“Gasolina” is one of Daddy Yankee’s most commercially successful songs, and it eventually became one of the most popular songs of the 2000s. Released in 2004 as the lead single from Daddy Yankee’s Barrio Fino, “Gasolina” received wide success and has been deemed one of the best reggaetón songs of all time by Billboard. Written entirely in Spanish, “Gasolina” compares the sound of reggaetón to gasoline, emphasizing its ability to bring his listener energy. Daddy Yankee carries this theme throughout the piece, singing “[j]anguea en carros, motoras, y limusinas / [l]lena su tanque de adrenalina / [c]uando escucha reggaetón en las bocinas” (“hang out in cars, motorbikes, and limousines / it fills your tank with adrenaline / when you listen to reggaetón on the speakers”). Daddy Yankee’s lyrics are accompanied by a bass drum and other instruments which help create the characteristic “dembow” rhythm of reggaetón.
Due to its widespread and previously unexpected popularity, “Gasolina” is seen as one of the most influential reggaetón songs, particularly in the United States. “Gasolina” is the most commercially successful track off Daddy Yankee’s third studio album, reaching #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Barrio Fino debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, securing its spot as the first reggaetón album to reach the milestone. Further, the album has sold over one million units in the United States, achieving a platinum certification.
Daddy Yankee. Gasolina. Barrio Fino. El Cartel Records, Machete Music, and VI Music, 2004.