Despacito Becomes the First Video to Pass Three Billion Views

In late 2015, Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi set out to craft an upbeat track for his forthcoming album after two years away from releasing new material. Collaborating at his Miami home with Panamanian-American and Brazilian songwriter Erika Ender, Fonsi initially structured the song around pop and cumbia rhythms. Seeking an urban pulse, Fonsi reached out to reggaeton star Daddy Yankee, who agreed to contribute verses and post-chorus lines. The project came together in 2016 under Colombian producers Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres, who mixed digital sampling with traditional instrumentation, opening the piece with Christian Nieves playing the Puerto Rican cuatro.

Universal Music Latin issued "Despacito" as a digital single on January 13, 2017. Paired with an energetic music video filmed by director Carlos Pérez in Old San Juan's La Perla neighborhood and the local establishment La Factoría, the release generated swift public interest. Its accompanying clip amassed one billion views in ninety-seven days, establishing early streaming milestones that hinted at the track's expanding global scale. The song's profile rose further that spring after Canadian pop artist Justin Bieber encountered it in a Colombian club, leading to a bilingual remix recorded and finalized within six days.