Artist of the Week: Luis Fonsi

Where would we be without Luis Fonsi? The Puerto Rican-born artist brought “Despacito” into our lives and for that, we’re eternally grateful! The song has not only transcended cultures and inspired music lovers around the world to break into dance, but has also earned Fonsi an iHeartRadio Music Award for Latin Artist of the Year! Congratulations, Luis — keep the hits coming!

Passionate about music throughout his entire life, Fonsi majored in Vocal Performance at the Florida State University School of Music, which he attended on a full scholarship. Right out of school, Universal Music Latin offered him a contract and from there, Fonsi was on the path to stardom. His debut album, Comenzare reached number 11 on Billboard’s Top Latin chart, and Fonsi has delivered hit after hit since then. The artist has released eight albums to date, receiving a Latin Grammy in 2009, and earning the title of Leader of Latin Music's New Generation from Billboard in 2011. But none of his past successes could have prepared him for the explosion of “Despacito.”

“Despacito,” featuring Daddy Yankee, was released in January 2017, and in April, was remixed to include some English sections performed by Justin Bieber. The song quickly shot to No. 1 on Billboard’s US Hot 100 list, and held onto the top spot for 16 consecutive weeks. Luis Fonsi became a globally-recognized artist and continues to impress with new music, like “Echame la Culpa,” featuring Demi Lovato. We can’t wait to see what’s next for him! Watch Luis accept his iHeartRadio Music Award below. Congrats again to all the talented artists in this category!