“Despacito” just broke another major music record, so it’s officially the song of the summer now, right?
Remember when the music video for “Gangnam Style” hit YouTube, and it blew up the internet? We, the majestic users of YouTube, played it over 2 billion times. It was the most played YouTube video at that time. It was recently de-throned by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s song, “See You Again.” Their music video grabbed the crown, but only for a brief moment in time. Now, a new king has come to reign. Any guesses what that music video might be? None other than Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s catchy Spanish-language tune, “Despacito.” The music video has been streamed nearly 3 billion times. Yeah — billions, not millions! At this rate, who knows where the numbers will end up.
Yes, we know you are dying to watch “Despacito” yet again, so here it is in all of its glory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQP7kiw5Fk?feature=oembed
Um, yeah. It’s easy to see/hear why this music video is so addicting. A sultry dance tune. Colorful locales. Attractive people. Hip gyrations. We can’t help but dance along to the rhythmic beats. But, first, let’s click PLAY again and again and again.
In a video message to TIME, Daddy Yankee recognized what an enormous influence YouTube has had on the success of “Despacito.” He expressed gratitude for the platform and the impact it had on the music industry. He says:
"Thank you YouTube for 'Despacito''s success. I recognize the influence that the platform has… The music industry has changed. The rules of music have changed. And YouTube has a big responsibility, and I recognize it. Breaking a record is overwhelming, and I'm happy to keep inspiring others to do the same."
We wanna thank you for setting our feet ablaze and our hips a movin’ especially during this monster heat wave. Our hearts are melting with “Despacito” joy.