Lionel Messi enjoys listening to “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” a song by Selena. (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage)
Lionel Messi's taste in music became known. His playlist on Apple Music was released, revealing a special appeal for the Mexican region. And not only that. The Argentinian star also counts it as one of his favorite songs Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, A success for Selena.
Messi was seven years old when the album Amor Prohibido was released in 1994. This album contained 10 songs, some of which stood out Bidi Bidi Bom Bom like track number 7. It was one of the five songs that sounded like singles and became a hit along with Amor Prohibido, No Me Quema Más, Techno Cumbia and Photos and Memories.
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom is catchy and danceable and drew attention with another detail: It was Selena's debut as a songwriter. In this case, it was co-authored with Pete Astudillo. It is a song that came about by chance but turned out to be a rhythmic and moving anthem for lovers.
During a rehearsal before a concert, musicians AB Quintanilla and Chris Pérez played their instruments to test the sound. It was a routine exercise. Selena integrated her voice for the chorus and began to say the phrase Itty Bitty Bubbles. These words were merely an improvised verse that served as a prologue to the text in English that said, “If I had one wish, I would like to be a fish and swim.”
This dynamic continued throughout the preparations for each show until Abraham Quintanilla, the singer's father, asked Pete Astudillo to write a song in Spanish that matched the rhythm of the chorus “Itty Bitty Bubbles.” Selena wanted to participate in the composition by participating in the lyrics. In fact, the anecdote is mentioned in the series produced by Netflix.
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At the time, she was very much in love with her husband, Chris Pérez. Her infatuation motivated her to suggest lines like “…” “Every time, every time I hear him speak, my legs shake and so does my heart.” In the meantime, Astudillo refined the rhythm and melody.
The duo's work resulted in the final version of Bidi Bidi Bom Bom. It was suggested that the song be included on Selena's final album. She and AB Quintanilla suggested that the song should be the first single promoting Amor Prohibido, but the label thought it best to release the song that bore the album's name.
The video clip was produced with a simple story that addresses the concept of falling in love without depth. The priority was to show the harmony and collectivity that this creates with the aim of spreading the joy of singing and dancing.
The entire album was a commercial success, which became even worse after the singer's murder. During her lifetime, Selena managed to confirm that the album stayed at number 1 for 78 weeks. After his death and in response to the demand for an edition for Anglo-Saxon audiences, The English version was published posthumously in 1995.
Today, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom is a hit song performed by various artists of different genres. Ángela Aguilar, for example, took it up again in 2019 to try her hand at pop. Alejandra Guzmán and Jennifer López also sang it. Mexican cinema resorted to the song to add it to the soundtrack of the musical La Usurpadora and it was sung by Alan Estrada.
30 years after being one of the most listened to songs on US Latin radio and Mexican radio, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom is part of Lionel Messi's playlist. It is one of his favorite songs and is most frequently repeated. Together with Rihanna (with Don't Stop the Music) and Celia Cruz (with La vida es un carnival), based on their playlist, Selena is one of the world champion's favorite artists.
