The first number one of the year was "Dejaría Todo" by Chayanne, which had been in the top spot since the issue dated December 12, 1998; it spent a final total of seven weeks at this position and was named the best-performing Latin pop song of the year". 1999 was named the year of the "Latin Pop Explosion" due to the crossover appeal of Latin artists to the American public. Ricky Martin's performance of "The Cup of Life" at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards on February 24, 1999, was said to be a "game-changer for Latin music worldwide" according to Billboards Leila Cobo. The popularity of Martin's performance was followed by the release of his song, "Livin' la Vida Loca", which became an international success by reaching number one in more than 20 countries. The Spanish-language rendition of the song was released to Latin radio stations in the US, and was the longest-running number one of the year with ten weeks. Martin also achieved his fourth chart-topper with "Bella", the Spanish-language version of "She's All I Ever Had".
