Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his
discography
Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...
spanning
Latin pop
Latin pop (in Spanish and in Portuguese: Pop latino) is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. Originating in Spanish-speaking musicians, Latin po ...
,
pop,
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American Hip hop m ...
, and
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
A ...
genres. Dubbed the "
King of Latin Pop", the "King of Latin Music", and the "Latin Pop God", he is regarded as one of the most influential artists in the world. Born in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to:
Places Argentina
* San Juan Province, Argentina
* San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province
* San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province
* San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
, Martin began appearing in television commercials at age nine and began his musical career at twelve, as a member of Puerto Rican boy band
Menudo. He began his solo career in 1991 while in
Sony Music Mexico
Sony Music Entertainment Mexico is a Mexican record label, and the regional Sony Music subsidiary in Mexico. It is one of the most important labels in Mexico along with Universal Music Mexico and Warner Music Mexico.
History
CBS Records and ...
, gaining recognition in Latin America with the release of his first two studio albums, ''
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
'' (1991) and ''
Me Amaras'' (1993), both of which were focused on
ballads
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
.
Martin's third album, ''
A Medio Vivir
''A Medio Vivir'' ( en, Half Living) is the third studio album by the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, released by Sony Music and Columbia on September 12, 1995 (US).
Commercial performance
The album has sold over three million copies, worldw ...
'' (1995), helped him rise to prominence in European countries. The chart-topping single "
María", incorporated a mixture of
Latin music
Latin music (Portuguese language, Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America (including Music of Spain, Spain and Portuguese music, Portugal) ...
genres and became his first international hit. His international success was further solidified with his fourth album, ''
Vuelve'' (1998). The album, which earned Martin his first
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
, spawned chart-topping hits "
Vuelve" and "
La Copa de la Vida
"The Cup of Life" (Spanish: "La Copa de la Vida") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fourth studio album, '' Vuelve'' (1998). Martin created the song after FIFA requested of him an anthem. The song was written by Lui ...
". Martin performed the latter at the
41st Annual Grammy Awards
The 41st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1999, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1998. Lauryn Hill received the most nominations with 10, setting a record for the most no ...
, which was greeted with a massive standing ovation and is known as a game-changer for Latin music worldwide. His first English album, ''
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
'' (1999) became his first US
''Billboard'' 200 number one. The
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
"
Livin' la Vida Loca
"Livin' la Vida Loca" () is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Ricky Martin'' (1999). The song was written by Draco Rosa and Desmond Child, while the production was handl ...
" is considered to be Martin's biggest hit, topping both the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Martin's success in the late 1990s is generally seen as the beginning of the "Latin explosion". He has been credited for propelling the Latin pop music genre to mainstream recognition, paving the way for a large number of Latin artists to achieve global success.
Martin has since established his status as a
pop icon
A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...
and a
sex symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive.Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor to ...
, releasing several successful albums, including
all-time Latin bestsellers ''
Almas del Silencio
''Almas del Silencio'' (English: ''Souls from the Silence'') is the seventh studio album and fifth Spanish language album recorded by Puerto Rican performer Ricky Martin. This is the first Spanish album release since 1998's '' Vuelve''. It was ...
'' (2003) and ''
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' (2006), as well as Grammy Award winner ''
A Quien Quiera Escuchar
''A Quien Quiera Escuchar'' (''To Those Who Want to Listen'') is the sixth Spanish album and tenth studio album by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on February 10, 2015, through Sony Music Latin. It won the Grammy Award for Best ...
'' (2015). He has also amassed many successful singles and chart-topper hits, including "
She Bangs
"She Bangs" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his sixth studio album, ''Sound Loaded'' (2000). The song was written by Desmond Child, Walter Afanasieff, and Draco Rosa, while the production was handled by Afanasieff a ...
", "
Nobody Wants to Be Lonely
"Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin from his sixth studio album, ''Sound Loaded'' (2000). Martin re-recorded the song along with American singer Christina Aguilera in December 2000. The album version was wri ...
", "
Tal Vez
"Tal Vez" () is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his seventh studio album, ''Almas del Silencio'' (2003). The song was written by Venezuelan singer-songwriter Franco De Vita, while the production was handled by Tommy Tor ...
", "
Tu Recuerdo", "
La Mordidita
"La Mordidita" ( en, "The Nibble") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, featuring Cuban singer Yotuel Romero, from his tenth studio album, ''A Quien Quiera Escuchar'' (2015). It was released on April 21, 2015 through Sony Mus ...
", "
Vente Pa' Ca
"Vente Pa' Ca" () is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, featuring a guest appearance from Colombian singer Maluma. It was written by Justin Stein, Martin, Maluma, Nermin Harambašić, Anne Judith Wik, Carl Ryden, CheifOne, Mau ...
", and "
Canción Bonita
"Canción Bonita" () is a song recorded by Colombian singer Carlos Vives and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for Vives' sixteenth studio album, ''Cumbiana II''. It was written by Andrés Torres, Rafa Arcaute, Martin, Vives, and Mauricio Rengif ...
". As an actor, Martin gained popularity and stardom for his role in the hit
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
'' (1994–1996), while his portrayal of
Antonio D'Amico
Antonio D'Amico (20 January 1959 – 6 December 2022) was an Italian fashion designer and model.
Biography
D'Amico was born in Mesagne, in the Italian province of Brindisi, and later lived in Milan. He was hired as a part-time office admini ...
in ''
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story'' (2018) marked the acting opportunity of his career, garnering him an
Emmy
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination. He also starred as
Ché in the
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
revival of the musical ''
Evita Evita may refer to:
Arts
* Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name
* Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron
* Evita (album), ''E ...
'' in 2012, which broke the theater's box-office sales record seven times.
Martin is one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time, having sold over 70 million records worldwide. He has scored 11 ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Latin Songs
The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart rankings are based on digital sales, rad ...
number-one songs, and won over 200 awards (most awarded male Latin artist), including two Grammy Awards, five
Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
, five
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
(tied for most wins by a Latin artist), two
American Music Awards
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...
, three
Latin American Music Awards
The Latin American Music Awards (Latin AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by the MRC Live and Alternative. It is the Spanish-language counterpart of the American Music Awards (AMAs). As with AMAs, the Latin AMAs are determine ...
, three
''Billboard'' Music Awards, nine
''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards, eight
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world's ...
, fourteen
Lo Nuestro Awards
The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro (Spanish for "Our Thing") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by Univision, a Spanish-language television network based in the United States. The awards began in ...
, a ''
Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'', and a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
. He is ranked among the Greatest Latin Artists of All Time, the Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time, and the Most Influential Latin Artists of All Time by ''Billboard''. His philanthropy and activism focus on
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
and fighting against
human trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
; in 2004, he founded The Ricky Martin Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that focuses on denouncing human trafficking and educating about the crime's existence.
Early life
![San Juan, Puerto Rico (2529298606)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/San_Juan%2C_Puerto_Rico_%282529298606%29.jpg)
Enrique Martín Morales was born on December 24, 1971, in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the jur ...
.
His mother, Doña Nereida Morales, is a former accountant; his father, Enrique Martín Negroni, is a former psychologist who previously worked as a regional supervisor for a Puerto Rican mental-health agency.
His parents divorced when he was two years old, and although his mother had
custody of Martin, he could also move freely between his father's house in the middle-class suburb of University Gardens in San Juan, and his paternal grandmother's house nearby. In an interview with ''
People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'', he told the magazine that he "never had to make decisions" about who he loved more, and he was "always happy". Martin has two older maternal half-brothers, Fernando and Ángel Fernández, two younger paternal half-brothers, Eric and Daniel Martín, and a younger paternal half-sister, Vanessa Martín.
Martin has
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
heritage of
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
and
Canarian
Canary Islanders, or Canarians ( es, canarios), are a Romance people and ethnic group. They reside on the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain near the coast of northwest Africa, and descend from a mixture of European settlers and abor ...
descent. As he explained to ''
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
'', the Martins traveled from Spain to Puerto Rico in 1779. He also has some
Corsican origin through his paternal grandmother.
Martin grew up
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. The people closest to him called him "Kiki" (a nickname that comes from Enrique). He began singing at age six, using wooden kitchen spoons as make-believe microphones; he often sang songs by Puerto Rican boy band
Menudo, as well as English-language
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
groups such as
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
Journey
Journey or journeying may refer to:
* Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations
** Day's journey, a measurement of distance
** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road
Animals
* Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...
, and
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon) is an American rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial success throughout the 1980s. The ...
. His mother's side of the family was musically inclined and his maternal grandfather was a poet. Martin later reflected on his time spent with his family as a child: "Every time I find myself in front of an audience, be it twenty people or one hundred thousand, once again I feel the energy that consumed me back at the family gatherings of my youth." He attended Colegio Sagrado Corazón, a bilingual Catholic grade school in University Gardens since fourth grade and was an "average" student there. When he was nine years old, he began appearing in television commercials for products such as soft drinks, toothpaste, and fast food restaurants, most notably
Orange Crush
Crush is a brand of carbonated soft drinks owned and marketed internationally by Keurig Dr Pepper, originally created as an orange soda, Orange Crush. Crush competes with Coca-Cola's Fanta. It was created in 1911 by beverage and extract chemist ...
and
Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
. In a year and a half, he starred in 11 commercials.
Career
1983–1989: Menudo
After achieving moderate fame in his country for his appearances in television commercials, Martin auditioned for membership in Menudo.
Formed in Puerto Rico in 1977, Menudo members were usually replaced when they hit 16 in order to keep the band "full of fresh-faced members".
Although the executives enjoyed his dancing and singing at his first two auditions, Martin was rejected because he was too short. By the third audition, his persistence impressed executives, and in 1984, 12-year-old Martin became a member. A month after joining Menudo, he made his debut performance with the group at the
Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in San Juan. During this performance, he inadvertently disobeyed the choreography by walking around the stage, when it was planned that he would stay still, and was chastised by the band manager after the show: "The mistake was such a big deal that from that moment on, never again did I move when I wasn't supposed to move. That was the discipline of Menudo: You either did things the way you were told or you were not part of the group." Although Martin enjoyed traveling and performing onstage with Menudo, he found the band's busy schedule and strict management exhausting, and later reflected that the experience "cost" him his childhood. Despite this, Martin acknowledged his "opportunity to have so many amazing experiences with so many amazing people" during his time with the group.
During his time with Menudo, he became a "key-member of the group" and a "fan-favorite",
while the band released 11 albums, including the
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
-nominated ''
Evolución'' () (1984) and their highest-charting and longest-running album on the US
''Billboard'' 200, ''
Menudo'' (1985). The former featured Martin's debut
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, "Rayo de Luna" () and the latter included the hit single "
Hold Me".
