Sean Paul Hits No. 1 On Billboard Latin Airplay Chart For The First Time In Six Years
Following the release of Nina Bonita with Colombian singer Feid, Dancehall megastar Sean Paul has made his way back to the top of the Billboard Latin Airplay chart, ending a six-year drought.
The track reacquainted the Dancehall star with the accolade after it topped the list dated August 19. Released on April 20, the song debuted on the Latin Airplay chart dated June 3 at No. 40.
Nina Bonita is also currently No. 1 on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, and No. 41 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
The single, which is a raunchy yet charming confession of love and desire, marks the second time that Paul has topped the Latin Airplay chart.
Previously, he accomplished that feat with his 2017 collaboration with Enrique Iglesias, Súbeme La Radio (Turn Up The Radio).
Paul experienced a similar upswing in 2019 with Contra La Pared, a collaborative track featuring J Balvin, which reached a commendable No. 8 position. This achievement marked his third appearance within the top 10 on the Latin Airplay chart for that period. He first made an entry on the chart back in 2006 with his now 3X Platinum-selling hit Temperature, which peaked at No. 10 during its sixth week on the chart.
Though Niña Bonita is Paul’s first Spanish-English collaboration to reap such success this year, the track is actually the Get Busy singer’s second project in that vein. Earlier this year, he was tapped by Karol G to contribute to her single Karmika, which also featured Bad Gyal. In March, this collective effort ascended to No. 25 on the comprehensive Hot Latin Songs chart.
Meanwhile, on the heels of his 2003 hit, Get Busy, being the latest classic to soundtrack one of Tik Tok’s latest viral dance challenges, Paul made an appearance in the New York Times yesterday, which playfully threw the curtains back to the Dancehall legend’s heyday – when he displaced 50 Cent’s In Da Club from the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, and ultimately immortalized himself in the process.
The interview also touched on Paul’s track record of iconic party anthems and how he ultimately chose that path and mastered it. Paul, having been an ‘uptown light skin Kingstonian,’ initially pursued conscious Reggae music, but was dissuaded after a certain producer highlighted the fact that no one would take him seriously.
He pivoted and would go on to adopt a simple formula that has since underpinned most of his hits. Tracks like Temperature and Get Busy all, according to Paul, capture the sentiment of “I can’t wait for the weekend, I can’t wait to see that girl again.”
Similar sentiments are evident in Paul’s contribution to Feid’s Niña Bonita.