On Thursday night, Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin and French producer Willy William dropped the remix to their song “Mi Gente.” The original, released earlier this summer, is an international hit, reaching the no. 1 spot on the Spotify Global Top 50 streaming chart. And all of that was achieved before this latest version, which features a very special guest: Beyoncé.
Beyoncé, of course, knows a little something about infectious earworms, so her presence on the remix is a natural fit. On “Mi Gente” she even dabbles in a little Spanish: “La fiesta la llevo en mis genes,” she assures us on the song’s first verse. “I carry the party in my genes.” An indisputable fact.
But Beyoncé is here for more than just a good time. Earlier Thursday evening, via her Instagram account, Beyoncé announced that she would be donating her “proceeds from this song to hurricane relief charities for Puerto Rico, Mexico and the other affected Caribbean islands.” Beyoncé is the latest and most notable celebrity to direct funds and resources to areas affected by the earthquake in Mexico City, Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Maria.
A GoFundMe page launched on Wednesday by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony has already garnered $254,000 in donations. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reportedly loaned the organization’s jet to Mavs guard (and Puerto Rico native) J.J. Barea so that he could help transport food, water, and supplies to the island. And Rihanna spent time yesterday tweeting at the president, imploring him to not let “people die like this.”
The situation in Puerto Rico is bleak. After taking a direct hit from Hurricane Maria’s 155 mph winds and heavy rainfall last week, much of the island remains without power. AIR Worldwide estimates that the island suffered $40 billion to $85 billion in damages, and, on Tuesday, The Hill reported that 44 percent of Puerto Ricans don’t have access to clean water. It is of course going to take much more than a Beyoncé song to get Puerto Rico the resources it needs, but as the White House continues to drag its feet, it appears those with the biggest voices are going to have to continue to use them.