"Desesperados" (transl. "Desperate") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singersRauw Alejandro andChencho Corleone for Alejandro's second studio album,Vice Versa (2021). It was written by Alejandro, Corleone, Jorge Cedeño Echevarria, Nino Segarra, NaisGai, Colla, Kenobi, and Eric Duars, while the production was handled by Alejandro, Dulce como Candy, Dimelo Ninow, and NaisGai. The song was released fordigital download andstreaming bySony Music Latin and Duars Entertainment on December 9, 2021, as the fifthsingle from the album. A Spanish languagereggaeton song with elements ofcumbia anddembow, it is about two people who are apart, but still have love for each other, so they somehow try to get back together. The track received widely positive reviews frommusic critics, who complimented its danceable and catchy rhythm and the singers' vocals.
Rauw Alejandro released his second studio album,Vice Versa on June 25, 2021.[1] The album debuted at number one onBillboard Top Latin Albums, giving Alejandro his first number one on the chart,[2] and was ranked as the third-best album of 2021 and the best Spanish-language album of the year byRolling Stone.[3][4] It featured a 17-second interlude, entitled "Track 4", consisting of electronic sounds and a robot voice repeating the word "loading".[5][6] The following month, during an interview withLos 40, he explained about it: "Track 4 is a surprise. People still don't understand why I did that. It is a song that has no song. It's a surprise I have for you, but it's a song that's going to come out soon." The "hype" made by the interlude was noted by the media as "a good marketing technique". On November 17, 2021, Alejandro announced that he had set a release date for the track viaInstagram.[7]
On December 9, 2021, "Desesperados" was released fordigital download andstreaming bySony Music Latin and Duars Entertainment as the fifthsingle fromVice Versa and replaced "Track 4" on the album.[8][9][10] It marked the second collaboration between Alejandro andChencho Corleone, who had previously worked on "El Efecto" in 2019.[11] In May 2022, during an interview withBillboard, Alejandro called Corleone a "legend" and spoke about the collaboration: "[...] I did my first collab with Chencho, it was in 'El Efecto'. It was like three years ago and it did really well. We have good chemistry, so people was like waiting for the next collab and I waited for my album to put 'Desesperados' [in it], and you know, we got two of two right now."[12]
Musically, "Desesperados" is a Spanish languageupbeatreggaeton song,[10][13][14] with elements ofcumbia anddembow.[6][15] The song was written by Alejandro, Corleone, Jorge Cedeño Echevarria, Nino Segarra, NaisGai, Colla, Kenobi, and Eric Duars. Its production was handled by Alejandro, Dulce como Candy, Dimelo Ninow, and NaisGai,[16] and the track runs for a total of 3 minutes and 44 seconds.[8] Lyrically, "Desesperados" which translates to "Desperate" in English,[17] is about two people who are apart, but still have love for each other, so they somehow try to get back together.[18] There is a very passionate affair between the two lovers who cannot even "be bothered to park their car before ripping their clothes off", while they have already reserved a hotel room.[6] The lyrics include, "La primera vez que perriamos / No pudimos evitarlo y nos besamos / Que el momento no acabara" (The first time we danced / We couldn't help it and we kissed / That the moment wouldn't end).[11]
Upon release, "Desesperados" was met with widely positive reviews frommusic critics. In his review forBillboard, Jason Lipshutz described the track as "shiny", saying it "draws out both of their respective strengths while adhering to the contours of the full-length it's joining". He continued praising Alejandro's "vocal showcase" and Corleone's "especially animated" sound.[19]Rolling Stone critic Lucas Villa described Alejandro's vocals as "smooth" and commented that the track successfully embodys both the reggaeton's "past and present".[15] Los 40's Carolina Rodriguez Conza noted that its "series of reggaeton sounds and catchy rhythms" make the listeners "dance non-stop".[10] In another article, she described it as "a single with pure sounds of the urban genre that left us speechless and wanting to hear more from Puerto Rico".[20] Nadia Juanes from El Rescate Musical applauded the song for being "perfect for dancing at any party",[21] while Raphael Helfand ofThe Fader described its rhythm as "infectious".[6] An author ofMonitor Latino gave "Desesperados" a positive review, labeling it "[a] great single" that "shines twice as much thanks to the collaboration" of Corleone on Alejandro's song.[22]¡Hola! critic Rebecah Jacobs introduced Alejandro as "breakout Latin music sensation" and Ocio Latino staff named him a "phenomenon" in their respective reviews of the song.[23][24] In 2022, Ernesto Lechner fromRolling Stone ranked the track as the singer's third-best song.[25]
