Nicky Jam And Daddy Yankee Return To Billboard’s Latin Top Ten Together For The First Time In Two Years

For a dozen straight weeks, Los Cangris—the iconic pioneering reggaetón duo of Daddy Yankee and Nicky Jam—couldn’t manage to crack the Hot Latin Songs chart’s top ten with their long-awaited reunion single.

Then came Lucky Number 13. This week, their “Muévelo” reaches a new peak on Billboard’s Spanish-language singles chart at No. 10, finally cutting through the competition after its initial release back in January.

For the last three months, the once estranged pair’s joint comeback cut has struggled to get to this stage, thanks in no small part to stubborn hits from as far back as the preceding summer refusing to bow out of the top ten. Then, of course, Bad Bunny’s surprise full-length YHLQMDLG on Leap Day effectively purged those aging singles from the chart as all 20 of the album’s songs appeared. That phenomenon naturally sent “Muévelo” down in the ranking, and it took a full month to get to the heights many had expected them to achieve far sooner.

Though both artists have no shortage of Hot Latin Songs hits to their respective credits, with Nicky Jam holding 17 top ten appearances there as a lead or featured artist and Daddy Yankee boasting nearly twice as many with 32, “Muévelo” marks the first time the two have made it to the chart’s upper reaches together in two years. They both featured on Romeo Santos’ “Bella y Sensual,” a track off 2017’s RIAA certified 11x multi-platino album Golden that peaked at No. 6 in early 2018.

While “Muévelo” may have made it into the top ten, there’s no telling how long it will actually last there. “Que Tire Pa’ ‘Lante,” Daddy Yankee’s last single to get there as a lead artist, peaked at No. 7, but dropped off the chart entirely after 20 weeks in total, which isn’t far off from where the new song currently stands. But a more urgent concern for the track’s potentially progress is just how well Bad Bunny’s singles continue to perform on Hot Latin Songs.

Fueled by a hugely buzzed about music video which featured El Conejo Malo in drag, “Yo Perreo Sola” leaps from No. 12 to No. 2 this week, providing renewed competition against the Black Eyed Peas’ bilingual smash “Ritmo” with J Balvin, which holds the No. 1 spot for an 11th nonconsecutive frame this year. A fan favorite from the album aided by a viral social media dance challenge, Bad Bunny’s reggaetón throwback “Safaera” with Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow notches up to No. 4, while “La Dificil” holds at No. 5 and former chart-topper “Si Veo A Tu Mamá” perseveres at No. 6. Even the older singles still shine, with last year’s “Vete” at No. 7 and its follow-up “Ignorantes” with Sech at No. 8.

In non-Bunny chart developments, the Karol G and Nicki Minaj team-up “Tusa” dips one spot to No. 3, though its Hot Latin Songs top ten prospects seem very safe for the foreseeable future. Less so is J Balvin’s “Morado,” the only one of his Colores singles to stay in the top ten in the qualifying frame following the album’s release week. It drops two positions to No. 9 this week.

Ones to watch in the coming weeks include Ozuna’s “Fantasía,” the superstar reggaetonero’s slow-burning Niburu single that reaches No. 14 for the first time in its 16th charting week. At No. 15, Anuel AA’s “Keii” continues to recover, though it’s still a ways away from its lofty peak at No. 3. On the Regional Mexican music front, Lenin Ramirez’s “Yo Ya No Vuelvo Contigo” with Grupo Firmo (No. 21) seems certain to break into the top twenty next week, as does El Fantasma’s “Palabra de Hombre” (No. 23) and, quite possibly, Christian Nodal’s “Se Me Olvido” (No. 25). Soaring from No. 49 to No. 28 after just two charting weeks, “Pacas Verdes” by Jimmy Humilde signee Ovi and the Rancho Humilde hitmaker Natanael Cano could surpass all of those in short order.