"Hold Me" became the group's first and only entry on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 62. It was ranked among the "100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time" by ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'', the "75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time" by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', and the "30 Best Boy Band Songs" by ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
''.
Besides the musical career, Martin appeared with other members of Menudo in the American
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
/
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...
television series, ''
The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pac ...
'' (1985),
and the Argentine
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
, ''Por Siempre Amigos'' (1987).
He also developed an interest in philanthropy when the group became
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
ambassadors, often working with impoverished children in third world countries. His experiences as an ambassador affected him greatly and inspired him to continue working with charities later in his life.
Finally, Martin left the band in July 1989, at age 17, hoping to rest and evaluate his career path;
he stayed a few extra months after his "age-mandated retirement" came around.
He performed his final show with the group at the same venue where he had performed his first performance as a member.
Referred to as the "Most Iconic Latino Pop Music Band", Menudo was ranked as one of the Biggest Boy Bands of All Time by ''
Us Weekly
''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...
'' in 2021. The group has sold around 20 million records worldwide, and has been acknowledged as the "Most Successful Latin Boy Band of All Time" by ''Billboard''. Martin returned to Puerto Rico to "get a break from the pressures of the group, the promotional tours, and the constant stress of work", but although his parents' divorce had not affected him before, suddenly began to affect him; his parents "began fighting more than ever" and they were forcing him to "choose between the two people in the world" he loved most. As he understood they did this because they loved him and wanted the best for him, he "forgave all of the pain and anger they caused" him. He graduated from the high school, and 13 days after turning 18, he moved to New York City to celebrate his financial independence; since he was a minor during his time with Menudo, Martin was not allowed to access his own bank accounts.
1990–1994: Acting and first solo albums
Martin was accepted into
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
's
Tisch School of the Arts
The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University.
Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...
in 1990, but before classes began, his friend invited him to Mexico City. He attended the musical comedy play, ''Mama Ama el Rock'' () there, and was offered to stay and replace one of the actors. He accepted the offer, dropped out the university and moved from New York to Mexico City to perform in the play. While he was performing onstage in ''Mama Ama el Rock'', a producer in the audience took notice of Martin's acting and offered him a role in the Mexican
telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...
''
Alcanzar una estrella'' () (1990). Martin also joined the cast for the second season of the show, titled ''
Alcanzar una estrella II
''Alcanzar una estrella II'' (English title: ''To reach a star II'') is a Mexican telenovela produced by Luis de Llano Macedo for Televisa in 1991. It is the sequel to '' Alcanzar una estrella''.
Sasha Sokol, Ricky Martin, Angélica Rivera, Erik ...
'' (1991). A film based on the TV series, titled ''Más que alcanzar una estrella'' () (1992), was also produced in which Martin starred, and earned him an
El Heraldo Award for his role.
A
Sony Discos
Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC (often referred to as Sony Music Latin) is a record label owned by Sony Music. The label focuses on artists of Latin music.
History
In 1979, CBS Records (now Columbia Records) ended its partnership with ...
executive noticed Martin's acting in the soap operas and offered him his first solo music recording contract. Eager to record his first solo album and hustled by the executive, Martin signed the contract without reading its conditions and inadvertently signed a deal in which he would only be paid one cent for each album sold! Despite viewing the contract as unfair, Martin referred to the record as "the start of something phenomenal" for him. After working "around the clock" to finish filming ''Alcanzar una estrella II'' and recording music,
he released his debut solo album, ''
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
'', on November 26, 1991.
The album peaked at number five on the US ''Billboard''
Latin Pop Albums
Latin Pop Albums is a record chart published on ''Billboard'' magazine. It features Latin music
Latin music ( Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from ...
chart and spent a total of 41 weeks on the list.
It sold over 500,000 copies worldwide, was certified gold in several countries,
and spawned his first solo hit singles, "
Fuego Contra Fuego" (), "
El Amor de Mi Vida
EL, El or el may refer to:
Religion
* El (deity), a Semitic word for "God"
People
* EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer
* El DeBarge, music artist
* El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...
" (), and "
Dime Que Me Quieres" ().
Both "Fuego Contra Fuego" and "El Amor de Mi Vida" reached the top 10 on the US ''Billboard''
Hot Latin Tracks
The ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs (formerly Hot Latin Tracks and Hot Latin 50) is a record chart in the United States for Latin songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Since October 2012, chart rankings are based on digital sales, rad ...
.
To promote the album, Martin embarked on a successful Latin American tour, breaking
box office
A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...
records,
which the singer referred to as "an indescribable feeling, almost like coming home".
After the success of ''Ricky Martin'' and its subsequent tour, Martin's record company met him with the Spanish musician
Juan Carlos Calderón
Juan Carlos Calderón López de Arróyabe (7 July 1938 – 25 November 2012) was a Spanish singer-songwriter and musician.
Born in Santander, he was the author of "Eres tú", which, performed by Mocedades, came second in the Eurovision Song Con ...
to work on his second studio album, ''
Me Amaras'' () (1993). Although Martin felt "very grateful" for the opportunity to work with Calderón, he noted, "I always felt that that record was more his than mine."
The album sold over one million copies worldwide and was certified triple-platinum in Chile.
In 1994, Martin's agent encouraged him to move to Los Angeles to act in an American sitcom called ''
Getting By
Receiving may refer to:
* ''Kabbalah'', "receiving" in Hebrew
* Receiving department (or receiving dock), in a distribution center
* Receiving house, a theater
* Receiving line, in a wedding reception
* Receiving mark, postmark
* Receiving partn ...
''. The show was canceled after two seasons, but soon afterward, Martin was given the role of Miguel Morez on the popular hit soap opera ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...
''; Morez, a bartender and singer, known for his long and flowing hair, was a Puerto Rican citizen hiding in the United States from his lover's
criminal mastermind
A crime boss, also known as a crime lord, Don, gang lord, gang boss, mob boss, kingpin, godfather, crime mentor or criminal mastermind, is a person in charge of a criminal organization.
Description
A crime boss typically has absolute or nearl ...
father and created a
love triangle
A love triangle or eternal triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with so ...
with his fiancé Lily Rivera and Brenda. Martin portrayed the role for two years and gained huge popularity and stardom, becoming "one of the most-talked about actors on the soap opera". Despite this, Martin felt he lacked chemistry with the rest of the ''General Hospital'' cast and observed that people treated him differently because of his Puerto Rican accent. At the time, it was relatively uncommon for Latin actors to appear on American television, and people suggested that he take accent reduction classes, which he refused.
1995–1997: Breakthrough with ''A Medio Vivir''
![Ricky Martin Viña 1996](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Ricky_Martin_Vi%C3%B1a_1996.jpg)
In 1995, Martin refocused on his music career, and began working on his third studio album, ''
A Medio Vivir
''A Medio Vivir'' ( en, Half Living) is the third studio album by the Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, released by Sony Music and Columbia on September 12, 1995 (US).
Commercial performance
The album has sold over three million copies, worldw ...
'' ().
The album was released in September 1995, and became a huge success; it sold over three million copies or even seven million copies worldwide, according to different sources, being certified gold in the United States,
platinum in France,
4× platinum in Spain,
as well as many other certifications in Latin American countries.
It spawned several successful hits, including "
Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo
"Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo" () is a song performed by Puerto Rican-American recording artist Ricky Martin for his third studio album, ''A Medio Vivir'' (1995). The song was written by Carlos Lara, while the production was handled by K.C. P ...
" (), "
María", and "
Volverás" ().
On "María", which was released as the second single from the album,
Martin allowed himself "to go into a very
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
,
African
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
sound". He created a mix of different Latin music genres instead of singing a romantic
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
, the style that he focused on it in his first two albums, while
Latin pop
Latin pop (in Spanish and in Portuguese: Pop latino) is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. Originating in Spanish-speaking musicians, Latin po ...
music in general was mainly made up of it at the time. Although Martin was satisfied with the track and he describes it as a song that he is "extremely proud of", the first time he played it for a record label executive, the man said: "Are you crazy? You have ruined your career! I can't believe you are showing me this. You're finished — this is going to be your last album."
Despite this, the track became Martin's breakthrough song and his first international hit.
It topped the charts in 20 countries, and has sold over five million physical copies worldwide.
As a result, the song was featured in the 1999 edition of ''
The Guinness Book of Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the biggest Latin hit.
In Australia, "María" spent six weeks at number one, topped the country's year-end chart in 1998, and was certified platinum. The song also spent nine weeks at number one in France, and was certified diamond,
selling over 1.4 million copies there.
Additionally, the track reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom,
and became Martin's first entry on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.
To promote ''A Medio Vivir'', he embarked on the worldwide A Medio Vivir Tour, that lasted for more than two years, through which he performed 63 shows and visited Europe, Latin America and the United States. During an interview with ''
The Miami Herald
The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami.[Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...]
. In a few days, he received a phone call from producer
Richard Jay-Alexander
Richard Jay-Alexander (born May 24, 1953) is an American Broadway producer and director. He served as Executive Director of the New York City office of producer Cameron Mackintosh for twelve years, known for productions including ''Les Misérable ...
, and was offered the role of
Marius Pontmercy
Marius Pontmercy () is a fictional character, one of the protagonists of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. He is a young student, and the suitor of Cosette. Believing Cosette lost to him, and determined to die, he joins the revolutio ...
in the play ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
''. After the conclusion of the A Medio Vivir Tour in Latin America, Martin returned to New York to appear in the play in an eleven-week run. He greatly enjoyed the experience, calling his time in the play an "honor" and "the role of
islife". Martin continued to tour after the conclusion of the show's run, and noted that his audiences were growing in both size and enthusiasm.
1998–1999: ''Vuelve''
While the A Medio Vivir Tour had not been concluded yet, Martin returned to the studio to record his fourth album ''
Vuelve'' (). He called the experience of touring and recording at the same time "brutal and incredibly intense". As he was finishing the record in 1997, "María" caught the attention of
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
. They contacted Martin and asked him to create a
song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
as the
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...
anthem. He stated about the request: "I have to admit that the challenge made me a bit nervous, but the massive growth potential for my career was such that I decided to accept." Following his acceptance, musicians
K.C. Porter,
Robi Rosa
Draco Cornelius Rosa Suárez (; born Robert Edward Rosa Suárez, June 27, 1969), also known as Draco Rosa, Robi Draco Rosa or simply Robi or Draco, is a Puerto Rican singer, musician, songwriter and entrepreneur.
Rosa originally garnered fame ...
, and
Desmond Child
John Charles Barrett (born October 28, 1953), known professionally as Desmond Child, is an American songwriter and producer. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008.
