Presenter(s): Ana Daza
Faculty Mentor(s): Laura Pulido & Brian Klopotek
Oral Session 1 M
This research explores whether the release of the song “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, featuring Justin Bieber, ignited an increase of popularity in reggaetón, a music genre with origins in the Caribbean and U.S. hip-hop. Through a cultural comparative study, the research studies the history of both rap/hip-hop and Latin music as sounds that have been commodified by and for the white listener. The research implements several literature sources, such as George Lipsitz and bell-hooks, as well as data analysis provided by Google Trends and BuzzAngle Music reports. A historical comparison of the older reggaetón genre to today’s music shows a distinct change in sound that plainly targets white U.S. audiences. Similarly to hip-hop, and Latin music overall, reggaetón musicians have capitalized their commodification by appealing to certain standards set under a white gaze (e.g., more of a pop/U.S. trap influence, certain fashion trends, specific personas displayed in music videos and performances). It’s important to also acknowledge that, perhaps, reggaetón and Latin music have simply become more popular due to the high population of Latinx in the U.S. However, these peoples and their cultural expressions have been in the U.S. for a very long time, and only in the last two years has this genre become as popular as it is now. I hope to conclude my research by reinforcing how important cultural expression is for people of color and minorities and why it’s ultimately problematic for these to become commodified for capitalistic profit.