“Bailando” was always a special song, says Enrique Iglesias, “but you never really know. You don’t know how successful a song is going to be. I have a tendency to go with my gut. Sometimes you’re right, sometimes you’re wrong. This one just felt special.”
But it’s more than special — “Bailando” is now a record breaker.
Adding to a host of career achievements, Iglesias claims the record for the longest-running No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart all to himself, as his megahit “Bailando” (featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona) spends a 26th week at the top. It trumps previous record holder Shakira, whose “La Tortura” (featuring Alejandro Sanz) ruled for 25 weeks beginning in June 2005.
Iglesias already holds the record for the most No. 1s on Hot Latin Songs (25), having scored his first in 1995 with “Si Tu Te Vas.” Nineteen years later, “Bailando” shatters the No. 1 run of every other chart-topping song in the tally’s 28-year history.
On the Billboard Hot 100, the track (aided by an English version featuring Sean Paul) reached No. 12 on Aug. 23, marking Iglesias’ highest appearance since “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)” hit No. 4 in 2011. For Hot Latin Songs, however, only airplay on monitored Spanish-language stations and sales of the Spanish-language version of the song (with a ratio of streaming comparable to its sales) contribute to its rank.
“I’ve never tried to follow a formula,” says Iglesias. “Whether it’s uptempo, more Latin-leaning, more pop-leaning, or more dance-leaning…it doesn’t matter. For me, it’s about the song.”
Overall, says Iglesias, a song’s legacy is not defined only by its artist. Most importantly, it’s up to those who receive it. “I do my best and put so much enthusiasm into songs, songwriting and videos. But, ultimately, it comes down to the fans and how they react. If it wasn’t for them, really, the song wouldn’t be the hit that it has been.”
Additional reporting by Keith Caulfield.