What We Know About Daddy Yankee's Unexpected Retirement
Referred to as the "King of Reggaeton," Daddy Yankee has certainly made his mark on the music scene over the past 30 years. With 16 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 and big-name collabs with Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson, and Fergie, the Puerto Rico-born star is highly admired within the industry.
During a 2021 cover story interview with Billboard, Yankee opened up about the role he played in making the reggaeton genre a successful sound around the globe. "I like to say I took the bullets. I wanted people to understand my essence, where I come from, what I represent. But at the same time, I wanted to take my culture to the very top. I can't tell you there was a formula," he shared. "I had to take the culture with me everywhere so it became permanent instead of fizzling out like other genres where artists simply promote themselves." In 2017, the "Gasolina" chart-topper hit it big when teaming up with Luis Fonsi and Bieber for the worldwide smash "Despacito." As noted by People, it became the first Spanish-language song to enter the top 10 in the US since Los Del Rio's remix of "Macarena" and became one of the longest-running number-one hits in history.
On March 20, Yankee announced on his official website that his seventh studio album, "Legendaddy," will drop on March 24. And by the looks of it, it will be his very last.
Daddy Yankee will go out with a bang
It's sad news for Daddy Yankee fans. The "Shaky Shaky" hitmaker has announced he will be retiring shortly after the release of his first studio album in 10 years, "Legendaddy." But first, he will embark on a tour that will celebrate his three-decade-long career.
"Today, I'm announcing my retirement from music by giving you my best production and my best concert tour," Yankee said in a press release obtained by Billboard. "I will say goodbye celebrating these 32 years of experience with this new collector's item, the album Legendaddy. I'm going to give you all the styles that have defined me, in one single album." As noted by the outlet, his upcoming "La Última Vuelta World Tour" is slated to kick off on August 10 in Portland, Oregon, and will continue until December.
Given his legendary status, his loyal fanbase reacted to the news on social media. "Daddy Yankee is retiring this is the worst day of my life," one user tweeted. "No! Daddy Yankee is retiring before we got a collab with BTS!!! We lost! I'm dying in Spanish! Pero like why!!" another person shared. "Please check on your Latina friends.. Daddy Yankee announced his retirement... we are NOT OKAY," remarked a third user.