A View From The Top #84

Am I dreaming? For the first time in 84 weeks, three consecutive A View From The Top articles get to be dedicated to three different songs. What is happening to the charts? Are we finally getting a taste of… variety?

This week’s winner is a remix of Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s Despacito, which features Justin Bieber, and believe it or not…. it’s actually pretty decent. I have always had a weakness for Latin pop, and it’s been a while since a track with this kind of addictive reggaetón rhythm did well on the charts. The smooth vocals of the two original artists compliment the upbeat, acoustic style of the song, and their differently-paced verses alternate with each other in a way that keeps the song interesting. The track itself has such an enjoyable, feel-good vibe that it makes me want to leave for a beach vacation immediately.

Sadly, the biggest drawback of this song, according to me, is Bieber’s contribution. I spent this afternoon listening to the original version which didn’t feature him, and had to sadly conclude that his feeble singing of the chorus at the beginning and mild contributions through the rest make the track less exciting and a bit underwhelming. Perhaps this is because Bieber’s addition made it necessary for the song which was originally sung entirely in Spanish to force in one or two lyrically pathetic verses in English which don’t add anything to the track, and barely sound cohesive with it. It is painfully clear that this change was made solely to accommodate Bieber’s star-power and thus help Fonsi and Daddy Yankee gain more success. However, the sad truth is that the original track was released in January, and made no kind of noticeable impact on the charts- and now, after just seven weeks in the UK charts with the Bieber remix, here they are, as the subject of this column.

Looking further down the charts, DJ Khaled’s cringeworthy I’m The One has moved no further than the second spot, Shawn Mendes’s There’s Nothing Holding Me Back, in the fifth place is pretty catchy, and Ed Sheeran’s still hanging on to a few spots, but overall, majority of the charts is littered with the kind of unmemorable electronic dance tracks we have all become too used to. Harry Styles’s just-released album will probably have a significant impact on the charts very soon, but to be honest, even with Bieber, I think Despacito stands out, and probably deserves its spot for this week.