Chayanne is back at the summit…
Nine weeks after capturing his first top 10 in more than 14 years on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart, the 55-year-old Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor is back in command – with his first No. 1 since 2008 – as “Bailando Bachata” rises 2-1 to rule the August 5-dated list.
The song earns Greatest Gainer honors for the week fueled by an 18% increase in audience impressions, to 8.9 million, earned in the week ending July 27, according to Luminate.
“Honestly, I always do things because I feel them and since we started working on the album, bachata was considered,” Chayanne tells Billboard. “With the excessive amount of competition these days I wasn’t expecting it, but I am very grateful for this No. 1.”
“Bailando Bachata” is the third single from Chayanne’s forthcoming studio album (released date TBD). It follows two top 10 singles: “Te Amo y Punto” and “Como Tú y Yo” reached No. 6 and No. 7, respectively on Latin Pop Airplay in late 2022.
“Bailando Bachata” tops the list 14 years after Chayanne’s last leader, “Amor Inmortal,” dominated for five weeks in late 2008. The over 14-year window between new rulers is the longest gap by any artist since December 2016, when Jennifer Lopez ended a 17-year wait between No. 1s when “Olvídame y Pega La Vuelta,” with Marc Anthony, topped the list. It was her first No. 1 since “No Me Ames,” also with Marc Anthony, in 1999.
As bachata proliferates on a global level, more artists are basking on its popularity.
Notably, five of the six songs that have arrived at the summit on Tropical Airplay in 2023 belong to the genre. Here’s the recap:
Title, Artist, Peak Date, Total Weeks at No. 1
“Monotonia,” Shakira & Ozuna, Jan. 7 (nine)
“El Pañuelo,” Romeo Santos & Rosalia, Feb. 4 (four)
“La Bachata,” Manuel Turizo, Feb. 11 (14)
“Me EnRD,” Prince Royce, July 8 (four)
“Bailando Bachata,” Chayanne, Aug. 5
About the genre’s craze, Chayanne feels differently: “I love both bachata as much as all tropical rhythms. All the songs on the new album are special, I always surround myself with professionals and I only record what I feel I like, that suits me and that the public may like, not necessarily because there is a trend.”
As “Bailando Bachata” takes charge of Tropical Airplay, it ejects Prince Royce’s “Me EnRD” from its four-week command with a 17% dip in audience, to 8.4 million.
Further, “Bailando Bachata” concurrently delivers extra goods for Chayanne with a 5-3 lift on the overall Latin Airplay list, matching his career-high for almost a decade, as “Humanos a Marte” landed and at an equal No. 3 high in August 2014.
“In my case, inspirations go hand-in hand with rhythm and lyrics,” Chayanne adds. “I like songs that denote joy and invite to dance. This one most certainly will be included on my next tour; I want all to dance it with me.”