Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee stole the show with their Grammys 2018 performance of their record-breaking hit Despacito. The music video was viewed over 4 billion times on YouTube and the smash hit was also the most-streamed song of all time.
The two artists told ET before going up to perform that this was a big moment not only for them but “Latin music in general.” They told ET how much it meant to them to sing their Spanish track on stage: “I’m really proud to be here….to be able to celebrate a little bit of who I am and where I’m from, and to share with the world, and break that language barrier.”
The Puerto Rican artists stuck to the original version (no Justin Bieber in sight) and the crowd gave the duo a standing ovation at the end. But celebrities weren’t the only ones. Following the performance, #Despacito was a trending hashtag. Praise for the performance, the song and the Puerto Rican artists flooded Twitter.
Everyone is calling the catchy hit single the song of the summer and we couldn’t agree more. Despacito became the first Latin song ever to reach RIAA Diamond Certification.
Twitter
Despacito also sold nearly 7 million track-equivalent copies and tied the record for the longest-running No. 1 song on the Hot 100 in history for 16 weeks straight.
TwitterThe international success of the song is undeniable: it was covered thousands of times, by artists of every genre and country, and the significance of its success didn’t escape Twitter users.
Twitter
Celebrities also showed some love on Twitter for the unforgettable Grammys 2018 performance. Donnie Wahlberg was caught on camera clearly enjoying their performance and owned it in a tweet.
Twitter
Through both the original and remix versions of Despacito, this hit song was able to bring together multiple languages, genres, and cultures. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee showed their pride in their Latin heritage and it came through in their performance.
Twitter
The original version of the single was already a global success by the time Bieber remixed the hit, but his involvement had the song climbing even higher on the U.S. charts. Still, many Twitter users seemed happy they’d stuck with the original for the Grammys.
TwitterBeliebers then came to the singer’s defence and the trending hashtag #Despacito ignited a heated debate on Twitter.
Twitter
But the drama didn’t stop there: many users felt Despacito and the Puerto Rican duo got snubbed by the Grammy Awards. Song of the Year went to Bruno Mars’ That’s What I Like and Record of the Year went to 24K Magic and Twitter were quick to show their displeasure. One thing is certain, though; everyone absolutely loved their performance.
Twitter
