After making the rounds with “Te Bote (Remix)” next to Casper, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, and Ozuna — which landed at No. 36 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2018 — Nio Garcia unleashed “La Jeepeta” in January.
The chorus was born inside a jeep after the power went off at Garcia’s recording studio in Puerto Rico. In January, he dropped the first version of “La Jeepeta” — a catchy mid-tempo reggaeton — in collaboration with Brray and Juanka, released via Flow La Movie and powered by GLAD Empire. Three months later, and in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Anuel AA and Myke Towers jumped on the remix, bringing “La Jeepeta” to a whole ‘nother level.
Unlike the original, which did not secure a spot on the Hot Latin Songs chart, the remix arrived in April and debuted at No. 41 on the chart dated May 9. The remix later entered the top 10, pushing 12-9 on the list dated July 18, securing Nio his second top 10, Anuel’s 17th, and the first for Towers, Brray and Juanka. Currently, it’s at No. 4 on the Hot Latin Songs chart dated July 25.
“I’m impressed at how fast it’s growing and that ‘La Jeepeta’ made it on the charts,” Garcia tells Billboard over a phone call. “That same day I went into the studio and recorded three new songs. I wanted to take advantage of my excitement.”
“La Jeepeta,” which is slang for an SUV truck or jeep, rose on the Hot Latin Songs chart thanks to a 15 percent boost in streaming data logged in the week ending July 9.
The game changer, it seems, was Tik Tok.
Since the release of the remix, #LaJeepetaChallenge has become a viral TikTok dance, generating more than one million videos from users across the world.
Although TikTok can’t determine which user kicks off a trend, many TikTok stars — including El Rod Contreras, Ignacia Antonia, Naim Darrechi, and Kunno, all who have between 12 million and 16 million followers — have helped ignite the Jeepeta challenge.
Billboard can confirm that nearly 385,000 posts have been created using the sound of “La Jeepeta” within the last 30 days.
The original song’s lyrics are explicit and raunchy, with a chorus that says: “getting high in the jeep / next to me I have a blonde [girl] with big boobs / she wants me to put it in.” (The remix featuring Anuel and Towers is far more graphic.)
But that seems to be precisely part of its appeal.
Most Jeepeta dances, for example, have both men and women making the universal gesture to describe big boobs or having intercourse.
“I always say that music is like a shopping mall,” says Garcia. “You go to the stores that have clothing for your size. Music works the same way. I made this song with a hanging out, party kind of vibe for people who can relate to it. I think that many of my fans like the raw lyrics. ‘La Jeepeta’ is for young adults,” he notes. “When I presented this idea to my company, Flow La Movie, they asked me if I was sure that I wanted to release it. With all the confidence in me, they invested in the project and the rest is history.”
Because of the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, Garcia admits that the remix was originally not going to be released at all.
“Every day I wake up with good news about ‘La Jeepeta,’ and that’s a blessing for me,” he says. “From the day the intro and the chorus were created, I knew this song was going to be a hit.”
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