His hits as a songwriter include Kiss's "I Was Made for Lovi ...
joined him and they started working on a song titled "
La Copa de la Vida
"The Cup of Life" (Spanish: "La Copa de la Vida") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fourth studio album, '' Vuelve'' (1998). Martin created the song after FIFA requested of him an anthem. The song was written by Lui ...
" (English: "The Cup of Life"). Martin wrote about the recording:
"La Copa de la Vida" was included on ''Vuelve'', released February 12, 1998. The album became a huge success; it sold over eight million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling Spanish-language album in history, according to his label.
Also, some sources have reported the album's sales as six million copies worldwide. It spent 26 weeks atop the US
''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart and was certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA).
In Canada, the album peaked at number three and was certified double platinum.
''Vuelve'' spawned big hits, including the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may al ...
, "La Copa de la Vida", "
Perdido Sin Ti" (), and "
La Bomba" (). "La Copa de la Vida" grew to be an international success, appearing on the charts in more than 60 countries,
and reaching number one in 30 countries, Both "Vuelve" and "Perdido Sin Ti" peaked at number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks chart; the former also reached number one in eight countries.
On July 12, 1998, Martin performed "La Copa de la Vida" as the official anthem at the
1998 FIFA World Cup Final in France, in front of more than a billion TV viewers around the world.
To promote ''Vuelve'', Martin embarked on the worldwide Vuelve Tour; he performed in Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico, South America, and the United States. Although Latin music was not important to
the Recording Academy
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...
or the mainstream music industry at the time, Tommy Mottola, then-chief of
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
, was certain about Martin's stardom and pushed hard to have him on the
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
ceremony. During an interview with ''Billboard'', Mottola told the magazine about it: "There was tremendous resistance from the Grammys. They did not want an 'unknown' to perform, yet we he had already sold 10 million copies of ''Vuelve'' worldwide. To me, that was absolutely UNACCEPTABLE." Finally, on February 24, 1999, cavorting with a 15-piece band alongside and a large number of dancers and percussionists, Martin performed a bilingual version of "La Copa de La Vida" at the
41st Annual Grammy Awards
The 41st Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 24, 1999, at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1998. Lauryn Hill received the most nominations with 10, setting a record for the most no ...
, which was greeted with a massive standing ovation and met with acclaim from music critics.
At the same night, ''Vuelve'' earned Martin his first Grammy award, for
Best Latin Pop Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Latin pop genre. Honors i ...
.
1999–2000: Crossover to English
In October 1998,
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
confirmed that Martin has been working on his first English language album, following the huge success of ''Vuelve''. The album was titled ''
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
'' and was released on May 11, 1999, two weeks ahead of schedule, because of the huge interest in the disc, following Martin's performance at the Grammy Awards. Tim Devin, the general manager of
Tower Records
Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Records ...
stated about Martin: "He's always been one of our strongest Latin artists, but interest in him has picked up considerably since that performance."
''Ricky Martin'' debuted atop the US ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 661,000 copies, becoming the largest sales week by any album in 1999.
It also broke the record as the largest first-week sales for any
pop or Latin artist in history, as well as any Columbia Records artist during the SoundScan era.
With this album, Martin became the first male Latin act in history to debut at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart. It was certified 7× platinum by RIAA, denoting shipments of over seven million copies in the US and breaking the record as the best-selling album by a Latin artist in the country.
Only within three months, ''Ricky Martin'' became the best-selling album ever by a Latin artist.
According to different sources, the album has sold over 15 million copies or even 17 million copies worldwide.
It was nominated for
Best Pop Album at the
42nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 42nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1999. Nominations were announced on January 4, 2000. Santana was the main r ...
.
![Ricky Martin Livin la Vida Loca Tour](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Ricky_Martin_Livin_la_Vida_Loca_Tour.jpg)
The album's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
"
Livin' la Vida Loca
"Livin' la Vida Loca" () is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Ricky Martin'' (1999). The song was written by Draco Rosa and Desmond Child, while the production was handl ...
" () topped the charts in more than 20 countries and is considered to be Martin's biggest hit, and one of the best-selling singles of all time.
In the United States, it topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks, becoming Martin's first number one single on the chart.
Additionally, it broke several records on ''Billboard'' charts.
It also spent eight consecutive weeks atop the Canada Top Singles chart and topped the country's year-end chart. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number one and stayed there for three weeks, making Martin the first Puerto Rican artist in history to hit number one.
The track was ranked as the best '90s pop song by ''
Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', and was listed among the Best Latin Songs of All Time by ''Billboard''. It was nominated for four categories at the
42nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 42nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1999. Nominations were announced on January 4, 2000. Santana was the main r ...
, including
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and
Song of the Year.
Its Spanish version reached the summit of the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks chart, and was nominated for
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
at the
1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center on Wednesday, September 13, 2000. The big winners were Luis Miguel, Santana and Maná with 3 awards; Juan Luis Guerra, Shakira, Fito Páez and Emilio Estefan Jr. r ...
. "She's All I Ever Had" was released as the second single from the album in June 1999. It peaked at numbers two and three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Canada Top Singles charts, respectively.
The Spanish version, "Bella" () topped the charts in five countries, as well as ''Billboard''s Hot Latin Tracks chart.
To further promote ''Ricky Martin'', he embarked on the worldwide
Livin' la Vida Loca Tour
The Livin' La Vida Loco World Tour was the first major world concert tour by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin to support his first English-language album ''Ricky Martin''. The tour started in October 1999 and continued until October 2000.
The to ...
, which was the highest-grossing tour of 2000 by a Latin artist in the US.
2000–2005: ''Sound Loaded'', ''Almas del Silencio'', and ''Life''
While the Livin' la Vida Loca Tour had not been concluded yet, Martin returned to the studio to record his sixth studio album, ''
Sound Loaded
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
''.
The album was released on November 14, 2000. It debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 318,000 copies.
The album has sold over seven million copies or even eight million copies worldwide, according to different sources,
being certified double platinum in the US.
The album featured two hit singles, "
She Bangs
"She Bangs" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his sixth studio album, ''Sound Loaded'' (2000). The song was written by Desmond Child, Walter Afanasieff, and Draco Rosa, while the production was handled by Afanasieff a ...
" and "
Nobody Wants to Be Lonely
"Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin from his sixth studio album, ''Sound Loaded'' (2000). Martin re-recorded the song along with American singer Christina Aguilera in December 2000. The album version was wri ...
". The former reached number one in seven countries, including Italy and Sweden, as well as the top five in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. It was nominated for
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a male in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The award wen ...
at the
43rd Annual Grammy Awards
The 43rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 21, 2001, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Several artists earned three awards on the night. Steely Dan's haul included Album of the Year for ''Two Against Nature''. U2 took ...
.
The Spanish-language version of "She Bangs" reached the summit of the Hot Latin Tracks chart and won the
Latin Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the
2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The winners of the Second Annual Latin Grammy Awards were announced during a press conference on Tuesday, October 30, 2001 at the Conga Room in Los Angeles, California. The conference, which was broadcast live on the internet, was hosted by Jimmy ...
.
"Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was re-recorded along with American singer Christina Aguilera, peaking at number one in five countries, as well as the top five in Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, among others. It was nominated for
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers c ...
at the
44th Annual Grammy Awards
The 44th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 27, 2002 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The main recipient was Alicia Keys, winning five Grammys, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for " Fallin'". U2 won four ...
.
The solo Spanish version, entitled "Sólo Quiero Amarte" topped the Hot Latin Tracks chart.
Both "She Bangs" and "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" are certified silver in the UK. In February 2001, Martin released a Spanish compilation album entitled ''
La Historia'' (), which spent five weeks at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart,
topped the charts in Argentina and Sweden, and was certified quadruple Latin platinum in the United States.
![Ricky Martin Cold Mountain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Ricky_Martin_Cold_Mountain.jpg)
Following the success of ''Ricky Martin'' and ''Sound Loaded'', he initially planned to release the third English-language album as his seventh studio album, which was supposed to be his first complete work in the field of songwriting. Despite Sony Music Entertainment's original plan, he decided to release a Spanish-language album: "I woke up five months ago, and I said 'We're doing an album in Spanish.' Everyone went nuts. They said, 'You don't have time; you have to release an album in English because of timing issues with your career.' And that's fine. But I told them, 'In five months, you'll have a kick-ass album'
n Spanish
N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...
Martin's seventh studio album, ''
Almas del Silencio
''Almas del Silencio'' (English: ''Souls from the Silence'') is the seventh studio album and fifth Spanish language album recorded by Puerto Rican performer Ricky Martin. This is the first Spanish album release since 1998's '' Vuelve''. It was ...
'' () was released in May 2003. It debuted atop the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart with first-week sales of 65,000 copies, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, breaking the record as the largest first-week sales for a Spanish-language album in the US. The album also debuted at number 12 on ''Billboard'' 200, tying the 2002 album, ''
Quizás'' () as the chart's highest Spanish-language debut. The album also debuted at number one in "at least 13 Latin American markets" and sold over two million copies worldwide.
''Almas del Silencio'' spawned three Hot Latin Tracks chart-topper hits: "
Tal Vez
"Tal Vez" () is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for his seventh studio album, ''Almas del Silencio'' (2003). The song was written by Venezuelan singer-songwriter Franco De Vita, while the production was handled by Tommy Tor ...
" (), "
Jaleo", and "
Y Todo Queda en Nada
"Y Todo Queda en Nada" (English: ''And Everything Will Remain in Nothing'') is a ballad performed by the Puerto Rican-American recording artist Ricky Martin, taken from his seventh studio album and fifth made in Spanish ''Almas del Silencio'' (20 ...
" ().
"Tal Vez" debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks chart on the week of April 12, 2003, marking the first
number one debut since February 1998, and becoming the sixth song overall in the chart's history to do so. It spent a total of 11 weeks at this position, surpassing "Livin' la Vida Loca" as Martin's longest number-one single on the chart, and was the longest-running number one of 2003. It also topped the charts in several Latin American markets. In October 2005, Martin released his third English album, ''
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
''. He commented on the album: "I was really in touch with my emotions. I think this album is very multi-layered, just like life is. It's about feeling anger. It's about feeling joy. It's about feeling uncertainty. It's about feeling. And all my emotions are part of this production". To promote ''Life'', Martin embarked on the worldwide
One Night Only with Ricky Martin
One Night Only with Ricky Martin (also known as Una Noche con Ricky Martin) was the worldwide Concert, concert tour by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, in support of his 2005 album ''Life (Ricky Martin album), Life''. The tour visited the Americ ...
tour.
2006–2012: ''MTV Unplugged'', ''Música + Alma + Sexo'', and ''Evita''
Although Martin's team and
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
had discussed an ''
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' for years, but it became more serious after Martin's the One Night Only tour, which featured an
acoustic segment. Finally, Martin taped his ''MTV Unplugged'' set in Miami in August 2006, performing both romantic ballads and up-tempo
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
songs.
