Last Christmas Eve, Cuban newcomers Ya Ice Dilan, Rey Tony and Helabusador dropped “Dichavate” — a reparto song that has made Billboard history in the top five of two charts. Though it’s typically not advisable for independent artists who are looking for traction to release music during the holidays, the cheeky and catchy song quickly picked up speed on social media, becoming one of the most viral songs today. “Everything happened very quickly.
We didn’t have the opportunity to run advertising campaigns on Spotify or YouTube due to the explicit lyrics…we tried, but we couldn’t,” Helabusador tells Billboard. “We didn’t even have the chance to invest in the song. It was simply uploading the music video on YouTube and releasing it two weeks later on Spotify.” Yet, with no official promotion strategy, “Dichavate” makes history on the Billboard Hits of the World Charts, peaking at No. 1 on Peru Songs dated March 21 (currently it stands at No. 2) and a No. 5 high on Spain Songs dated April 18.
The bop is the first reparto song to hit Top 5 on both charts that launched in 2022 and are based on streaming and sales activity from within the country, as tracked by Luminate. Produced by DJ Honda and released by JipMusic Global, “Dichavate” — which is Cuban slang for “take a risk” or “be daring” — has captivated with its provocative lyrics referencing the “best partner in bed” anyone has had. “Dichavate, dejame saber si en verdad yo te gusto” (I dare you to let me know if you truly like me), says the opening lyric, before going into a more direct and NSFW confessional in the chorus.
Backed by a bass, piano and the claves (key instrumentation in the reparto genre that fuses urban music with traditional Cuban sounds including son, timba, and rumba), the song and its music video were recorded between Miami and Cuba. Today — thanks to Cuban influencers such as Samantha Hernandez, who created the social dance in early January, and Anthony Vila, a former delivery man whose “Bota Compota” phrase propelled the song’s virality — the trend has gone beyond just its supportive Cuban community. Bad Gyal has performed the song inonher current tour; Beéle’s famed choreographer Baby Fox has jumped on the trend; Former CNCO members Erick Brian and Christopher Velez have as well; and Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios expressed she’s “obsessed” with the track.
“For me, it was the energy we had in the studio,” Rey Tony says. “I’m not sure if it was the beat, but back in Cuba, it just really took off. That first week [of release in December] was absolute madness—it felt completely natural.
The whole backstory behind the song was completely organic.” “Within our own genre, this represents a completely different style. It is very international—we draw upon that foundation in order to operate. We studied the sound, we incorporated our own slang, and I wanted to add a distinct vocal quality,” Helabusador adds.
He concludes: “It’s a song that — if you’re sad, it serves you in your sadness; if you’re happy, it serves you in your happiness. It is a very emotional song. It has something that connects. The song has magic.” @akabadgyal Que es lo que tiene esta música😩 ♬ sonido original – Yanessa Garcia @samanthaahrdz ♬ sonido original – Mus1ca_Cubana_@sere🇨🇺 @matiasochoa022 más cubanos que nunca 🇨🇺 @Christopher Velez Muñoz @erickbrian ♬ sonido original – Yanessa Garcia