Despacito rockets to most viewed video on YouTube
Music video captures No. 1 spot in less than a year
The music video for the No. 1 hit song Despacito has become the most viewed clip on YouTube of all-time.
YouTube announced Friday that Luis Fonsi's ubiquitous song with Daddy Yankee hit nearly three billion views — 2,993,786,682 views to be exact — and surpassed previous record holder See You Again, the song by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth from the Furious 7 soundtrack.
See You Again, released in March 2015, had held the top spot for just a few weeks, taking more than two years to surpass earlier, longtime record-holder Gangnam Style by K-pop star Psy in July.
Despacito's meteoric rise on the video-sharing site has been quick. The song, with a video released in January, became an international smash hit this year, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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The record-breaking video does not include the popular remix with Justin Bieber; that version has been viewed more than 464 million times.
Despacito is on track to become the first video to reach three billion views on YouTube. The video is also the most "liked" video on YouTube.