During the performance, he debuted three new tracks, including "
Tu Recuerdo" (), which was released to radio stations as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
from his debut live album ''
MTV Unplugged
''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' (2006).
The album debuted at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart and sold over two million copies worldwide, marking his highest-certified album in Mexico.
It won two Latin Grammy awards and was nominated for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
.
"Tu Recuerdo" reached number one in five countries, as well as the ''Billboard''s Hot Latin Songs and Latin Pop Airplay charts.
The track was certified quadruple platinum in Mexico and was nominated for Record of the Year at the
8th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The 8th Annual Latin Grammy Awards took place on Thursday, November 8, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show aired on Univision. Juan Luis Guerra was the night's big winner, winning 5 awards including Album of th ...
.
The artist then embarked on the
Black and White Tour in 2007, including four sold-out shows at the
José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum
The Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (English language, English: ''José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico'') is the biggest indoor arena in Puerto Rico dedicated to entertainment. It is located at the Milla de Oro, Golden Mile ...
in Puerto Rico. The concerts in Puerto Rico were compiled into his second live album ''
Ricky Martin... Live Black & White Tour'' (2007). Later that year, he released his first Italian song, "
Non siamo soli
"Non siamo soli" (; en, "We Are Not Alone", link=yes) is a single by Eros Ramazzotti with the Latin singer Ricky Martin, who sang it exclusively in Italian. The song, the first single from the greatest hits of Eros Ramazzotti, '' e²'', has a se ...
" () as a duet with Italian singer
Eros Ramazzotti
Eros Walter Luciano Ramazzotti (; born 28 October 1963) is an Italian pop singer, musician and songwriter. He is popular in Italy and most European countries, and throughout the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in bo ...
.
The song debuted at number one in Italy and spent eleven consecutive weeks atop the chart.
In January 2011, Martin launched his ninth studio album, ''
Música + Alma + Sexo
Musica (Latin), or La Musica (Italian) or Música (Portuguese and Spanish) may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Musica è'', a mini album by Italian funk singer Eros Ramazzotti 1988
* ''Musica'', an album by Ghaleb 2005
* ), a German album by Giovan ...
'' (). The album debuted at number three on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, becoming the highest-charting primarily-Spanish language set since ''
Dreaming of You'' (1995) by American singer
Selena
Selena Quintanilla Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995), known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the " Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mex ...
. It holds the record as the highest-charting Latin album of the 2010s, and represents the highest-ever chart debut on the ''Billboard'' 200 for a Sony Music Latin release. ''Música + Alma + Sexo'' also peaked at number one in Argentina and Venezuela, as well as ''Billboard''s Top Latin Albums.
Its lead single, "
Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tú" (English: "The Best Thing About Me Is You") reached number one on the US ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart and was nominated for Record of the Year,
Song of the Year, and Best Short Form Music Video at the
12th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The 12th Annual Latin Grammy Awards was held on Thursday, November 10, 2011, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and was hosted by Lucero and Cristián de la Fuente. The eligibility period for recordings to be nominated is July 1, 201 ...
.
To promote the album, Martin embarked on the
Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour
The Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour (also known as the M.A.S. Tour) was the eighth concert tour by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Ricky Martin. The tour supported his ninth studio album, ''Música + Alma + Sexo'' (2011). It began with a series o ...
in 2011. In February 2012, he appeared as Spanish teacher
David Martinez on the twelfth episode of the
third season of the American musical television series ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'',
The Spanish Teacher
"The Spanish Teacher" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American musical television series ''Glee'', and the fifty-sixth overall. Written by co-creator Ian Brennan and directed by Paris Barclay, the episode aired on Fox in the U ...
.
Martin starred as
Ché in the Broadway revival of the musical ''
Evita Evita may refer to:
Arts
* Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name
* Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron
* Evita (album), ''E ...
'' from March 2012 to January 2013. The show became a hit, breaking the theatre's box-office sales record after only six performances. Since then, it broke its own record six times and was nominated for
Best Revival of a Musical at the
66th Tony Awards
The 66th Annual Tony Awards was held on June 10, 2012, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2011–2012 season. The ceremony was held at the Beacon Theatre, and was broadcast live on CBS television, with Neil Patrick Harri ...
. The show's soundtrack album debuted at number one on ''Billboard''s cast album chart.
2013–2018: ''The Voice'', ''A Quien Quiera Escuchar'', and ''The Assassination of Gianni Versace''
![Ricky Martin in store appearance, Sydney Australia (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Ricky_Martin_in_store_appearance%2C_Sydney_Australia_%281%29.jpg)
Martin served as a coach on the
second season of the Australian
singing
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
competition television series ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'' in 2013. In the same year, he released a compilation album, entitled ''
Greatest Hits: Souvenir Edition'', which reached number two in Australia, as well as a new single, entitled "
Come with Me", which debuted at number three in the country. The artist then embarked on the
Ricky Martin Live
Ricky Martin Live was the ninth concert tour by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It supported his compilation album, '' Greatest Hits: Souvenir Edition''. The tour started in Newcastle on October 3, 2013 and continued across Australia for three ...
tour in Australia in October 2013.
He continued serving as a coach on both the
third
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
and
fourth seasons of ''The Voice Australia'' in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
In 2014, Lars Brandle from ''Billboard'' stated in an article: "Through his high-profile slot on ''The Voice'', Ricky's profile in Australia has never been as big as it is right now."
On February 25, 2014,
Wisin
Juan Luis Morera Luna (; born December 19, 1978), best known as his stage name Wisin (), is a Puerto Rican reggaeton rapper, singer and record producer, best known as a member of the reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel. Wisin is noted for his unique and ...
released a song titled "
Adrenalina" () from his album ''
El Regreso del Sobreviviente
''El Regreso del Sobreviviente'' (English: ''The Return of the Survivor'') is the second studio album (first one in 10 years as a solo artist), by Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Wisin. It is the sequel to his first studio album El Sobreviviente. It ...
'' (), which featured
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
and Martin, and became the
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
's 2014
World Cup song. It received commercial success, peaking in the top-five of Bulgaria, Mexico, Spain, and ''Billboard''s Hot Latin Songs chart.
Its accompanying music video has accumulated over 850 million views on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. Later that year, Martin released his single "
Vida
Vida means “life” in Spanish and Portuguese. It may refer to:
Geography
* Vida (Gradačac), village in Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Lake Vida, Victoria Valley, Antarctica
* U.S. settled places:
** Vida, Montana
** Vida, Oregon
** Vida, Missour ...
" () for the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
. The song reached the top five in Spain and on the US Hot Latin Songs chart.
Also in 2014, he served as a coach on the
fourth season of ''
The Voice Mexico'', and embarked on the Live in Mexico tour.
In February 2015, Martin released his tenth studio album, ''
A Quien Quiera Escuchar
''A Quien Quiera Escuchar'' (''To Those Who Want to Listen'') is the sixth Spanish album and tenth studio album by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on February 10, 2015, through Sony Music Latin. It won the Grammy Award for Best ...
'' (). The album debuted at number one on ''Billboard''s Top Latin Albums chart and peaked at number one in Argentina.
It won the award for Best Latin Pop Album at the
58th Annual Grammy Awards
The 58th Annual Grammy Awards was held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The ceremony recognizes the best recordings, compositions and artists of the eligibility year, which was from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 20 ...
and Album of the Year at the
1st Latin American Music Awards.
The album spawned three Hot Latin Songs top-10 hits: "
Adiós" (), "
Disparo al Corazón
"Disparo al Corazón" ( en, "Shot to the Heart") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, released on January 13, 2015 as the second single from his Grammy Award–winning Spanish-language album, ''A Quien Quiera Escuchar'' (2015) ...
" (), and "
La Mordidita
"La Mordidita" ( en, "The Nibble") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, featuring Cuban singer Yotuel Romero, from his tenth studio album, ''A Quien Quiera Escuchar'' (2015). It was released on April 21, 2015 through Sony Mus ...
" ().
"Disparo al Corazón" was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the
16th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The 16th Annual Latin Grammy Awards were held on November 19, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise. This is the second time that Latin Grammys will be held at this location, will be broadcast live on the Univision Network from 8–11 ...
. "La Mordidita" experienced huge commercial success, being certified 15× Latin platinum in the United States.
Its accompanying music video has received over 1.2 billion views on YouTube. To promote the album, Martin embarked on the
One World Tour from 2015 to 2017.
He served as an executive producer and a judge on the American singing competition series ''
La Banda
La Banda is a city in the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina. It has about 95,000 inhabitants as per the , making it the second largest in the province. It is the head town of the Banda Department.
La Banda is located only 8 km away ...
'' (), which premiered in 2015 and 2016 on Univision. The first season was "looking for the next Latin boy band", while the second season was looking for a Latin girl band. The contestants would compete for a recording deal with Sony Music Latin and
Syco Music
Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...
.
CNCO
CNCO is a Latin American boy band based in Miami, Florida. The group consists of Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón, Christopher Vélez and Zabdiel De Jesús; former member Joel Pimentel departed the band in May 2021. They won a five-year reco ...
, known as the first boy band to make
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American Hip hop m ...
, was the winner of the first season. Martin became their manager and produced the band's debut album, ''
Primera Cita
'' Primera Cita ''is the debut studio album by Latin boy band CNCO. It was released on 26 August 2016, through Sony Music Latin. The album was the recipient for the Lo Nuestro Award for Pop Album of the Year at the 29th ceremony
Commercial per ...
'' () (2016), along with Wisin; the album debuted at number one on Top Latin Albums and featured the hit single "
Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)
"Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos)" is a song by Latin American boy band CNCO. It was released on October 7, 2016, as the third single from their debut studio album, '' Primera Cita'' (2016). The song was written by Eric Perez, Jadan Andino, Jorge Class ...
" (). CNCO opened many dates on One World Tour in 2016. In 2020,
Leila Cobo
Leila Cobo is a Colombian journalist, writer, novelist, pianist and television show host. She is noted for her coverage of Latin music for ''Billboard'' where she is currently the Chief Content Officer for Latin Music and Español, overseeing the ...
from ''Billboard'' compared the group with Menudo, noting: "Not since Menudo had a Latin boy band melted our hearts or made us dance quite like CNCO".
On September 23, 2016, Martin released a song called "
Vente Pa' Ca
"Vente Pa' Ca" () is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, featuring a guest appearance from Colombian singer Maluma. It was written by Justin Stein, Martin, Maluma, Nermin Harambašić, Anne Judith Wik, Carl Ryden, CheifOne, Mau ...
" (), featuring Colombian singer
Maluma
Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor.
Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. ...
