Wikipedia

Downtown (Anitta and J Balvin song)

"Downtown" is a song by Brazilian singer Anitta and Colombian singer J Balvin fully sung in Spanish, despite its title being in English.[2] It was written by Anitta and Balvin together with Justin Quiles and producer Sky Rompiendo. The song was released as a single on 19 November 2017 as part of Anitta's project entitled Check Mate, in which she released a new song each month.[3] The track was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Urban Song at the 19th Latin Grammy Awards.

"Downtown"
Single by Anitta and J Balvin
LanguageSpanish
Released19 November 2017[1]
Recorded2017
Genre
Length3:13
LabelWarner Brasil
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Anitta singles chronology
"Is That for Me"
(2017) 		"Downtown"
(2017) 		"Vai Malandra"
(2017)
J Balvin singles chronology
"Sensualidad"
(2017) 		"Downtown"
(2017) 		"Bum Bum Tam Tam (Remix)"
(2017)
Music video
"Downtown" on YouTube

Background

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In early 2016, Anitta and J Balvin collaborated for the first time when she did a remix for his single "Ginza", which received an official release as a single only in Brazil.[2] Following that, Anitta began planning an international career and started releasing a series of collaborations including singles with artists such as Maluma, Iggy Azalea and Major Lazer during 2016 and 2017 in order to start the process of establishing her career outside of Brazil. The collaboration with Iggy Azalea, "Switch", marked the first time Anitta released a song in which she sings in English. A single named "Paradinha", which is sung in Spanish, followed in 2017 and became one of Anitta's biggest hits in Brazil whilst also charting in other countries such as Mexico and Portugal.

Later in 2017, Anitta announced a project entitled Check Mate, in which consists of releasing a new song in rather English, Spanish or Portuguese along with its accompanying music video.[4] She launched the project with the premiere of the Poo Bear-produced "Will I See You" which became her first single in English as a main artist.[4] In October 2017, she adventured into EDM by releasing the single "Is That for Me", a collaboration with Swedish DJ Alesso.[5]

For the November Check Mate release, Anitta announced she would be releasing a collaboration with Colombian singer J Balvin, following his worldwide breakout with hit single "Mi Gente". About working with Balvin, Anitta said it was “incredible” and that they have "worked together before, but [she was] happy [they] made this song. He’s one of [her] favorite artists, so this was an amazing experience”.[2]

Promotion and release

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Anitta and J Balvin performed the song together for the first time before its official release on Spotify event in Las Vegas to promote a new version of "¡Viva Latino!" playlist.[6][7] Following that, the single premiered on Spotify on the relaunched "¡Viva Latino!" playlist with an exclusive vertical music video on 19 November 2017 and was later added to several playlists, including "Today's Top Hits", which is Spotify's playlist with the most followers. A billboard featuring Anitta and Balvin promoting the single and Spotify streaming service was put on Times Square, New York, on 26 November 2017.[8] On 5 September 2018, Anitta performed the song with Lali at Talento FOX, where they also performed Lali's song "100 Grados".[9]

Accolades

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Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2018 Latin Grammy Awards Best Urban Song Nominated [10]
ERES México Awards Best Music Video Won
Prêmio Jovem Brasileiro ¡Me Gusta! Nominated
MTV Millennial Awards Brasil Feat of the year Won
MTV Millennial Awards Hit del Año Won
The LUKAS Awards Song of the year Nominated

Music videos

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Spotify video

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A music video premiered on Spotify's mobile app on 19 November 2017, on the newly relaunched ¡Viva Latino! playlist, and became the first vertical video by a Brazilian star to premiere as a Spotify exclusive. The vertical music video features Anitta sensually dancing with another woman in white and green backgrounds while J Balvin performs his verses.[11]

Lyric video

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On 15 December 2017, a lyric video starring Internet sensations Lele Pons and Juanpa Zurita premiered on Pons' YouTube channel.[12]

Official video

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The official music video was shot by director Bruno Igloti in New York City on 7 November 2017. Anitta traveled to New York for a number of promotional meetings and then met with Balvin and Igloti on set for the shooting of the video.[13] Igloti and Anitta have previously worked together on several of Anitta's music videos, including the 2017's videos for the singles "Paradinha" and "Sua Cara". Anitta and Balvin first teased the video by posting a series of behind-the-scenes photos and videos on their social medias during its shooting.[14] The video was eventually released on 20 November 2017, a day after the song debuted on streaming services and online stores.[7]

The concept of the video is the exploration of the glamorous universe of the 1940s Parisian casinos and it features Anitta and J Balvin joining forces to carry out a plan against fellow casino players and cheat on the games in order to steal their money.[15] About the characters portrayed by Balvin and Anitta, the latter says "gambling is their universe. They observe every detail in that environment before applying their moves. They are cheaters and accomplices".[16] The costumes used by Anitta featured a mix of clothing from the C&A department store — the singer's sponsor in the Check Mate project — with other elements created by stylists for the singer.

Chart performance

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"Downtown" peaked at No. 14 in the United States on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, becoming Anitta's first entry on the American music charts, at the time. The single became a No. 1 hit in Paraguay and charted within the top ten of several countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Portugal, Uruguay, and Spain; peaking at No. 7 in Portugal, "Downtown" became J Balvin's second most-successful song in the country, at the time, just behind his worldwide hit "Mi Gente" (a collaboration with Beyoncé, which previously had topped the Portuguese charts).

