Natti Natasha Is YouTube's #1: Singer’s ‘Criminal’ Feat. Ozuna Bumps ‘Despacito’

YouTube has crowned a new number one video after “Despacito” pretty much took over the spot for most of 2017. Dominican singer Natti Natasha’s “Criminal,” featuring Ozuna is the new favorite in the video streaming platform. Besides having the most-viewed video on YouTube this week, Natti Natasha made history by being "the most popular Spanish-speaking female urban artist on YouTube," according to a Pina Records press release.

The hit Pina Records single “Criminal” by Natti Natasha and Ozuna finished comfortably ahead of mega-hit "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee and "Havana" by Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug, with nearly 70 million plays recorded for the week. This morning after hearing the news, Natti took to Instagram to thank Ozuna, Pina Records, her fans and everyone who has supported her, and vowed to keep representing Latin women.

With over 634 million YouTube views in less than three months and more than 80 million streams on Spotify, Natti continues to break record for Latina female urban artists. “Criminal” also dominates as the #1 song on many countries’ Spotify’s Top 50.

Natasha rose to fame with “Dutty Love,” her first collaboration with Don Omar. The song was recorded in 2011 but released in 2012. It reached number one in the Billboard US Latin Songs, Billboard US Latin Pop Songs and Billboard US Latin Tropical Airplay. The song also won major awards and became one of the most popular songs of 2012.

She continued to work tirelessly in the industry, recording her own songs and securing collaborations that continued to solidify her status as one of the most important female voices in the Latin urban genre. In 2013 she released “Crazy In Love” with Farruko; in 2015 “Perdido en tus Ojos,” another collaboration with Don Omar; and in 2016 “Otra Cosa,” featuring Daddy Yankee, before this year’s hit single “Criminal,” with Ozuna.

Natti was born Natalia Alexandra Gutiérrez Batista in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where she developed a true love for music. She was studying Industrial Engineering, when all of the sudden, she realized she needed to take a plunge and adventure into the unknown. She packed up her bags and moved to New York City to pursue her passion, her dream, her true love: music.

“I was studying Industrial Engineering but music kept calling me,” she told Latin Times in 2014. “So I thought to myself ‘Well, the only way I’ll be able to grow is to take a risk.’ So I left everything: my family, my home. And it hurt. It hurt me to leave them to come all by myself to the United States. But I persevered, although I had no idea how I would pay the recording studio where I went. But I had a friend here, and she kept pushing me to continue singing and recording because you never knew what was going to happen, and that was the case.”