. The song became one of the biggest Spanish-language songs of 2016,
reaching number one in seven countries, as well as ''Billboard''s
Latin Airplay
Latin Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It was established on October 20, 2012.
This chart lists the 50 most-played songs on Spanish-language radio stations across the country as monitored by Niel ...
, Latin Pop Airplay, and
Tropical Airplay
The Tropical Airplay chart (formerly known as Tropical/Salsa and Tropical Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine introduced in 1994. The first number-one song on the chart was " Quien Eres Tu" by Luis Enrique. Originally, ra ...
charts.
It also reached top five in Spain and on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs, being certified quadruple platinum in Spain and diamond in Mexico.
The track was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the
18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards was held on November 16, 2017, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It was broadcast on Univision at 8PM ET\PT. This marked the tenth year Las Vegas hosts the Latin Grammy Awards and also marked the tele ...
. The accompanying music video has received over 1.75 billion views on YouTube. Martin signed a
concert residency
A concert residency (also known as musical residency or simply residency) is a series of concerts, similar to a concert tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countrie ...
, named
All In, to perform at the
Monte Carlo Resort and Casino
The Park MGM, formerly Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, is a megaresort hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel, with a height of , has 32 floors, including a casino floor with 1,400 slot machines, 6 ...
in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
in 2017 and 2018. He portrayed fashion designer
Gianni Versace
Giovanni Maria "Gianni" Versace (; 2 December 1946 – 15 July 1997) was an Italian fashion designer, socialite and businessman. He was the founder of Versace, an international luxury-fashion house that produces accessories, fragrances, make-u ...
's partner
Antonio D'Amico
Antonio D'Amico (20 January 1959 – 6 December 2022) was an Italian fashion designer and model.
Biography
D'Amico was born in Mesagne, in the Italian province of Brindisi, and later lived in Milan. He was hired as a part-time office admini ...
in the
FX true crime
True crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people associated with and affected by criminal events.
The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 per ...
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
television series ''
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story'', marking "the acting opportunity of his career".
The role garnered him a nomination for
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie at the
70th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1, 2017, until May 31, 2018, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was held live on September 17, 2018, at the ...
.
Running from January to March 2018, ''The Assassination of Gianni Versace'' received generally favorable reviews and numerous awards and nominations, including three
Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
, four
Creative Arts Emmy Awards
The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, set ...
, two
Golden Globe Awards
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, two
Critics' Choice Television Awards
The Critics' Choice Television Awards are accolades that are presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fourt ...
, and a
Screen Actors Guild Award
Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
. In February 2018, Martin released a song titled "
Fiebre" (), featuring
Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel is a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in the late 1990s and have been together since, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the only ...
. The song was commercially successful in Latin America, reaching number one in Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Uruguay. It also reached the summit of the ''Billboard'' Latin Airplay and
Latin Rhythm Airplay
Latin Rhythm Airplay is an airplay-only chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' that ranks the most popular songs being played on Hispanic rhythmic/hurban radio stations in the United States. The music typically heard on these stations include r ...
charts.
2019–present: ''Amici di Maria De Filippi'', ''PausaPlay'', and ''Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey''
![Ricky Martin Movimiento Tour](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Ricky_Martin_Movimiento_Tour.jpg)
At the
61st Annual Grammy Awards
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on February 10, 2019, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys hosted. During her opening monologue, Keys brought out Lady Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jennifer Lopez, and fo ...
, Martin performed "
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. ", "
Pégate
"Pégate" (English: "Get Closer") is the second single from Ricky Martin's first live album, ''MTV Unplugged'' (2006). It was released on December 19, 2006. The song was written by Martin, Roy Tavaré and Tommy Torres, and produced by Torres.
Co ...
" (), and "
Mi Gente" (), alongside
Camila Cabello
Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (; ; born March 3, 1997) is a Cuban-born American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in ...
,
J Balvin
José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. He has been referred to as the " Prince of Reggaeton" (from Spanish: "Príncipe del Reggaetón"), and is one of the best-sell ...
,
Young Thug
Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
, and
Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became his ...
, as the opening performance. Martin served as a coach on the
eighteenth season of the Italian talent show ''
Amici di Maria De Filippi
''Amici'' (initially called ''Saranno Famosi'') is an Italian talent show. Created by Maria De Filippi, the show began in 2001 and has since aired annually. The show is produced by Fascino P.G.T. s.r.l. (owned by Maria De Filippi) and is broadca ...
'' () in 2019. In the same year, Maluma released a song called "
No Se Me Quita" () from his album ''
11:11'', which featured Martin. The song reached number one in Mexico and was certified quadruple platinum in the country.
Martin hosted the
20th Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The 20th Annual Latin Grammy Awards was held on Thursday, November 14, 2019, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and was broadcast on Univision. The telecast marked the 20th anniversary of the Latin Grammy Awards and honored outsta ...
in November 2019, along with
Roselyn Sánchez
Roselyn Milagros Sánchez Rodríguez (born April 2, 1973) is a Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, producer, and writer. On television, she is best known for her roles as Elena Delgado on the CBS police procedural ''Without ...
and
Paz Vega
María de la Paz Campos Trigos (born 2 January 1976), known professionally as Paz Vega (), is a Spanish actress.
She became popular for her performance in comedy television series ''7 vidas''. Her film credits include ''Sex and Lucia'' (2001), ...
. The artist started recording his eleventh studio album, initially titled ''Movimiento'' (), in the second half of 2019, inspired by the
2019 political protests in Puerto Rico.
He embarked on the
Movimiento Tour
The Movimiento Tour was the eleventh tour by Puerto Rican recording artist Ricky Martin, in support of his eleventh studio album, which was set to be called ''Movimiento'' (2020). The tour began in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the José Miguel Agrel ...
in 2020. Because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
and subsequent personal experiences, he decided to split the tour's associated album in two extended plays, ''
Pausa
In linguistics, pausa (Latin for 'break', from Greek παῦσις, ''pausis'' 'stopping, ceasing') is the hiatus between prosodic declination units. The concept is somewhat broad, as it is primarily used to refer to allophones that occur in cer ...
'' () and ''
Play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* Pla ...
''; the former was released in May 2020, while the latter is set to release in May 2022.
''Pausa'' was nominated for Album of the Year and won the award for
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
at the
21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards were held on Thursday, November 19, 2020 and broadcast on Univision. The 2020 Latin Grammy ceremony was anchored from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, though the health protocols enacted due to the COVID-1 ...
.
The second single from the EP, "
Tiburones" () reached number one in Argentina and Puerto Rico, and was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Martin starred as the voice of villainous miniature figure Don Juan Diego in the American
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
fantasy film
Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction f ...
''
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey''. The film was released on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
on November 13, 2020, and received generally favorable reviews. In April 2021, Martin released his hit single "
Canción Bonita
"Canción Bonita" () is a song recorded by Colombian singer Carlos Vives and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for Vives' sixteenth studio album, ''Cumbiana II''. It was written by Andrés Torres, Rafa Arcaute, Martin, Vives, and Mauricio Rengif ...
" () with Colombian singer
Carlos Vives
Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo (born 7 August 1961) is a Colombian singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his interpretation of traditional music styles of Colombia such as vallenato, cumbia, champeta, bambuco and porro as well as genres ...
, which experienced huge commercial success in Latin America, reaching number one in 12 countries. It was also nominated for Song of the Year and
Best Pop Song
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
at the
22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards
The 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards was held on Thursday, November 18, 2021, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas to honour the best musical releases within Latin music released from June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021. The nominations were announce ...
. Later that year, he embarked on his first co-headlining tour, the
Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Live in Concert
The Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Live in Concert was a co-headlining concert tour by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias and Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin. The tour began in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada on September 25, 2021 an ...
alongside Spanish singer
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the ...
. Martin released ''Play'' on July 13, 2022. The EP included singles "
Otra Noche en L.A." and "
A Veces Bien Y A Veces Mal"; the former reached number one in four countries.
Artistry
Influences
As a child, Martin used to sing songs by Menudo and American rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, Journey, and REO Speedwagon, which were what his "older siblings were listening to at the time". While Martin and his brothers spent their time listening to classic rock, their mother would interrupt them to make them listen to Latin music. She brought him CDs of
Fania All-Stars
The Fania All-Stars is a musical group formed in 1968 as a showcase for the musicians on Fania Records, the leading salsa music record label of the time.
History
Beginnings
In 1964, Fania Records was founded in New York City by Jerry Masucci, ...
,
Celia Cruz
Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso (21 October 1925 – 16 July 2003), known as Celia Cruz, was a naturalized Cuban-American singer and one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century. Cruz rose to fame in Cuba during t ...
,
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico
El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, commonly known as El Gran Combo, is a Puerto Rican salsa orchestra based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2012, it was often considered Puerto Rico's most successful musical group. The ...
, and
Gilberto Santa Rosa
Gilberto Santa Rosa Cortés, nicknamed "El Caballero de la Salsa" (The Gentleman of Salsa) (born August 21, 1962), is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of salsa and bolero. He is a six time Grammy Award winner and has sold over three million ...
that slowly made him appreciate the richness of Puerto Rican culture. Also, she once took them to a Fania All-Stars concert, which Martin is "beyond grateful" for it. He expresses that thanks to her mother, those influences had a "profound effect" on his musical career.
Martin has also cited
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
,
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, and
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
for teaching him "the beauty of pop". He stated about Madonna: "I was very influenced by her and her music. I know every choreography of Madonna."
Additionally, he mentions
Carlos Santana
Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...
,
José Feliciano
José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " ...
, Celia Cruz, and
Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been ...
as the artists who paved the way for him,
naming Feliciano as one of the people who inspired him when he was a teenager: "I was always fascinated with his music."
In addition to the musical influences, Martin is inspired by
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
's "ambiguous sexuality".
While growing up, he used to ask himself if he wanted to be like the openly gay singer
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
or he just liked him, admiring his music, colors, and wigs.
He has also cited
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
as an entertainer he wants to be like: "I want to be an entertainer, not just a singer."
Musical styles and themes
Considered to be a versatile artist, Martin describes his music as
Latin pop
Latin pop (in Spanish and in Portuguese: Pop latino) is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. Originating in Spanish-speaking musicians, Latin po ...
, saying: "When you say 'Latin pop', the spectrum is so broad, It's inevitable to not be influenced by everything that’s happening in the industry, but always keeping your identity firm by knowing who you are."
He has also described his music as fusion, while noting that he does not "ride the waves that are in fashion at the moment".
Music critics have described his songs as
Latin pop
Latin pop (in Spanish and in Portuguese: Pop latino) is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. Originating in Spanish-speaking musicians, Latin po ...
,
pop,
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
,
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American Hip hop m ...
,
latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
,
african
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
,
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
A ...
,
flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
,
urban
Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to:
* Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas
* Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities
Urban may also refer to:
General
* Urban (name), a list of people ...
