'Despacito' was a song that, from the time I started writing it, I felt that its hook was really catchy and powerful but at the same time very simple.

'Despacito' started with a melody hook that I had with my guitar only. The beat for this track came after I wrote the lyrics, which I wrote as if I was writing a ballad.

That was the first song I heard from another writer when we first started to listen to outside songs,

I'm still the same guy who gets in front of the mic and just sings.

Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class, and I was sort of one of the better kids... I could read music. That's when I realized how good El Coro de San Juan was. I felt, for once, like, hey, I can fit in.

At no time was I trying to write a crossover record.