Morat scores big this week, earning its second No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as its update of Los Bukis’ 1986 classic “Tu Cárcel” surges from No. 10 to the top of the June 20-dated ranking. The new version also hits No. 1 on both the Latin Pop Airplay chart and the multimetric Hot Latin Pop Songs survey.
The act from Bogotá, Colombia, previously led Latin Airplay with “Me Toca a Mí,” with Camilo, for a week last August.
“We’re incredibly grateful to celebrate our second No. 1 with ‘Tu Cárcel,’” Morat shared with Billboard. “It’s a song that has been part of our lives for as long as we can remember.”
“It was a great honor to have produced this version,” Argentinian producer Nico Cotton tells Billboard. “It’s an undeniable classic, and the challenge was to live up to the original song. I love that it reflects so much of Morat’s sound. The truth is, when there’s a great song and a great band, my job becomes much easier!”
Morat’s “Tu Cárcel,” on Universal Music Spain/Interscope/Interscope Capitol, owes its Latin Airplay coronation to 7.6 million audience impressions in the week ending June 11, according to Luminate.
“It’s an incredible surprise,” Cotton adds. “When I make music, I never think, ‘This has to be a No. 1,’ but when it happens, it’s something to celebrate and enjoy. In this case, it makes me very happy to see such an incredible classic rediscovered through Morat, and to have been able to contribute my little grain of sand from the production side.”
Before Morat revived “Tu Cárcel,” the Marco Antonio Solís-led Los Bukis took the original to No. 3 on Hot Latin Songs in 1987. (Formed in 1973, the grupero band has notched 17 career top 10s on the tally, in 1987-96, following the list’s 1986 start.)
The song has also found renewed chart life through other versions over the years. Los Enanitos Verdes took their soft-rock rendition to No. 22 on Latin Pop Airplay in 2004, while Los Tigres del Norte’s regional Mexican take, featuring Solís, reached No. 30 on Regional Mexican Airplay in 2016. “Tu Cárcel” has also been covered by Hermanos Espinoza, Alta Consigna and Yahritza y Su Esencia in regional Mexican styles.
Morat’s “Tu Cárcel” is on the soundtrack to the Disney+ and Hulu original series Dear Killer Nannies: Criado Por Sicarios — based on the late drug kingpin/politician Pablo Escobar’s upbringing — produced by multi-award winner Julio Reyes Copello; the set was released via his Arthouse label in partnership with Universal Music Latino/UMG.
“I’m deeply glad I suggested to my friends Morat to record this song and make such a spectacular version alongside the great producer Nico Cotton,” Reyes Copello tells Billboard. “The production, direction and musical language are all a tremendous success. I’m thrilled that it has reached beyond the series and, above all, that new generations won’t miss out on hearing [it]; and with work as disciplined and consistent as Morat’s, it’s a luxury.”
“It’s very special to see ‘Tu Cárcel’ continue finding new audiences beyond radio and live shows,” Morat added. “We grew up as huge Disney fans, so having our music featured in a Disney+ and Hulu project is incredibly meaningful. We love seeing our songs become part of different stories, and it’s exciting to know this classic can keep reaching people in new ways.”
Meanwhile, “Tu Cárcel” is the latest Spanish-language charting song from a Disney film or series — and the first to crown Latin Airplay. Notably, Encanto produced Sebastian Yatra’s “Dos Oruguitas” and Carlos Vives’ “Colombia, Mi Encanto,” which reached Nos. 2 and 6, respectively, on Hot Latin Songs in 2022.
Morat added that “Tu Cárcel” is also the first single from its album Ya Es Mañana Parte 2, which is “currently in the works. The project is inspired by celebrating and reinterpreting the legacy of Spanish-language pop-rock, so seeing this song connect with a new generation in such a meaningful way makes this achievement even more special.”