"Desesperados" became a global hit, peaking at numbers 13 and 10 on theBillboard Global 200 andBillboard Global Excl. US charts, respectively.[32][33] The song debuted at number 27 on the USBillboardHot Latin Songs chart on December 25, 2021, becoming Alejandro's 26th entry. On April 2, 2022, the track reached its peak of number five, giving Alejandro his sixth top-10 hit on the chart.[34][35] It also peaked at number one on both theLatin Airplay andLatin Rhythm Airplay charts on July 2, 2022. Thus it became Alejandro's ninth crowning hit on both, as well as Corleone's first ever number one hit as a lead artist on aBillboard radio chart.[36][37][38] "Desesperados" debuted at number 99 on the USBillboard Hot 100 on the chart issue dated June 16, 2022, becoming Alejandro's third entry on the chart and Corleone's first. The following week, it climbed to number 98, and subsequently peaked at number 91 in its third week on the Hot 100.[39][40][41] The song was certifiedquadruple platinum (Latin) by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for track-equivalent sales of over 240,000 units in the United States.[42]
Besides the United States, "Desesperados" hit the charts in several European countries, including Portugal and Switzerland,[43][44] and was certified gold by theFederazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI), for track-equivalent sales of over 50,000 units in Italy.[45] In Spain's official weekly chart, the song debuted at number seven on December 19, 2021. It subsequently peaked at number one on the chart for three consecutive weeks, becoming Alejandro's third number one hit in the country and Corleone's first.[46] The track was later certified sextuple platinum by theProductores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE), for track-equivalent sales of over 360,000 units in the country.[47] In Latin America, "Desesperados" experienced a huge commercial success. It peaked at number one in Bolivia,[48] Colombia,[49] Dominican Republic,[50] Ecuador,[51] Honduras,[52] Nicaragua,[53] Peru,[54] and Uruguay,[55] and reached the top 10 in Argentina,[56] Chile,[57] Costa Rica,[58] El Salvador,[59] Guatemala,[60] Latin America,[61] Mexico,[62] Panama,[63] and Paraguay.[64] In Mexico, the song was certified diamond by theAsociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas (AMPROFON), for track-equivalent sales of over 700,000 units.[65] It was also certified gold byPro-Música Brasil for track-equivalent sales of over 20,000 units in Brazil.[66]
A screenshot from themusic video, depicting Alejandro singing in a flower field.
An accompanyingmusic video was released simultaneously with the song. The visual was directed by the directing team Manson. It depicts Alejandro and Corleone singing in nightclubs and "polychrome flower fields". It also contains several provocative and erotic scenes, featuring women, black-and-white empty bedrooms, and luxurious cars.[6][10] Cynthia Valdez from¡Hola! described the video as "colorful".[67] It was nominated for Best Urban Music Video at the 2022 Latino Show Awards.[27]
Alejandro and Corleone performed the song onThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on April 6, 2022.[68] On November 17, 2022, Alejandro gave a live performance of "Lejos del Cielo", "Más de Una Vez", "Desesperados", and "Punto 40" at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards.[69] "Desesperados" was also included on theset list for his theVice Versa Tour.[70]
^"Rauw Alejandro On Collaborations With Shakira, Dating Rosalia & More - Billboard MusicCon 2022".Billboard (in Spanish). May 14, 2022. RetrievedAugust 13, 2022 – viaYouTube.Two legends [...] Um yeah, I did my first collab with Chencho, it was in 'El Efecto'. It was like three years ago and it did really well. We have good chemistry, so people was like waiting for the next collab and I waited for my album to put 'Desesperados', and you know, we got two of two right now. 23:53–24:19
