‘Despacito’ becomes most streamed song of all time six months after release

Times they are a-changing. Just last week, ‘Gangam Style’ was dethroned by ‘See You Again’ as the most-watched video on YouTube. Now, ‘Despacito’ has knocked ‘Sorry’ off the top spot as the most streamed track of all time with over 4.6 billion plays. ‘Sorry’ and its associated remixes accumulated 4.38 billion plays.

We’re sure Justin Bieber doesn’t mind; it’s his remix alongside Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee that took the crown.

Released just six months ago on January 13 via Universal Music Latin Entertainment,  the original version of ‘Despacito’ has accumulatred over 2.66bn streams on YouTube and 563m streams on Spotify.

Meanwhile, Bieber’s remix topped the charts in 35 countries, spent 10 consecutive weeks at #1 on US Billboard Hot 100, and became the fastest ever music video to 2bn views. It has now received 427m streams on YouTube and 619m streams on Spotify.

The single helped Daddy Yankee become the first Latino artist to lead in Spotify streams, overtaking streaming king Ed Sheeran.

Yankee’s collaborator Luis Fonsi said: “Streaming is a connector for audiences worldwide and it has helped my music reach every corner of the planet. It is truly an honor that ‘Despacito’ is now the most streamed song in history.”

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group, said in a statement: “Streaming has opened up the possibility of a song with a different beat, from a different culture and in a different language to become a juggernaut of success around the world.”

Jesús Lopez, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula, said: “Streaming has democratised music consumption, it has made Latin music increasingly relevant on the charts and it has amplified our songs and videos to a world stage.”

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.