“Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee

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A throwback to 2004 to highlight the King of Reggaetón’s first international smash.

There’s a reason why Daddy Yankee has been dubbed the “King of Reggaetón.”

He’s one of the most successful Latin artists with a career that spanned 17 years and 30 million records sold. That journey began with “Gasolina,” a song that, with the benefit of hindsight, has been a clear influence on Latin and Caribbean pop stars ever since. The global success of artists like J Balvin and Bad Bunny is taken somewhat for granted now, but for those experiencing Daddy Yankee’s rise in the moment, it felt unprecedented. It performed better on the side of the Atlantic than on the US charts, cracking the Top 10 in countries like Italy, Greece, Denmark, and Switzerland. It was a Sean Paul-esque explosion in popularity.

After an initial release in October 2004, “Gasolina” gained steam following Daddy Yankee’s appearance on Total Request Live (TRL) a month later. As the holiday season approached, hip-hop and Latin-focused radio stations in New York and Miami reported the song was in heavy rotation, confirming it as a grassroots hit. Interestingly, album sales slumped in every category except Latin releases the following year, which saw double-digit sales growth. Much of that spike was attributed to Daddy Yankee becoming a new torchbearer for the kind of party anthem that sounded as much at home at a Zumba class or a high school prom as it did in a massive nightclub. That signature reggaetón rhythm, coupled with chantable, often suggestive lyrics, is a formula for success that’s still being reused again and again today.

If you search for user-generated concert footage of his farewell tour supporting Legendaddy, his incredible swan song LP, you’ll see how passionate his fan base is. The music is catchy and, for nearly two decades, has demonstrated that it has legs. But I’d add that what the singer represents, especially to Latin Americans, matters more. “Gasolina” was a monster hit and an important inflection point in modern music history.