,
samba
Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...
,
cumbia
Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include:
...
,
bachata,
merengue,
rumba
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba ...
,
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
bomba,
batucada Batucada is a substyle of samba and refers to a percussive style, usually performed by an ensemble, known as a bateria. Batucada is characterized by its repetitive style and fast pace. As is Samba, the Batucada is a Brazilian musical expression wit ...
,
vallenato
Vallenato () or "Szlager" in Wayuu language (from the German "Schlager"), is a popular folk music genre from Colombia. It primarily comes from its Caribbean region. ''Vallenato'' literally means "born in the valley". The valley influencing th ...
,
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
,
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
,
mambo
Mambo most often refers to:
*Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form
*Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music
Mambo may also refer to:
Music
*Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particular ...
,
europop
Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...
,
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
,
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
,
EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners, American band
Science and technology
* Electric dipole moment
* Electrical discharge machining
* Electronic distance measurement
*Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
,
dance-pop
Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
,
electro,
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
,
dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
,
world music,
middle eastern
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (European ...
,
folk-pop
Folk-pop is a musical style that may be 1) contemporary folk songs with large, sweeping pop arrangements, or 2) pop songs with intimate, acoustic-based folk arrangements. Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to ...
,
bossa nova
Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...
,
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
,
soft pop
Sunshine pop (originally known as soft pop) is a subgenre of pop music that originated in Southern California in the mid-1960s. Rooted in easy listening and Jingle, advertising jingles, sunshine pop acts combined nostalgic or anxious moods with "a ...
,
soft rock
Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...
,
R&B,
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
,
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
,
hip-hop,
doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
,
ska
Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...
, and
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
. Martin sings in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, and French. About his lyrics, Martin has emphasized that although his music will always make the listener dance, it does not mean his lyrics "have to be meaningless" and he sings about love and heartbreak, as well as "things that are good for a society", such as "freedom, freedom of expression, and social justice".
He has also declared that as a Latino, he is not afraid of sexuality and sings about sexuality and sensuality, bringing his culture with him onstage.
Voice
Martin possesses a
dramatic tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wid ...
vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...
. Peter Gilstrap from ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' commented that his "powerful voice" is "capable of belt or lilt",
while ''
The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...
''s Noa Amouyal described his voice as "soulful" and "very powerful". In 1995, Enrique Lopetegui of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' noted Martin's "improved vocal skills" on ''A Medio Vivir''. Also from the ''Los Angeles Times'', Ernesto Lechner later praised his vocal for being "charismatic enough to handle both ballads and up-tempo tunes". Similarly, ''Billboard''s
Chuck Taylor expressed "She's All I Ever Had" boasts "a versatility that contrasts nicely" with Martin's previous single, "Livin' la Vida Loca", labeling his vocal on the former "tender and heartfelt". Steve Gerrard of the ''Montreal Rocks'' complimented "his vocal maturity" on ''A Quien Quiera Escuchar''.
Music videos and performances
''Billboard'' labeled Martin "a video icon", and ranked him as the 79th Greatest Music Video Artist of All Time in 2020, stating: "From the moment he sashayed up to the mic in 'Livin La Vida Loca' all dressed in black, and gave us that look, the Menudo alum became the most memorable and watchable drop-dead handsome guy in pop music."
He has collaborated with various directors to produce his music videos, including Carlos Perez,
Wayne Isham
Wayne Isham (born December 2, 1958) is an American film director and music video director who has directed films and music videos of many popular artists.
Early life and education
Isham was born in December 2, 1958. He attended the University ...
,
Jessy Terrero
Jessy Terrero (born October 7, 1972) is a List of people from the Dominican Republic, Dominican Film director, film and music video director.
Career
Terrero appeared as an extra on the 1992 film ''Juice (1992 film), Juice'' starring Tupac Shakur ...
,
Simón Brand
Simón Brand (born July 28, 1970) is a Colombian film director. Brand has directed more than 200 TV commercials for companies such as Coca-Cola, Coors Light, AT&T, Apple Inc., BMW. He has also directed music videos for artists such as Paulina Ru ...
,
Gustavo Garzón
Gustavo Garzón (born May 25, 1955 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine film and television actor.
He works in the cinema of Argentina.Freiburg,_Germany_
file:Juanes_ZMF_2015_jm49211.jpg.html" ;"title="Germany">Freiburg,_ Freiburg,_Germany_">Germany ...
,
Nigel Dick
Nigel Dick (born 21 March 1953) is a British music video and film director, writer and musician from Catterick, England, now based in Los Angeles, California. He directed the Britney Spears videos " ...Baby One More Time" and " Oops!... I Did I ...
,
Kacho Lopez, and Memo del Bosque. "Livin' la Vida Loca" was nominated for
Video of the Year at the
1999 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1999 MTV Video Music Awards (stylized as 9999 MTV Video Music Awards) aired live on September 9, 1999, honoring the best music videos from June 13, 1998, to June 11, 1999. The show was hosted by Chris Rock at the Metropolitan Opera House in N ...
, making Martin the first Latin artist in history to receive a nomination in this category. It won a total of five awards at the ceremony,
making it rank among
the videos with most wins in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards. The explicit sexual scenes of the music video for "She Bangs" were met with criticism from the audience; several
American television
Television is one of the major mass media outlets in the United States. , household ownership of television sets in the country is 96.7%, with approximately 114,200,000 American households owning at least one television set as of August 2013. ...
stations cut the scenes when airing the video. According to the ''
Daily Records John Dingwall, with the visual, Martin ditched his teen idol image by transforming to a more mature one. It was consequently banned in several Latin American countries, such as the Dominican Republic. Martin told
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
that the video represented freedom rather than his sexuality. The video was awarded Best Music Video at the 2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, Best Clip of the Year — Latin at the 2001 ''Billboard'' Music Video Awards, and
Video of the Year at the
13th Lo Nuestro Awards.
Martin has been noticed for "dance moves of his own" and his "
bon-bon shaking dance moves".
Carol Sandoval from
VIX
VIX is the ticker symbol and the popular name for the Chicago Board Options Exchange's CBOE Volatility Index, a popular measure of the stock market's expectation of volatility based on S&P 500 index options. It is calculated and disseminated ...
named him the "best dancer on any stage worldwide", highlighting his hips movement and "successful turns". He was ranked as the ninth best male dancer by the ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' and the tenth Male Singer Who Can Dance by
WatchMojo
WatchMojo is a private company in video producing, publishing and syndicator that is based in Canada. The company has created around 20,000 videos on YouTube, and 5,000 additional videos from other platforms. It primarily is known for their ...
, being the only Latin entertainer on both lists. Writing for ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', Scott Feinberg introduced Martin as "an incredible dancer".
''Billboard''s Jessica Roiz labeled him "a true showman", noting his "many outfit changes", "various dance performances", and "different stage set for each song".
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' described him as "an all-around showman" and ''Variety''s Peter Gilstrap called him "every inch the showman", both recognizing his vocal abilities, while the former also commented he is "a dancer as muscular and hard-working as anyone in his troupe", mentioning his "likable, good-hearted character" and "steadfast Puerto Rican pride".
Music critics have mostly praised his concerts for the choreographies, video screens, visual effects, stage, Latin influences, and Martin's vocals, costume changes, energy, sensuality, dance moves, and gestures, while the quality of sounds and sound mixes have received mixed reviews. ''Billboard''s Marjua Estevez described Martin's performance of "La Copa de la Vida" at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards as "the most memorable Latin performance at a Grammy Awards show", and the publication ranked it as the 54th Greatest Award Show Performance of All Time on their 2017 list.
The performance was additionally placed on a 2017 unranked list of "Top 20 Best Grammy Performances of All Time" by
Gold Derby
Penske Media Corporation (PMC) () is an American digital media, publishing, and information services company based in Los Angeles and New York City. It publishes more than 20 digital and print brands, including ''Variety'', ''Rolling Stone'', '' ...
, and on a 2019 list of "The Most Unforgettable Grammys Performances of All Time" by ''
InStyle
''InStyle'' was an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith. In February 2022, it was announced that InStyle would cease print publications and move to a digital-only ...
''.
Public image
Martin became a
teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups.
By region Asia
East Asia possess ...
with his debut as a member of Menudo,
and a
pop icon
A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in popular culture is regarded as constituting a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The usage of the term is largely subjective since there are no definitively object ...
following global fame as a solo artist. Journalists have written about his humble personality and "beautiful soul". Writing for ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Scott Feinberg introduced Martin as "one of the most acclaimed and admired creative artists ever".
''
La República
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
'' staff described him as "one of the most admired and desired singers", while authors of ''
¡Hola!
''¡Hola!'' is a weekly Spanish-language magazine specializing in celebrity news, published in Madrid, Spain, and in 15 other countries, with local editions in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Greece, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru ...
'' described him as "one of the most respected Latin stars in the world", "one of the most prodigious voices in music in Spanish", and "one of the most beloved talents in the entertainment industry worldwide".
Also from ''¡Hola!'', Cristina Noé named him "one of the most loved artists in the world",
while a writer of ''
Clarín'' named him "one of the most applauded Latin singers on the planet". ''
Metro Puerto Rico'' stated that he "raised the name of Puerto Rico internationally". He was ranked as one of the top-10 "emerging personalities" of 2010 by
Google Zeitgeist
The following is a list of products, services, and apps provided by Google. Active, soon-to-be discontinued, and discontinued products, services, tools, hardware, and other applications are broken out into designated sections.
Web-based product ...
. In 2014, ''
Gay Star News
''Gay Star News'' (''GSN'') is a news website focused on events related to and concerning the global LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) community. Headquartered in the UK, it is privately owned and was founded by Tris Reid-Sm ...
'' referred to Martin as "the most famous Latin pop star in the world", while ''Variety'' described him as "Puerto Rico's arguably most famous son" in 2021. He is ranked as the most famous Latin music artist among
millennials
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the Western demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000 ...
and the second-most famous Latin music artist overall in the United States, according to
YouGov
YouGov is a British international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm, headquartered in the UK, with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. In 2007, it acquired US company Polimetrix, and sinc ...
surveys in 2022.
During the 2000s, Martin was known for "guarding his private life" and being "uncomfortable discussing intimate aspects of his personal life"; he used to insist on asking public to focus on his music and "steered interviewers away from his personal life".
However, he chose to live both his "professional and personal life", making his private life public since the early 2010s.
In 2021, he went on the cover of ''People'' with the title "No More Secrets" and told the magazine that he is "a man with no secrets", stating that he is "more comfortable in his own skin than ever before".
Martin is one of the most followed celebrities on social media, with accounts on
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
,
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
,
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
,
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
, and
TikTok
TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
TikTok is an international version ...
