Mega-hit ‘Despacito’ stays in the spotlight
The song garners two top nominations while rapper Residente leads the pack.
The Latin Grammy Academy has announced the nominations for the 18th Latin Grammys, and to the surprise of few handicappers, the Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi’s smash hit “Despacito” has snagged nods in the two top song categories, record of the year and song of the year.
Featuring Daddy Yankee, Fonsi’s hit, which recently tied Mariah Carey’s record streak of 16 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 100, will compete against a roster of talent both veteran and fresh, including Rubén Blades, Juanes, Natalia Lafourcade, Kevin Jiménez ADG, Shakira and Mon Laferte.
Despite the massive crossover, “Despacito” isn’t a lock for anything. The rapper Residente, best known as co-founder of the duo Calle 13, earned a field-leading nine nominations for work from his eponymous solo album. The swoonworthy Colombian singer and songwriter Maluma, who in 2016 collaborated with artists including Ricky Martin and Shakira, earned seven nods.
Shakira earned six nominations for work from her album “El Dorado,” including record and song of the year.
Residente and Shakira are among the 10 artists competing for album of the year, a field that will also include works from Rubén Blades and Roberto Delgado & Orquesta (“Salsa Big Band”), Antonio Carmona (“Obras Son Amores”), Vicente García (“A La Mar”), Nicky Jam (“Fénix”), Juanes (“Mis Planes Son Amarte”), Mon Laferte (“La Trenza”), Natalia Lafourcade (“Musas: Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de Los Macorinos, Vol. 1”) and Danay Suarez (“Palabras Manuales”).
In addition to their album of the year nod, singersongwriter García and R&B/hip-hop artist Suarez are up for best new artist. In that field, they’ll compete against Paula Arenas, CNCO, Martina La Peligrosa, Mau y Ricky, Rawayana, Sofía Reyes, Rosalía and Sebastián Yatra.
The nominations were slated to be announced last week, but after an earthquake devastated Mexico City the news was postponed. A few days later, Fonsi’s home, Puerto Rico, was hit by Hurricane Maria, a storm that has knocked out power to the entire U.S. territory and left countless thousands stranded without basic necessities.
Fonsi has since been vocal about the tragedy unfolding in Puerto Rico and was overcome with emotion during a show over the weekend in Hollywood, Fla.
“Right now, there are a lot of people suffering, and it’s time to unite. It’s time to help,” Fonsi said, according to Billboard. His voice was shaky with emotion.
These tragic events have added weight to an otherwise celebratory occasion.
In a statement, Gabriel Abaroa Jr., president and CEO of the Latin Recording Academy, said, “More than ever, Latin music continues to have an enormous cultural impact by uniting people throughout the world.”
He added: “Many of this year’s nominees have expanded beyond traditional genres to create different fusions through creative collaborations. These artists, producers and writers, united by artistic excellence and devotion to their craft, have come together to deliver eclectic music that has resulted in worldwide success.”
The ceremony is scheduled for Nov. 16 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be broadcast on Univision.