J Balvin Reclaims Crown as Artist with Most Videos in YouTube’s Billion Views Club

J Balvin is YouTube’s ’s Billion baller…

The 37-year-old Colombian singer’s “Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)” music video in collaboration with Black Eyed Peas has surpassed 1 billion views, officially making him the artist with the most videos in YouTube’s Billion Views Club once again, according to the video platform.

J Balvin“Ritmo,” which was released on October 11, 2019, on YouTube, marks Balvin’s 12th entry as a lead, featured artist or collaborator. Prior to reclaiming the crown this week, Balvin was tied with Justin Bieber with 11 music videos each with a billion views.

In 2016, he became the first Latin urban artist to reach 10 digits with a video on the platform with “Ay Vamos.” He was only the third Latin artist to reach a billion views, following Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailando,” featuring Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno, and Romeo Santos’ “Propuesta Indecente,” both in 2014.

Balvin also has one of the top five fastest videos to reach the billion-view mark with “Mi Gente,” surpassing the number in 103 days.

“Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)” samples Corona’s ’90s hit “Rhythm of the Night,” fusing hip-hop and pop with Balvin’s incendiary and infectious take on reggaeton.

The track topped the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Hot Latin Songs

charts in 2020, becoming the Peas’ first leader on each ranking and Balvin’s first on the dance chart.

The video, which shows scenes from the Bad Boys for Life movie, now joins the Willy William-assisted “Mi Gente”; “X (Equis)” with Nicky Jam; “Con Altura” with Rosalia; “China” alongside Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, and Ozuna; “No Me Conoce (Remix)” with Jhayco and Bad Bunny; “Ay Vamos”; “I Like It” with Cardi B and Bad Bunny; “Ahora Dice” with Chris Jedi, Ozuna, and Arcangel; the Farruko-assisted “6AM”; and “Safari” featuring Pharrell Williams, BIA, and Sky in the billion-views club.

Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato’s “Échame La Culpa” Among 19 Latin Videos to Reach 1 Billion Views on YouTube

Échale la culpa a Luis Fonsi

Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato

YouTube has released the official list of the new Latin videos that have reached the billion views, with the 40-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s collaboration with Demi Lovato making the grade.

In 2018, nineteen Latin videos have joined the elite club, including Fonsi’s clip for his single with the 26-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress, “Échame La Culpa.”

It all started when “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias featuring Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno reached the coveted figure in 2015.

Then, in 2016, four new videos joined the list: Shakira‘s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” Romeo Santos with “Propuesta Indecente,” “Ay Vamos” by J Balvin and Jennifer Lopez with “On The Floor” featuring Pitbull.

In 2017, everything changed. After the overwhelming success of Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” clip — currently the most-viewed video  with 5.7 billion views — 17 more videos (including “Despacito”) earned access to the famous list. Among those videos are “El Amante” by Nicky Jam, J Balvin‘s “Mi Gente” with Willy William, Daddy Yankee’s “Shaky, Shaky,” Maluma‘s “Felices Los 4,” and his collaboration with Shakira, “Chantaje,” among others.

And now in 2018, 19 other videos have joined the prestigious club, including “El Farsante” by Ozuna with Romeo Santos; Becky G and Bad Bunny’s “Mayores;” and Manuel Turizo with “Una Lady Como Tu.”

Interestingly, two of the billion-view members are official audio clips: Camilla Cabello’s “Havana” and Danny Ocean’s “Me Rehúso.”

Here’s the complete list:

Luis Fonsi, Demi Lovato – “Échame La Culpa,” 1,669,863,461 views
Natti Natasha, Ozuna – “Criminal,” 1,643,680,995 views
Casper, Nio García, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, Ozuna – “Te Bote Remix,” 1,409,583,342 views
Camila Cabello – “Havana” (Official Audio) featuring Young Thug, 1,408,373,008 views
Becky G, Bad Bunny – “Mayores,” 1,394,630,929 views
Nicky Jam, J Balvin – “X (Equis),” 1,378,002,840 views
Maluma – “Corazón” featuring Nego do Borel, 1,269,801,392 views
Danny Ocean –  “Me Rehúso” (Official Audio), 1,230,850,189 views
Piso 21 – “Déjala Que Vuelva” featuring Manuel Turizo, 1,219,424,146 views
Daddy Yankee – “Dura,” 1,170,766,172 views
Manuel Turizo – “Una Lady Como Tú,” 1,169,161,359 views
Ozuna, Romeo Santos – “El Farsante (Remix),” 1,092,873,729 views
Enrique Iglesias – “Subeme La Radio” featuring Descemer Bueno, Zion & Lennox, 1,085,524,380 views
MC Fioti – “Bum Bum Tam Tam,” 1,085,457,581 views
Becky G, Natti Natasha – “Sin Pijama,” 1,076,318,062 views
Wisin – “Escápate Conmigo” featuring Ozuna, 1,066,699,954 views
Prince Royce – “Darte un Beso,” 1,030,461,056 views
Don Omar – “Danza Kuduro” featuring Lucenzo, 1,023,426,878 views
Shakira – “La La La” featuring Carlinhos Brown,1,015,400,871 views

J Balvin’s “Ay Vamos” Video Surpasses the Billion-Views Mark on YouTube

J Balvin has a billion reason to smile…

The 31-year-old Colombian singer’s music video “Ay vamos” surpassed the billion-views mark on YouTube earlier this week, making him the first Latin urban artist to reach ten digits with a video on the platform.

J Balvin

Balvin’s milestone on YouTube also makes him the third Latin act to reach a billion views. In 2014, Enrique Iglesias became the first Latin artist ever to hit 1 billion with “Bailando” ft. Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno. In July, Romeo Santos‘ “Propuesta indecente” surpassed the mark as well.

On the Billboard charts, “Ay vamos” was Balvin’s first No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs (dated March 7, 2015) chart. The reggaeton anthem spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart and has sold 212,000 downloads, according to Nielsen Music.

The YouTube achievement comes days after Balvin notched his fifth No. 1 on Latin Airplay chart, with his track “Safari,” featuring Pharrell and BIA.

Up next, the “Bobo” singer is set to perform at the 17th edition of the Latin Grammys on Nov. 17. Balvin’s Safari is nominated for Best Urban Music Album.

Santos Rules YouTube’s Total Views Chart

Forget Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Katy PerryRomeo Santos is the real YouTube leader.

The 33-year-old Dominican American singer, the undisputed king of bachata, is also leader on YouTube, far outpacing several mainstream artists in terms of total views.

Romeo Santos

With more four billion total views (4,351,032,074, to be exact), Santos towers over Swift (over 3.7 billion), Beyoncé (over 2 billion), Perry (over 2.6 billion), Shakira (over 1.2 billion), and other mainstream pop artists.

YouTube based its total views on both official and fan-uploaded videos from September 2014 to June 30, 2015. Only videos claimed using “Content ID” get counted. The latter is a system used by copyright owners to identify and manage their content on YouTube. When a fan, for instance, uploads content matching a work an artist owns, the copyright owner gets to decide what happens to that video; options include blocking the video, monetizing on its views by running ads against it, and tracking the video’s viewership stats. Only copyright owners who own exclusive rights to a substantial body of original material that is frequently uploaded by the YouTube user community get a Content ID.

The latest YouTube data also shows where Santos’ fanbase views are coming from. Colombia is No. 1, with over 700 million views, followed by Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador and the U.S.

But Santos’ rule is equally impressive in his home state of New York, where, according to the Wall Street Journal’s recent Musical Map of New York City study, which used data from e-jukebox vendor TouchTunes, the Dominican American heartthrob is the most popular artist in over 50 city neighborhoods.

Recently, Santos also made Billboard history on the Hot Latin Songs chart with his smash “Propuesta Indecente,” the first-ever song to reach the 100th week mark on the chart.

Santos’ “Propuesta Indecente” Makes Billboard Chart History

Romeo Santos has an indecent claim to fame…

The 33-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American Bachata singer has made history, yet again, as his single “Propuesta Indecente” spends a 100th consecutive week on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart (dated July 4).

Romeo Santos

It’s the first track to ever reach the triple-digit milestone on the chart and extends its lead for the most charted weeks by 38 weeks.

The second-longest-running song on the survey is Prince Royce‘s “Incondicional” at 62 weeks in 2012-13.