. He stated about social media that he wishes he had "something as powerful as" them since his debut: "Obviously I like to have direct contact with the public, with the media. It's extremely important, but today, from my home, I can talk to millions of people and see their immediate reaction." He is noticed for his friendly interactions with his fans, who are called "
Sexy Souls".
Wax statues of Martin are on display at the
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...
wax museums in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
,
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, and
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...
. The last one was moved from
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
to Orlando for the opening of the museum in spring 2015.
Fashion
Martin is considered to be a
sex symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive.Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor to ...
,
and journalists describe him as "the Latin heartthrob".
His fashion and style evolution, from "as '80s as you'd expect" during his time with Menudo to "a style groove, often opting for sharp, tailored suits with clean lines" since 2009, has been noticed by the media. Natalia Trejo from ''¡Hola!'' described him as "one of the most stylish Latin men in the entertainment industry", highlighting his "baggy leather pants", "tailored suits", and "color-block blazers" that have marked "some of the noteworthy trends of each decade". The reviewer also commented that Martin is "an example of mixing business with casual" and has "always had a personal sense of style".
JD Institute of Fashion Technology views Martin as a
fashion icon
A fashion icon or fashion leader is a influential person who introduces new styles which spread throughout fashion culture and become part of fashion. They initiate a new style which others may follow. They may be famous personalities such as ...
, praising him for "pushing the fashion boundaries with every new look". In 1997, he went on the cover of ''
People en Español
''People en Español'' is a Spanish-language American magazine published by Dotdash Meredith that debuted in 1996, originally as the Spanish-language edition of its publication ''People''. As of 2009, it is the Spanish-language magazine with the l ...
''s first edition of 25 Most Beautiful; he has since "been a constant presence" on their 25 or 50 Most Beautiful lists. Two years later, he was featured on the cover of both ''Rolling Stone'' and ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'' magazines.
Martin is considered to be one of the sexiest men in the world, according to various publications. In 2012, he was voted the sexiest man alive on Broadway.com. The following year,
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
ranked him as the 28th Sexiest Artist of All Time, stating: "Ricky looks like the model in the magazine ads you stare at in awe thinking, 'There's no way he's that perfect in person'." In 2014, ''
Entertainment Tonight
''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Para ...
'' listed him among the Sexiest Men Alive, while ''Revista Estilo'' placed him on the list of "the 10 Sexiest Singers" in 2016. He was ranked at number 16 on the list of "the 50 Hottest Men of All Time" by ''
Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...
'' in 2018, being the only Latin man on their list. In 2019,
TN described Martin as "the sexiest man in the world". He has been noted for looking younger than his age,
with ''Billboard''s Chris Payne describing him as "ageless".
The singer has attended several
fashion show
A fashion show ( French ''défilé de mode'') is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fa ...
s, including the Giorgio Armani show at Milan Fashion Week in 2011,
the Marc Jacobs show in 2013,
the Berluti menswear spring-summer 2020 show at Paris Fashion Week, the Dior men's pre-fall 2020 show, and the Virgil Abloh Spring-Summer 2022 show held by Louis Vuitton.
Personal life
Sexual orientation and early relationships
According to an interview with ''Rolling Stone'' in 1999, Martin experienced his first kiss at age thirteen and lost his virginity at fourteen in Argentina.
In 1990, shortly after he had arrived in Mexico to star in ''Mama Ama el Rock'', he met a woman, who was the host of a television show. They began dating quickly and broke up a few months later. In 1992, he fell in love with Mexican singer Alejandra Guzmán, who was separated from her husband at the time. They began dating until Guzmán returned to her husband and pretended Martin was her assistant on a phone call, while she was sleeping with her husband. In an interview with Univision, Martin admitted that she broke his heart.
In the same year, Martin was rumored to be in a relationship with Argentine tennis player Gabriela Sabatini. Sabatini's sister-in-law, Catherine Fulop, confirmed the rumor in 2020. During the time he was playing in ''General Hospital'', he met a "very handsome" man at a radio station, "stopped fearing
issexuality", and began dating him. Martin's mother supported him when she discovered that he was in love with a man, saying: "I love you, my son, I'm so happy for you. Bring it on. I'm right behind you." However, after the relationship ended, Martin "locked
isfeelings even deeper inside" and began dating women again. He recalls: "I already felt it was hard to be a Latino in Hollywood; what could have been more difficult than being Latino and gay?"
Martin began dating Mexican television host Rebecca de Alba in 1994; they were in an On-again, off-again relationship, on-and-off relationship until 2005. De Alba later revealed that she became pregnant several times in her life, but Miscarriage, lost all of the pregnancies, expressing that one of them was by Martin. Martin also had relationships with Lilly Melgar, Adriana Biega, Maital Saban, and Inés Misan during his breakup times with de Alba in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He declared that "there was chemistry with them" and he "wasn't fooling anyone".
In August 2008, Martin became a father to twin boys named Matteo and Valentino, born via Surrogacy#Gestational surrogacy, gestational surrogacy. He explained that he chose surrogacy to become a parent for being "intriguing and faster" than adoption, which was complicated and could take a long time. In March 2010, Martin publicly Coming out, came out as gay via a message on his website, stating: "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."
Years later, he revealed that although his music was "heard all over the world" and he "could high five God" in 1999, he "wasn't living to the fullest" and was sad and depressed.
He kept asking himself, "Am I gay? Am I bisexual? Am I confused? What am I?", explaining: "Sexuality is one complicated thing. It's not black and white. It's filled with colors. When I was dating women, I was in love with women. It felt right, it felt beautiful."
In an interview with ''Vanity Fair (magazine), Vanity Fair'', he declared: "There was love, passion. I do not regret anything, any of the relationships I lived, they taught me a lot, both men and women." Martin also told ''Fama!'': "I know that I like both men and women, I'm against sexual labels, we are simply human beings with emotional and sexual needs. I like to enjoy sex in total freedom, so I'm open to having sex with a woman if I feel desire." Despite this, he expressed that he would not be interested in "an ongoing relationship with a woman", stating: "Men are my thing". In 2000, American broadcast journalist Barbara Walters asked Martin about his sexuality on national television: "You could stop these rumors. You could say, 'Yes I am gay or no I'm not.'" Martin, who answered with "I just don't feel like it" at the time, later revealed that Walters' question had made him feel "violated", since he "was just not ready to come out" and was "very afraid"; he said that it resulted in "a little Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD" that "still haunts him".
Martin dated Puerto Rican economist Carlos González Abella from 2010 to 2014, as his first relationship with a man after coming out as gay.
Marriage
![Ricky Martin Jwan Yosef Golden Globe Awards 2018 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Ricky_Martin_Jwan_Yosef_Golden_Globe_Awards_2018_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Syrian-Swedish painter Jwan Yosef shared a photo of himself and Martin on Instagram on March 30, 2016, with the caption: "Obviously we're starting a band." Soon it was rumored that Yosef was Martin's new boyfriend. Martin confirmed their relationship on April 18, 2016, and they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the amfAR Inspiration Gala. Martin later revealed that he met Yosef on Instagram and they "were talking for like six months without [him] hearing his voice". Subsequently, Martin went to London, where Yosef was living, and they met each other. On November 15, 2016, during an interview on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', he announced that he has proposed to Yosef and they are engaged. In January 2018, Martin confirmed that he has secretly married Yosef: "I'm a husband, but we're doing a heavy party in a couple of months, I'll let you know." On December 31, 2018, they announced that they have welcomed their first daughter together, named Lucia Martin-Yosef. Martin later explained that Lucia was born on December 24, coinciding with his 47th birthday. In September 2019, while accepting an award at the 23rd annual Human Rights Campaign (HRC) National Dinner, he announced that they are expecting their fourth child. On October 29, 2019, he shared a photo of himself, Yosef, and their newborn son, named Renn Martin-Yosef, with the caption: "Our son Renn Martin-Yosef has been born."
Beliefs and religion
During an interview with ''People'' in 2002, Martin expressed that he believes in "love", "the power of healing", and "God", thanks to his parents. The name he chose for his son Matteo means "gift from God". According to his statements in a 2021 interview, he still believes in God.
He was raised Catholic but he said is not "the person who would ever look down upon one religion". He expressed that he also admires and likes Buddhist philosophy, but does not subscribe to the religion, since if he does, he cannot "be of anything else"; he does not want to be limited in certain aspects and follow a religion's specific rules. He tries to remain "open to everything" and makes "a concerted effort to always find new teachings and new paths" everywhere he goes and in every situation he finds himself in. Martin believes that everyone can "decide what makes them happy" and although "everyone needs to accept the life they were given", it does not mean they "should not live it as fully as possible".
Health and sports
Martin began practicing yoga after a trip to Thailand in 1997. He also began practicing meditation following a trip to India.
In 2021, he explained that he gets up every morning at 5:30, before his family and puts himself in a lotus position and oxygenates his body. He also expressed that has a gym in his house, saying: "If I have space to see myself in the mirror and put on my products, then I also have to have space for my body."
During an appearance on ''The Dr. Oz Show'' in 2017, Martin revealed that he "was diagnosed with high cholesterol" at age eighteen. Although he did not pay attention to the high cholesterol at the time, it made him decide to become a Vegetarianism, vegetarian since 2013 to reduce cholesterol, despite loving meat as "a Latin man". In 2020, he opened up that he suffered from anxiety for the first time in his life, following the COVID-19 lockdowns, stating that making music became his "medicine".
Real estate
In March 2001, Martin purchased a 7,082-square-foot house in Miami Beach, Florida, Miami Beach for $6.4 million; he sold the unit for $10.6 million in 2005.
In September 2004, he paid $11.9 million for an 11,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style villa in Los Angeles, which he sold in 2006 for $15 million.
In May 2005, he purchased a 9,491-square-foot house in Miami Beach for $10 million; he sold the villa for $10.6 million in 2012. In 2007, he paid $16.2 million for a mansion in Golden Beach, Florida, Golden Beach. He sold the property in 2012 for $12.8 million, incurring a loss.
In the same year, he bought a 3,147-square-foot condominium in New York City for $5.9 million; he sold the condo for $7.1 million in 2017. In 2014, he rented a 900-square-metre mansion in Sydney, which became famous as "the Bronte Wave House" and was sold for $16 million in May 2015, marking one of the most expensive properties sold in the city that year. In December 2016, he purchased an 11,300-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills, California, Beverly Hills. The estate, which is Martin's current house, has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms with outdoor seating areas scattered throughout 33,000 square feet. It is a "private getaway in the middle of the city", located up the street from the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Martin also owns a property in Puerto Rico and a private 19.7-acre island in Brazil. He purchased the latter for $8 million in 2008.
