Originally written about a cheerful fish swimming freely in the ocean, the song's title is an onomatopoeic phrase suggesting the palpitating heartbeat of a person lovestruck by the object of their affection.
It is believed by musicologist Ilan Stavans to have marked the beginning of the dominance of Latin pop, and was a bridge to the Tejano market.
[4] The song was originally used for soundchecks during the band's rehearsals and was then transformed into a short recording by Selena about a cheerful fish swimming freely in the ocean.
began co-writing, Selena and backup vocalist Pete Astudillo were in the process of writing the song in Spanish.
confessed to wanting the song released as the lead single but found that Selena and EMI Latin pushed for the title track instead.
[7][8][9][10] It is set in common time,[7] and makes use of electric guitar riffs[5] and ostanti percussions influenced by Colombian and Caribbean music.
[7] The song's chord progression has a basic form I-IV-V-IV, an ostinato (repetitive beat) that continues through its verses and chorus.
[11] Ramiro Burr of Billboard magazine called the song a "reggae-tinged tune" and suggested that it could have worked well with French lyrics.
[15] According to author José E. Limón, the song consists of "playful cumbia-rhythms" with lyrics speaking of "young kids falling in love".
[20] Texas Monthly editor Joe Nick Patoski asserted the lyrics are: "about a boy who makes a girl's heart go thump-thump-thump".
"[23] According to Mario Tarradell of the Dallas Morning News, the song contains the "bubbly, effervescent personality, the chica-del-barrio (the girl from the barrio) charm" in her recording, and believed the remixed version, found on the posthumous release Dreaming of You, was done so that it was "palatable club play".
[71] Billboard magazine began monitoring digital downloads of Latin songs the week ending January 23, 2010.
Produced by Tango Productions, Philip Holahan served as the director of photography, while editing was done by Clayton Halsey.
[81] The music video opens up with fans throwing their hands up high in the sky, while Selena gently onto a pier, in slow-harmony "yeah".
In 2002, a snippet was featured on CBS's The Early Show with Julie Chen, while she interviewed Selena's family about the upcoming release of Ones (2002).
[83] Selena was featured on Fugues, an LGBT-related French magazine, during their "Top 10 Most Widely Played Songs in Gay Clubs in Canada".
[89] Selena also performed the track in a November 1994 episode of Sabado Gigante; the event was ranked among the most memorable moments of the show's 53-year history.
[93] According to musicologist Stavans, the three aforementioned singles were considered to have bridged and merged Tejano music and Latin pop thanks to the songs' popularity.
[94] This was reiterated by musicologist Michael Joseph Corcoran, who found that Tejano music "was a blend of two cultures" and Selena was "a bridge between them".
[95] Stavans further explains how the popularity of the singles shone a "brighter spotlight" on Tejano music and: "marked the beginning of the genre of Latin pop".
[96] The song was recognized by Lori Beth Rodriguez in her guide to Tejano music as being responsible for catapulting Selena into fame.
[43][100][101] The song remains a staple at Latin American quinceañeras, Hispanic weddings,[102] and at Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
[115] Within two months of Selena's death, Astudillo performed the track during a Memorial Day concert held in Houston, Texas.
[117] Peña became a professional singer after her performance of the song reached Selena's father Abraham, who signed the artist to Q-Productions.
"[120] Puerto Rican boy band Tick Tock covered the song, as well as releasing a music video to promote it in 2004.
[123] John Powell Metz of the Corpus Christi Caller Times, called Guzmán's version "spirited" and her performance of the song "risqué".
[129] Mexican singer Ely Guerra released her version of the song for the soundtrack film to Los Campeones de la Lucha Libre in 2008.
[133] Guerra called her performance "spirited"[133] and she later recorded the song as a duet with Selena for the 2012 remix album Enamorada de Ti.
[140] Radio personality host Howard Stern, who had mocked Selena's mourners and poked fun at the singer's death in April 1995,[141] praised Santos' performance.
[143][144][145] Tattoo artist and reality television personality Kat Von D covered the song as a tribute to the singer in January 2016.