La Canción

Album: Oasis (2019)
Charted: 27
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "La Canción" is a nostalgic reggaeton ballad where J Balvin and Bad Bunny revisit an old relationship after a certain song at the club brings all the memories - and unresolved feelings - flooding back.
  • The lyric is narrated from the perspective of someone who thought they had moved on ("Pensaba que te había olvidao"), only to realize they're still emotionally hooked when "la canción" ("the song") they used to sing and dance to while drunk comes on.
  • "La Canción" appears on J Balvin and Bad Bunny's joint album Oasis, released as a surprise collaborative project that blended Colombian and Puerto Rican urbano styles. "La Canción" was issued as a single on August 2, 2019.
  • The video, directed by Colin Tilley, centers on a woman (played by Paola Nunez) moving through a club while memories of her relationship haunt the space, with J Balvin and Bad Bunny performing amid a dim, smoke-filled environment that mirrors the song's intoxicated recollections.
  • "La Canción" originally peaked at #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 2019. Internationally, it reached #1 in Mexico and earned certifications in several territories.
  • Both artists incorporated Oasis material into their 2019–2020 live sets, and "La Canción" became a fan-favorite ballad in Bad Bunny's arena shows, often sung back loudly by crowds who knew the hook by heart. The track's slow arrangement also made it a staple in online fan covers and reaction videos, with many listeners calling out how relatable the "I thought I forgot you until they played our song" storyline feels.
  • In a sign that the melody had fully infiltrated the mainstream, a Kidz Bop version was dropped in 2020 - a slightly surreal development given that the original lyric is steeped in adult heartbreak and late-night regret. Still, it proved the concept was universal: everyone has a song they shouldn't hear in public.
  • In February 2026, "La Canción" returned to the Hot 100 following a streaming surge sparked by Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show and the inevitable post-game glow.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Harry Shearer

Harry ShearerSongwriter Interviews

Harry is Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, Mark Shubb in The Folksmen, and Mr. Burns on The Simpsons.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.