It's a reggaeton summer
Billboard
'Tis the summer of reggaeton.

It's on the sales charts and on the Latin radio charts in all its forms, thanks to the latest trend: reggaeton remixes of straight-ahead pop tracks.

Take the Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay chart. This week, seven out of 10 tracks on the chart belong to reggaeton acts. Of the three that do not, two of them - Shakira's La Tortura and Thalia's Amar Sin Ser Amada - have reggaeton versions that give them additional clout.

The third non-reggaeton act on the top 10 is Aventura, with the track Ella y Yo , featuring reggaeton star Don Omar.

But even acts whose sound has nothing to do with reggaeton are finding that the beat can fit into their mix. Whereas before those acts might have opted only for a salsa version to gain traction on the tropical chart, now they're going for reggaeton, which allows them airplay on traditional tropical stations as well as on reggaeton, urban and hurban stations.

Most surprisingly, Luis Fonsi's very romantic new single, Nada Es Para Siempre , also has a reggaeton remix, featuring up-and-coming female reggaeton artist Adassa.

"I'm surprised, very surprised," Fonsi says of the mix. "Because taking such a cut-your-veins ballad, it can sound strange with a remix. But the way they did it gave the song a new breath of fresh air that has made it work really well."

So well that Nada Es Para Siempre is on the Latin Tropical Airplay chart, at No. 16 this week, thanks to the benefit of traditional salsa and reggaeton remixes