Upon its release, "Downtown" was Anitta's most successful single in Colombia, up until that point, and was her first entry on American, Spanish and Swiss charts, respectively.

Track listing

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Digital download[1]

  1. "Downtown" – 3:13

Credits and personnel

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  • Vocals – Anitta, J Balvin
  • Songwriting – Anitta, J Balvin, Sky Rompiendo, Justin Quiles
  • Production – Sky Rompiendo

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[57] Platinum 20,000^
Italy (FIMI)[58] Gold 25,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[59] 3× Platinum 30,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[60] 2× Platinum 80,000‡
United States (RIAA)[61] 6× Platinum (Latin) 360,000‡

‡ Sales streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers

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In November 2020, the South Korean girl group Purple Kiss covered the song as part of their international medley of covers of the top female vocalist from each country.[62]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Downtown – Single by Anitta & J Balvin". iTunes. 19 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "Go 'Downtown' With Anitta & J Balvin's Sultry New Single: Watch". Billboard. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Anitta estreia no EDM em parceria com Alesso na faixa "Is That For Me"". NacãoDaMúsica (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Anitta Celebrates Poo Bear's Birthday With New Single 'Will I See You'". Billboard. 4 September 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Alesso & Anitta Team Up on Alluring New Single 'Is That For Me'". Billboard. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Anitta e J Balvin cantam "Downtown" em Las Vegas". PortalPop (in Brazilian Portuguese). 15 November 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Anitta and J Balvin Release Racy "Downtown" Music Video". E! Online. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Anitta e J Balvin divulgam 'Downtown' na Times Square, em NY". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 November 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Lali y Anitta hicieron "100 grados" y "Downtown"en Talento Fox". Billboard Argentina (in Spanish). 6 September 2018. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  10. ^ Cobo, Leila (14 November 2019). "Latin Grammys 2019 Winners: Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Anitta lança primeiro 'vídeo vertical' do Brasil; assista". Correio24Horas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  12. ^ "AAnitta & J Balvin's 'Downtown' Gets Lyric Video Featuring Lele Pons & Juanpa Zurita: Watch". Billboard. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Anitta grava 'Downtown', clipe em parceria com J Balvin". Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 8 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  14. ^ "Anitta grava clipe de "Downtown" em parceria com J Balvin". Vagalume (in Brazilian Portuguese). 7 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  15. ^ "Anitta e J. Balvin dão golpe em cassino no clipe de "Downtown"; veja". UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  16. ^ "Anitta lança clipe de "Downtown" com J Ballin e diz que gostaria de fazer turnê com astro do reggaeton". Folha de São Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 20 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Top 20 Argentina – Del 19 al 25 de Febrero, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Top 20 Bolivia – Del 12 al 18 de Febrero, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  19. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". 28 September 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Streaming Chart" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  21. ^ "Colombia General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  22. ^ "Top 100 Colombia – Semana 5 del 2018 – Del 26/01/2018 al 01/02/2018". National-Report. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Costa Rica General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  24. ^ "Top 20 República Dominicana – Del 5 al 11 de Marzo, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Ecuador" (in Spanish). National-Report. Archived from the original on 18 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  26. ^ "El Salvador General". Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  27. ^ "Greece Official IFPI Charts Digital Singles Chart: Feb 5, 2018". IFPI Charts. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  28. ^ "Top 20 Guatemala –Del 26 de Febrero al 4 de Marzo, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Top 20 Honduras – Del 2 al 8 de Abril, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  30. ^ "Mexico Espanol Airplay: The Week of January 27, 2018". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  31. ^ "Top 20 Panama – Del 19 al 25 de Marzo, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  32. ^ "Top 20 Paraguay – Del 2 al 8 de Abril, 2018" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  33. ^ "Anitta and J Balvin – Downtown". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  34. ^ Arvunescu, Victor (9 September 2018). "Top Airplay 100 – Mahmut Orhan detonat Ce artist se afla pe primul loc!" [Top Airplay 100 – Mahmut Orhan detonated What artist is in first place!!] (in Romanian). Un site de muzică. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
  35. ^ "Top 100 Canciones — Semana 2: 5.1.2018 al 11.1.2018" (PDF) (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  36. ^ "Anitta and J Balvin – Downtown". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  37. ^ "Uruguay General" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  38. ^ "Anitta Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  39. ^ "Anitta Chart History (Latin Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  40. ^ "Anitta Chart History (Latin Rhythm Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  41. ^ "Top Venezuela – Semana 7 2018" (in Spanish). National-Report. 16 February 2018. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  42. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Argentina". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  43. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Bolivia". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  44. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Chile". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  45. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Colombia". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  46. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Costa Rica". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  47. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Dominican Republic". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  48. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – El Salvador". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  49. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Guatemala". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  50. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Honduras". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  51. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Panama". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  52. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Paraguay". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  53. ^ "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 200 Singles 2018" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  54. ^ "Top 100 Songs Annual 2018" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  55. ^ "Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2018 – Uruguay". Monitor Latino. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  56. ^ "Hot Latin Songs – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  57. ^ "Anitta vibra com público argentino cantando hits; vídeo". Extra (in Portuguese). 13 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  58. ^ "Italian single certifications – Anitta – Downtown" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "Downtown" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  59. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Anitta – Downtown" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  60. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Anitta / J Balvin – Downtown". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  61. ^ "American single certifications – Anitta, J Balvin – Downtown". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  62. ^ Grupo de K-Pop faz cover de “Downtown” da Anitta
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