Meet the man behind that viral Puerto Rico song all over your social feeds

“First time in San Juan, mi hijo.” If you’ve scrolled through TikTok recently, you’ve likely found yourself humming these words, whether you wanted to or not. Paired with images of people dancing in vibrant Hawaiian shirts, the phrase kicks off The Puerto Rico Song, a track that has become an unavoidable presence on social media platforms. What started as a simple, AI-generated piece of music created for fun has now amassed over 46,000 TikTok posts using it, along with more than 15 million streams on Spotify. The original video, posted by the track’s creator, Bill Stiteler, also known as Saxboy Billy, has received over 6.3 million views. Celebrities like Charlie Puth, Luke Combs, Sarah Hyland, and Jennifer Love Hewitt have also embraced the track, further amplifying its reach. Even the official tourism board of Puerto Rico has licensed the song for its summer advertising campaign, including an official music video. Bill Stiteler, a content creator based in Pittsburgh, initially developed the song as part of his broader work creating travel-related content. In 2024, he followed the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team on their road trips and noticed that his audience was more engaged with the travel clips than the sports coverage. To enhance his content, he turned to the AI music platform Suno, which allowed him to generate “easily digestible and funny travel content.” Over the course of two years, he produced several tracks, but none gained traction quite like The Puerto Rico Song. Stiteler explained that the lyrics came directly from his personal experiences during a trip to Puerto Rico. “The lyrics just came from me looking back at my notes and footage of my trip to Puerto Rico,” he said. “I had zero idea that this one would do as well as it did. Zero. How could anyone have seen this coming? This is insanity.” The song paints a vivid picture of a traveler’s first experience in Puerto Rico, describing moments like clapping on the plane upon arrival and taking a bus to Caguas. Its upbeat, catchy nature made it appealing to a wide audience, though Stiteler admits he never anticipated the level of attention it would receive. The track’s rapid rise to fame was unexpected. Within days of its release in April, it became a staple on TikTok, with users and celebrities alike using it for lip-syncing, singing, and choreographed dance routines. Stiteler expressed particular excitement when the boy band O-Town joined the trend, calling it a moment that resonated deeply with him as a 37-year-old fan of millennial-era music. Beyond the celebrity endorsements, he was equally thrilled to see local venues like a roller rink in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and a public library in Hoover, Alabama, adopt the song and gain visibility through it. Despite its massive popularity, Stiteler remains unsure why The Puerto Rico Song struck such a chord with audiences. He believes it might be due to the positive, unfiltered portrayal of his time in Puerto Rico, contrasting with his often critical view of mainland American cities. “People seem to have been drawn to the sheer positivity of the tune, especially given the current state of the world,” he noted. Experts suggest that the song’s success aligns with patterns observed in other viral hits. For example, the clip featuring Abcdfu propelled a young artist named Gayle into the spotlight, leading to a record deal with Atlantic Records. Similarly, Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road gained much of its initial traction through TikTok. According to Dr. Brittany Ferdinands, a lecturer in digital content creation, songs with strong hooks and repetitive structures tend to perform better on algorithms because they are easily reused as soundbites. This insight underscores the growing influence of social media platforms in shaping musical trends. As The Puerto Rico Song continues to dominate playlists and TikTok trends, its impact extends beyond mere entertainment. It highlights the evolving role of AI in music creation and the unpredictable power of social media in launching new artists and tracks. With the song now officially endorsed by Puerto Rico’s tourism board, its journey from a casual project to a global phenomenon seems far from over.