“Propuesta Indecente” holds at No. 2 on Hot Latin Songs chart. Since debuting at No. 44 on Aug. 10, 2013, it’s spent 99 of its 100 weeks in the top 10 (having bounded to No. 3 in its second frame) and, even more impressively, 98 weeks in the top five.

The song has been a top five mainstay, in fact, dating back to the May 17, 2014 chart. It spent a total of four weeks at No. 1 beginning Sept. 28, 2013.

Santos, meanwhile, has been a chart force since his solo arrival in 2011 after he became dubbed the “King of Bachata” fronting Aventura. He’s scored seven Hot Latin Songs No. 1s on his own after tallying two with Aventura.

Consistent airplay, digital sales, and streaming have prevented “Propuesta Indecente” from falling out of the top five after 52 weeks, allowing it to remain on the chart, per recurrent rules (which dictate when songs are removed from the chart). Streaming is the main driver for the song’s extended chart life: of points contributing to its current rank, 89 percent are from streaming outlets.

During the latest tracking week (ending June 21), the song logged 1.7 million clicks across platforms, according to Nielsen Music, with YouTube and Vevo on YouTube accounting for 81 percent of domestic plays.

Online, “Propuesta Indecente” is Santos’ biggest hit, with its official video having amassed more than 715 million global views on Vevo on YouTube (since being released in September 2013), making it the most popular clip on his account by nearly 500 million plays.

Santos Breaks His Own Record on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart

Romeo Santos is breaking his own records…

The 33-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American singer, Bachata’s reigning star, debuts two Formula, Vol. 2 album cuts on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, growing his number of simultaneous tracks on the list to eight — breaking his own record.

Romeo Santos

No other act has earned more than five concurrent songs on the list. It’s a four-way tie for those who have: Jenni Rivera, Pitbull, Wisin & Yandel and Daddy Yankee all claimed that feat. Santos’ “Amigo” and “Inocente” debut (at No. 49 and 48, respectively), while “7 Dias” re-enters at No. 42.

Meanwhile “Hilito” leaps 49-37 in its fifth week, and recently announced single “Yo Tambien,” featuring Marc Anthony, comes back at No. 11.

The remaining three tracks continue their runs in the top 10: “Propuesta Indecente” (No. 3), “Eres Mia” (No. 4), and “Odio” featuring Drake (No. 7) have all remained in the top 10 together since June 2014.

All eight tracks saw gains, mostly with streaming, specifically on Spotify and YouTube. The largest streaming increase goes to “Inocente,” which rises 77 percent to 295,000 weekly U.S. streams. “Propuesta Indecente” logs the most clicks, rising four percent to 1.5 million.

Mars Named a Finalist in Three Billboard Music Award Categories, Including Top Artist

He’s Billboard’s reigning Artist of the Year… And now Bruno Mars leads the Latino pack of finalists for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter has been named a finalist in three categories, including the big prize: Top Artist.

Bruno Mars

Mars is up against Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake and Imagine Dragons for the top award.

In addition, the Super Bowl Halftime Show standout is nominated for Top Male Artist and Top Radio Songs Artist.

But Mars isn’t the only Latino artist to be named a finalist in multiple categories…

Romeo Santos, who recently broke Billboard records with his No. 1 single Odio,” is a finalist in three categories, including Top Latin Artist and Top Latin Album. Puerto Rican/Dominican American singer is also a double-finalist in the Top Latin Song category for his collaboration with Enrique Iglesias, “Loco,” and his single “Propuesta Indecente.”

Prince Royce and Marc Anthony, who will perform at the Billboard Latin Music Awards later this month, have both been named finalists in the same three categories:  Top Latin Artist, Top Latin Album and Top Latin Song.

Other Latino finalists include Aloe Blacc, the late Jenni Rivera, Gerardo Ortiz, Pitbull, Alejandro Fernandez and Daddy Yankee.

The awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 18, on ABC from 8:00 –11:00 pm ET.

Billboard Music Awards finalists are based on key fan interactions with music, including album and digital singles sales, radio airplay, touring, streaming and social interactions on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, VEVO, Spotify and other popular online destinations for music. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Entertainment and Next Big Sound. The awards are based on the reporting period of March 11, 2013 through March 9, 2014.

