it up. “But if you asked me four years ago, when I was mixing this cumbia with a guitar and with a Puerto Rican cuatro; when we mixed a pop artist with the King of reggaetón; when Justin Bieber did a remix… it all sounds normal now. But back then it wasn’t […] When I look back, what really hits me is the fact that it opened a huge door for the non Latin world to vibrate to Latin music.” — L.Cobo
11. Celia Cruz & Mikey Perfecto, “La Negra Tiene Tumbao” (2001)
The undisputed eternal queen of salsa did exactly as she wanted throughout her extraordinary recording career, including with this bombshell of a track, the lead single and title track off her 59th album. Released in 2001, when Cruz was 76 years old, “La Negra Tiene Tumbao” was revolutionary as much for the age of its singer, as for its intoxicating mix of salsa with reggaetón and mid-section rap, which became the blueprint — to this day — for a number of recordings featuring much younger acts. The track also reveled in its exultation of black power and black beauty. Although it peaked at No. 4 on the Tropical Airplay chart, it wasn’t Cruz’s biggest single. But for a new generation, it was one of her most revolutionary. — L.Cobo
22. Calle 13, “Atrévete-Te-Te” (2005)
From Visitante’s captivating alt-cumbia-urbano beats to Residente’s unflinching rap bars, this 2005 breakthrough hit revolutionized the reggaetón landscape in the 2000s. Calle 13’s departure from the prevalent hedonism of urbano music at the time marked a seismic shift in the genre’s trajectory. Brimming with unbridled raunch, humor and ingenious quips, “Atrévete-Te-Te” emerged as a genre-defying masterpiece that shattered traditional reggaetón norms. The song entered several Billboard charts, and its accompanying video, with an aesthetic as disruptive as the music, earned the group a Latin Grammy for best short form music video. — I.R.
44. Bad Bunny, “Yo Perreo Sola” (2020)
While Bad Bunny has delivered a seemingly endless parade of hits over the past five years, “Yo perreo sola” broke ground musically, aesthetically and culturally. The popular reggaetón hit –which topped the Latin Airplay charts for two weeks in June 2020 and comes from his YHLQMDLG album — celebrates independent women who are able to party alone and kicked off a long list of tracks by men that sought to “empower” women. None were quite this effective, however. The track features the voice of Puerto Rican artist Nesi (real name Genesis Rios), and its video showcases Bad Bunny in drag as the protagonist, aiming to break the stereotype of women as sexual objects in the genre. “He wanted to symbolize that men also care about women’s rights and that violence against women also affects us as men,” video co-director Stillz previously told Billboard. “He wanted to make something fun and unique that impacted the world, but he wanted to impact and take a message to the reggaeton community that usually is not as open to speak about the LGBTQ community.” — INGRID FAJARDO
For full article, with descriptions of all fifty selections, visit https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-latin-pop-songs-21st-century/me-gustas-tu-manu-chao-2001
Also see https://www.instagram.com/billboardlatin/p/C0cMPIkg7W6
[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.] The Billboard Latin and Billboard Español edit teams (including Leila Cobo, Luisa Calle, Ingrid Fajardo, Griselda Flores, Sigal Ratner-Arias, Isabela Raygoza, and Jessica Roiz) rank the ultimate Spanish-language pop songs from Y2K to now. I see so many of my favs here—too many to list. Remarkably, these selections cross generational (and other) gaps;
