Elvis Crespo Tells Us the Story Behind His Hit Song ‘Suavemente’

Elvis Crespo’s “Suavemente” is a fundamental piece of Latin cultural heritage. The merengue hit the radio in 1998, and since then, it has continued to be a hit in playlists, weddings, and events.

Elvis Crespo has received awards and recognition for the song that, in addition to becoming an international hit, reached space.

“It’s been the craziest and most unexpected place I’ve [seen ‘Suavemente’ played],” the singer said in an exclusive interview with Mitú. “To know that my song is playing in space is one of the most surreal experiences of my life.”

The Puerto Rican singer was referring to the time NASA played the song for astronauts on the International Space Station in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month in 2020.

But what is the story behind the famous song?

They say the best ideas come in the shower — and for Elvis Crespo, it was no different.

“I was in the shower when I came up with the music,” the singer told us. “I came out and was humming it, and my oldest son, who was six years old then, started humming it too.”

“It made me realize that the tune was catchy, so I decided to do something with it,” he continued.

However, the origin of the lyrics is another story.

Crespo told us that, at the time, he was hooked on Kate del Castillo’s telenovela “Alguna Vez Tendremos Alas.” The romantic atmosphere of the story inspired him to write the lyrics.

A success without borders

For Elvis Crespo, “Suavemente” has been a hit that has crossed language and style barriers.

The singer remembered his surprise when the producers of “Magic Mike” contacted him to use the song in the third installment of the Channing Tatum franchise.

“Not only was it on the soundtrack, but it was mentioned in the script, and hearing the name from the lips of goddess Salma Hayek took it to a new level,” he added.

Similarly, actors such as Anthony Hopkins have danced to “Suavemente,” as seen in a video shared on social media.

“Suavemente” has also appeared in several movies and TV shows over the years. The song appeared in the 2002 film “Maid in Manhattan,” starring Jennifer Lopez. It has also been used in popular TV shows such as “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance.”

“It also closed [the third season of] House of Cards, was featured in the [2001] movie Training Day and was used for the Israeli lottery,” Crespo added.

Even Bad Bunny paid homage to its video with the music video of his hit “La Neverita.”

Today, the song has nearly 265 million plays on Spotify and remains one of our favorites when it comes to getting everyone dancing.