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Luis Fonsi Sends a Message to Puerto Rico at Grammys 2018 Red Carpet

"It's where we're from and that's what the song is about," the "Despacito" singer says

By Diana Marti Jan 28, 2018 11:09 PMTags
Watch: Luis Fonsi Weighs in on "Despacito" Success

Luis Fonsi is ready for his big night! 

The 39-year-old singer is as happy as could be with the success and impact that his song "Despacito."

"I don't know," Fonsi jokingly answers Ryan Secrest about why the song was one of the most streamed songs ever. "But, it's a beautiful thing. I think it's a sum of a lot of little things. It's a word that's split into separate syllables. It's just infectious. Fun to dance to, it's about coming together and celebrating Latin culture. So I'm just happy that everybody loved it."  

The Puerto Rican singer, who is joined by his wife Águeda López, also talks about waking up one morning and having the word des-pa-cito stuck in his head. 

"It was born 'Des-pa-cito, vamos a hacerlo en una playa en Puerto Rico.' You know I had to give a shout out to Puerto Rico which is where we're from and that's what the song is about," Fonsi says. "I got to sing with Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber did the remix. You know all of the planets aligned, and everybody just loved the song." 

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2018 Grammys Red Carpet Fashion

Of course, Fonsi made sure to send some love to his beloved island. 

"To everybody in Puerto Rico, you know it's been a tough couple of months after the hurricane so we hope that we bring a just a little light and joy to that beautiful island," he says. "Los quiero mucho, Puerto Rico. And thank you to everybody for singing in Spanish a little bit." 

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Inside the History of "Despacito" & Its Game-Changing Impact
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for NARAS

The singer also spoke to us earlier in the week about another special moment. 

"The day of the announcement, I was in Rome. I had a show that night, so I went along my day to prepare for it, gym, soundcheck, etc.… all of the sudden my phone just went crazy," Fonsi recalled exclusively to E! News about the moment he learned about his Grammy nominations. "The day of the announcement, I was in Rome. I had a show that night, so I went along my day to prepare for it, gym, soundcheck, etc.… all of the sudden my phone just went crazy," Fonsi recalled exclusively to E! News about the moment he learned about his Grammy nominations.