Luis Fonsi’s song “Despacito” is ubiquitous, with its opening flamenco flourishes, cumbio feel and its celebration of taking it slow. On YouTube you can watch videos of Anglophone Americans intentionally mangling the Spanish of the song’s chorus. Or you can simply watch the video for the song, the remix with English lyrics and a guest appearance by Justin Bieber, which has evidently been viewed 3.6 billion times, the most for any video on the site. Incidentally, “Despacito” is a huge hit in places like Pakistan, Bulgaria, Russia, India, Thailand and England.
Fonsi, a Puerto Rican singer and actor, has been making music for nearly 20 years, but one suspects that his previous work, which has included numerous number one hits, has been partially eclipsed by the success of his latest hit collaboration with Daddy Yankee. The song is like a franchise of its own, with salsa remixes, pop remixes and numerous other variations. Fonsi has built his career on serial collaborations, mixing up the equation from album to album. For further evidence of the strategy, see Fonsi’s remix of DNCE’s “Kissing Strangers,” featuring Nicki Minaj.
Luis Fonsi performs at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket, on Friday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. $58 and $79. foxwoods.com.
