Los Mejores Spanglish Songs of All Time

Some beautiful combinations are born when Hispanic and Anglo cultures meet. Tex Mex (tacos and burritos that aren’t quite Mexican, not quite Texan, but very delicious), Cinco de Mayo parties with colorful piñatas and refreshing margaritas, and Junot Diaz’s novels, to name a few. Many artists fuse English and Spanish language and beats in their music, too. And we love “shaking our bon bons” (name that song!) to the results! Here are a few of the top—or, los mejores—Spanglish songs of all time.

Last actualization 25/02/2024

Los Mejores Spanglish Songs of All Time

Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira

“Baila en la calle de noche, baila en la calle de día…”

Shakira is la reína of Spanglish songs, so this is just one of many that could have easily made this list. The salsa mix, featuring rapper Wyclef Jean, was reportedly played a whopping 9,637 times in one week on American radio.

The beautiful and talented Columbian artist sings about how a woman’s dancing can literally “make a man wanna speak Spanish.” It definitely makes me want to learn!

Despacito (Remix) – Luis Fonsi, Justin Bieber, Daddy Yankee

“Tú eres el imán y yo soy el metal…”

In the summer of 2017, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing this extremely catchy, guitar-laden tune. Then the Biebs jumped on the remix and sang verses in both English and Spanish, creating a song that speakers of each language could sing along to.

Featuring a verse from Puerto Rican superstar Daddy Yankee too, “Despacito” is one of the catchiest Spanglish songs of all time. We don’t blame you if you’re still adding it to your playlists!

I Like It – Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin

“Dónde quieras que viajes, has escuchado ‘mi gente'”

With nearly 1.6 BILLION views on YouTube, it’s safe to say this Spanglish collaboration between Cardi B, who has Afro-Latina roots, Puerto Rican rap superstar Bad Bunny, and Colombian singer J Balvin is a banger.

It mixes languages and musical styles, sampling a 1967 boogaloo (a genre of Latin music) tune and featuring Latin trap beats.

Havana (Remix) – Camila Cabello, Daddy Yankee

“Lo supe en un segundo, él cambiaría mi mundo…”

When Camila Cabello, part of the girl group Fifth Harmony, started releasing music as a solo artist, she immediately had a hit on her hands with “Havana”. There’s something about the catchy chorus… “Havana, ooh-nah-nah!”

Although she sang the original song entirely in English, this remix featuring Daddy Yankee finds her singing most of her verses in Spanish. ¡Vamos a Havana!

Livin’ la Vida Loca – Ricky Martin

“Upside, inside out, she’s livin’ la vida loca“

Unabashed Ricky Martin fangirl, here (if you didn’t catch my reference in the intro paragraph, that’s him, too).

The Puerto Rican pop star is said to have inspired the “Latin pop explosion” of the 1990s with this “crazy” song. It spent five weeks in the number-one spot on the American Billboard Hot 100 list. And VH1 named it the 28th best song of the 90s. The movie Shrek 2 even featured this tune as an Eddie Murphy/Antonio Banderas duet.

Bailamos / Bailando – Enrique Iglesias

“Yo te miro y se me corta la respiración…”

Next up, Enrique loves to sing about dancing, and we love to dance to his singing! I couldn’t pick just one of these songs about grooving to include in the list. Both Spanglish tunes, which came out in 1999 and 2014 respectively, have una melodía pegadiza (a catchy melody), not to mention they’re worldwide hits.

The Spanish artist has released ten studio albums and has even forayed into television and film acting. At just 48 years old, I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing him dance for years to come!

La Isla Bonita – Madonna

“Él dijo que te ama…”

Madonna has written and sung several Spanglish songs, but this one was her first, and my favorite. It’s an ode to the fictional “beautiful island” of San Pedro. Some say it’s based on the city of the same name in Belize.

Madonna plays opposing characters, a young Catholic woman and a spicy Latina in a red Flamenco dress, in the music video. You’ll want to book a trip and fall in love with a tropical island after listening to this tune!

Mentirosa – Mellow Man Ace

“Come and enjoy what a woman gives an hombre; but first of all, see, I have to know your nombre.”

This is a true Spanglish song, switching back and forth between languages in the middle of lines. The Cuban-American rapper Mellow Man Ace is known for his bilingual lyrics. This 1989 Billboard hit calls out a “mentirosa,” or “lying woman.”

BONUS: Me Gustas Tú – Manu Chau

“Me gusta viajar, me gustas tú”

This one isn’t Spanglish, but rather Franglish. The chorus asks questions in Spanish (“que voy a hacer?”) and answers in French (“je ne sais pas,” “je ne sais plus,” “je suis perdu”).

It’s great for learning Spanish vocabulary, and super catchy. Plus, it was on President Obama’s 2016 summer playlist (which also includes the Mexican song “Bucurrucucú ​Paloma”), so you know it has to be good!

What favorite Spanglish (or Frussian, Germanese, Portalian…) songs would you add to the list?

As you add these Spanglish songs to your playlist, did you know that music can be a great tool for language learning? You can adapt exercises to your personal music genre or artist preferences, making you more likely to benefit.

Plus, listening to music is an enjoyable activity, so you’ll associate positive feelings with language learning. Check out our 5-step process for using songs like these to optimize learning, and turn it up!