It's been a minute since Justin Bieber graced us with a new single. Since last summer's "Cold Water" and "Let Me Love You," the Biebs has been keeping a somewhat low profile, between calling out overeager fans and teasing a potential reconciliation with his Insta-famous ex Sophia Richie. But it seems he's dipping his toe back in the music waters — as of April 17, Justin Bieber debuted a new track, and it will inspire a lot of feelings.
The song is "Despacito," a collaboration between the pop star and Luis Fonsi, a Puerto Rican singer. As Teen Vogue points out, Fonsi is himself a Very Big Deal, and this is actually the second incarnation of the song. The original track, which dropped in early January and features Fonsi and Daddy Yankee, is sung entirely in Spanish. This new Bieber version features a dash of English — but more importantly, it features Bieber singing in Spanish, which is a first for the 23-year-old Canadian.
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"Come on over, in my direction," he begins. "So thankful for that, it's such a blessing, yeah. Turn every situation into a heaven, yeah." All pretty routine Bieber-style lyrics, no? Later, he joins Fonsi in the chorus, singing, "Despacito / Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito / Deja que te diga cosas al oído / Para que te acuerdes si no estás conmigo."
This is essentially sultry come-hither poetry — the word "despacito" means slowly, so you should be able to extrapolate from there. (One line translates to, "I want to breathe your neck slowly.")
This is a pretty big moment for Bieber. Singing in multiple languages is, increasingly, one way to stay relevant in a very global market. Stars such as Selena Gomez, Zendaya, and Camila Cabello have brought their fluency in Spanish to their music — Bieber is really just following a trend, and we're glad he did. To some, Justin Bieber's boyish croon is enough to inspire poetry. Add a little Puerto Rican Spanish to his repertoire, and the sky's the limit.
Listen to the full song, below.