The six finalists will be narrowed down to three finalists, who will be announced on Billboard’s website on April 21. Voting will then continue through the first two hours of the live 2014 Billboard Music Awards broadcast, culminating with the announcement of the award winner during the last hour of the show.

Here’s a look at the categories with a Latino nominee:

Top Artist
Bruno Mars
Miley Cyrus
Katy Perry
Justin Timberlake
Imagine Dragons

Top Male Artist
Luke Bryan
Drake
Eminem
Bruno Mars
Justin Timberlake

Top Radio Songs Artist
Imagine Dragons
Lorde
Bruno Mars
Katy Perry
Justin Timberlake

Top Rap Artist
Drake
Eminem
Jay Z
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Pitbull

Top Latin Artist
Marc Anthony
Gerardo Ortiz
Jenni Rivera
Prince Royce
Romeo Santos

Top Latin Album
Marc Anthony, 3.0
Alejandro Fernandez, Confidencias
Jenni Rivera, 1969-Siempre: En Vivo Desde Monterrey: Part 1
Prince Royce, Soy El Mismo
Romeo Santos, Formula: Vol. 2

Top Radio Song
Avicii feat. Aloe Blacc, “Wake Me Up!”
Lorde, “Royals”
Katy Perry, “Roar”
Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell, “Blurred Lines”
Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”

Top Rap Song
Eminem feat. Rihanna, “The Monster”
Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake, “Holy Grail”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz, “Thrift Shop”
Pitbull feat. Ke$ha, “Timber”

Top Latin Song
Marc Anthony, “Vivir Mi Vida”
Daddy Yankee, “Limbo”
Enrique Iglesias feat. Romeo Santos, “Loco”
Prince Royce, “Darte Un Beso”
Romeo Santos, “Propuesta Indecente”

Top Dance/Electronic Song
Avicii feat. Aloe Blacc, “Wake Me Up!”
Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams, “Get Lucky”
Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX, “I Love It”
Lady Gaga, “Applause”
Zedd feat. Foxes, “Clarity”

Santos “Odio” Breaks Records as it Soars to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart

Romeo Santos is breaking records with his latest single…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican/Dominican American singer’s new single “Odio,” featuring Drake, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart, has zoomed to the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart.

Romeo Santos

“Odio” soars 39-1 on the chart, marking the biggest jump to No. 1 since the chart switched to an airplay/sales/streaming hybrid methodology (from all-airplay) in October 2012.

“Odio” becomes Santos’ seventh Hot Latin Songs leader, a run that began with “You” in 2011.

In the process, Santos has also managed to set download and streaming records.

In its first week of availability, the track sold 55,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, entering Latin Digital Songs at No. 1 and setting the mark for the highest sales week for a Spanish-language track since the chart’s inception in January 2010.

“Odio” also sets the standard for the most streams on the 10-month-old Latin Streaming Songs chart, arriving at No. 1 with 1.6 million U.S. streams, according to Nielsen BDS. Of that sum, 1.2 million clicks are from YouTube views, split between user-generated clips (68%) and all official audio and lyric video content (32%), which does not yet include a proper video clip of the track.

On the radio side, Odio,” the second single from Santos’ upcoming set Formula, Vol. 2, garnered 10.8 million audience impressions, according to BDS, to debut at No. 1 on Latin Airplay. It’s his eighth chart-topper on the list and third to open at the summit. With the No. 1 entry, Santos ties Enrique Iglesias for most No. 1 starts in the tally’s 20-year history.

On the all-format Billboard Hot 100, “Odio” claims the highest debut for a Spanish-language song in the chart’s 55-year history, arriving at No. 45 as the list’s highest new entry. Santos is just the third tropical act to rank as high in a first week, following Gloria Estefan, whose “Heaven’s What I Feel” (an English-language track) entered at No. 34 in 1998, and iconic Mambo act Perez Prado and His Orchestra, whose instrumental classic “Patricia” ranked and peaked at No. 2 the week that the Hot 100 launched (Aug. 4, 1958).

Meanwhile, Santos’ prior single “Propuesta Indecente,” which has spent four non-consecutive weeks atop Hot Latin Songs, holds at No. 2, making him the first act to hold down the chart’s top two spots since Pitbull doubled up in October 2011 (with “Rain Over Me,” featuring Marc Anthony, at No. 1 and “Give Me Everything,” featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer, at No. 2).