Legacy and influence
Martin has been regarded as the "
King of Latin Pop" by various publications, such as the Grammy Awards, ''Billboard'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''Time'', ''People'',
''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'',
''The Independent'', ''Entertainment Weekly'',
''Entertainment Tonight Canada'', NBC News,
and ABC News. Additionally, he has been referred to as the "King of Latin Music", the "Latin Pop God", the "Latin King of Pop", the "Latin American King of Pop", the "Latin King", the "Crossover Latin King", the "Puerto Rican Pop King", the "Salsa-Pop King", and the "King of World Cup". Martin is known as one of the most influential artists in the world.
''Billboard'' ranked him as one of the 30 Most Influential Latin Artists of All Time, while NBC News introduced him as an "influential Latin celebrity". In 2014, he won the award for the most influential international artist at the 18th China Music Awards. He was ranked among "25 musicians who broke barriers" by Stacker in 2019, while in 2020, ''Spin (magazine), Spin'' ranked him at number 27 on the list of "most influential artists of the past 35 years", as the only Latin artist on their list.
In 2022, Show News named him "the most influential global artist in history".
Martin's song "María (Pablo Flores Remix)", which was ranked among the "Greatest Latin Pop Song of All Time" by ''Rolling Stone'', and "11 remixes of classic Latin hits" by ''Billboard'', "launched the Latin and dance music crossover of the '90s", according to the latter.
Olivier Pérou from ''Le Point'' commented that "some have even learned, thanks to him, to count to three in Spanish" following the popularity of the song.
"La Copa de la Vida", which has been hailed as the Best World Cup Anthem of All-Time by multiple sources, became a "musical template" for World Cup anthems, and Martin's Latin and dance crossover style has been much copied in the anthems, as well as soccer chant "Ole! Ole! Ole!" in the lyrics, according to ''The Hollywood Reporter''. As believed by ''Esquire (magazine), Esquire'', the song "inaugurated this musical subgenre" of Latin. In his review for ''Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork'', Corban Goble wrote that if World Cup anthems someday would be "given their own textbook", "La Copa de la Vida" would be "the standard-bearer for the whole genre".
Martin is known as the pioneer in getting Latin pop music genre to mainstream recognition. Following his performance of "The Cup of Life" at the Grammys, and the success of "Livin' la Vida Loca" and ''Ricky Martin'' (1999), he opened the gates for many Latin artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, Santana (band), Santana, and Enrique Iglesias who released their crossover albums and followed him onto the top of the charts.
His performance of "The Cup of Life" at the Grammys not only changed the course of his career, but also altered how people regard Latin music in America.
It has been known as a game-changer for Latin music worldwide, that effectively ushered in the "Latin explosion". Then-United Talent Agency head Rob Prinz described the rendition as "the single biggest game changing moment for any artist in the history of the Grammys".
According to ''Billboard'', it has been cited as the beginning of the "Latin Pop invasion", which powerfully affected the US mainstream.
According to ''Entertainment Tonight'', "Livin' la Vida Loca" paved the way for a large number of other Latin artists,
and is "credited as the song that helped other Latin artists break through to English-speaking markets". According to ''The Independent'', the single is "widely regarded as the song that began the first Latin pop explosion", while ''People''s Jason Sheeler credited it as the song that "led the way for the late-'90s so-called 'Latin explosion' that dominated pop music into the new century: Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez". Angie Romero from ''Billboard'' wrote: "If you look up 'crossover' in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Ricky Shake Your Bon-Bon, shaking his bon bon and/or 'Livin' la Vida Loca'."
Jim Farber from ''Daily News'' noted that ''Ricky Martin'' "provides a textbook example of how to mix Latin beats with pop tunes and rock intonations". ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' critic Kevin C. Johnson stated that Martin took "the music to places Jon Secada, Selena and Santana never could". He also mentioned that even "Gloria Estefan at her peak, failed to muster up the kind of hype and hoopla surrounding Martin".
Celia San Miguel of ''Tidal Magazine'' stated that Martin "highlighted the public's thirst for a different kind of pop" in 1999, crediting "Martin and the paths he created" responsible for the Latin music and Spanish and Spanglish lyrics being "a commonplace phenomenon on English-language radio" in 2019.
In her review for Grammy.com, Ana Monroy Yglesias said Martin led a "major music moment in 1999" with ''Ricky Martin'', and along with him, "the first major boom of Spanish-language artists", such as Shakira and Lopez, came into the "U.S. pop landscape".
![Bad Bunny 2019 by Glenn Francis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Bad_Bunny_2019_by_Glenn_Francis.jpg)
The late 1990s Latin explosion also resulted in the launch of the Latin Recording Academy. Gabriel Abaroa Jr., the president and chief executive officer of the Latin Recording Academy, expressed that the plan of its launch was "immediately after the Ricky Martin success". Cuban American musician and producer Emilio Estefan added: "After the success with Ricky Martin, everybody opened their eyes and realized how important it was to bring diversity and multiethnic elements into [mainstream American] music." Many artists have cited Martin as an influence or declared themselves as his fan, including Abraham Mateo, Bad Bunny,
Camila Cabello
Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (; ; born March 3, 1997) is a Cuban-born American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in ...
, Camilo (singer), Camilo, Carla Morrison, Christian Chávez,
CNCO
CNCO is a Latin American boy band based in Miami, Florida. The group consists of Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón, Christopher Vélez and Zabdiel De Jesús; former member Joel Pimentel departed the band in May 2021. They won a five-year reco ...
,
Danna Paola,
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; (born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican indie label Fonovisa and became the bestselling Spanish-language act of the decade. By the ...
,
J Balvin
José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. He has been referred to as the " Prince of Reggaeton" (from Spanish: "Príncipe del Reggaetón"), and is one of the best-sell ...
, J-Hope,
Jimin (singer, born 1995), Jimin,
Karol G,
India Martínez, Luis Fonsi, Maite Perroni,
Maluma
Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor.
Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. ...
,
[Citations regarding Maluma's statements about Martin:
*
*
*
* ] Neha Mahajan, Pedro Capó, Prince Royce, Rauw Alejandro, Reik, Rosalía,
Sebastián Ligarde, Sebastián Yatra, Shakira, Tini (singer), Tini, Vadhir Derbez, William Hung,
Wisin
Juan Luis Morera Luna (; born December 19, 1978), best known as his stage name Wisin (), is a Puerto Rican reggaeton rapper, singer and record producer, best known as a member of the reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel. Wisin is noted for his unique and ...
, and Ximena Sariñana.
Both Maluma and J Balvin have described Martin as a "teacher" and credited him as an artist who "opened the doors" for them, while Maluma has also expressed: "Ricky Martin is one of the artists I wanted to be growing up. He's my idol in the industry."
Spanish singer Rosalía also cited Martin as a "teacher". Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny talked about Martin's legacy during an episode of ''Behind the Music'': "There's no doubt that he opened the door for an entire generation of Latin artists. I am doing great things today in the music industry thanks to those doors that he opened." He also mentioned that he is inspired by Martin's coming out as gay: "You don't have to be gay to be inspired by that action of honesty and freedom, of being yourself against the world despite everything you deserve. I look at it like a very inspiring moment for anybody. At least for me, it's very inspirational." Brazilian singer-songwriter Anitta (singer), Anitta explained to ''The Guardian'' that "some Latin stars such as Maluma and Bad Bunny sing in their native language" and do not need to sing in English to get noticed, because they already had representatives like Shakira, Martin, and Jennifer Lopez, but since her country "hasn't had a major international pop star before", she uses "whatever language will get the market's attention".
Portrayal in television
In July 2019, SOMOS Productions, Endemol Shine Group, Endemol Shine Boomdog, and Piñolywood Studios announced the production of a Biographical film, biographical web television series about
Menudo, titled ''Súbete a Mi Moto (2020 TV series), Subete a Mi Moto''. Consisting of 15 episodes of 60 minutes each, the series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on October 9, 2020, in Mexico, Latin America, and Spain. It was filmed in Mexico and Puerto Rico, and Martin was portrayed by actors Felipe Albors and Ethan Schwartz. The series premiered in the United States on February 14, 2021, on Estrella TV. On the review aggregation website Tomatazos, the first season has a positive score of 75%. The website's critical consensus summary states, "A good trip to the past that recalls a band that defined the youth of a certain public, but that doesn't ignore the darkest moments in the lives of its members."
Other ventures
Books
On August 19, 2010, Martin announced that he had been working on his memoir, mentioning its title as ''Me'' and publish date as November 2, 2010. He expressed that writing the book was "one of the reasons" he decided to come out earlier that year. The book also had a Spanish edition title ''Yo'' (), which was published simultaneously by Celebra. He stated that writing his memoir allowed him "to explore the different paths and experiences" that have led him to be who he is, noting that it "was not easy but allowed for an incredible spiritual journey". ''Me'' spent several weeks at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2019, ''¡Hola!'' staff ranked the book among "12 Books by Celebrities to Inspire and Motivate You", while ''Book Riot'' placed it on an unranked list of the "Best Celebrity Books You Should Read This Year" in 2020. Martin's first children's book ''Santiago the Dreamer in Land Among the Stars'' was published by Celebra and illustrated by Patricia Castelao in November 2013 for ages between five and nine. Its Spanish-language edition, ''Santiago El Soñador en Entre Las Estrellas'', was published simultaneously. Martin expressed that the book was inspired by his "personal life, with fantasy added to it", as well as "a lot of cartoons".
Products and endorsements
Martin endorsed the 2012 Viva Glam campaign with rapper Nicki Minaj, which raised $270 million for the Mac AIDS Fund. In October 2020, Martin announced that he would launch his company, Martin Music Lab in partnership with music engineers Jaycen Joshua and Michael Seaberg. The company is centered around a new audio technique called "Orbital Audio", that "creates a new type of immersive, headphone listening experience". Martin used the technique on his EP ''Pausa'', while several artists including Bad Bunny, Residente, Myke Towers, and ASAP Rocky, A$AP Rocky are going to work with the company. The latter plans to release his whole upcoming studio album, using "Orbital Audio". Martin is going to expand the technique "beyond the music industry and tap into the movies, sports and, most notably, the wellness and meditation space". In 2021, Martin partnered with skin care company Kumiko. The skincare line, created by Chilean Cosmetology, cosmetologist Catalina Aguirre, is the first to combine "mesotherapy, matcha, and cutting-edge European technology into unique multi-action formulas that penetrate the dermis with powerful anti-aging properties and lifting benefits".
Activism
Philanthropy
![Ricky Martin Foundation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Ricky_Martin_Foundation.jpg)
While on a trip to India in 2002, Martin witnessed three Minor (law), minor girls who were about to be sold into prostitution and rescued them. The following year, he became a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador, Goodwill Ambassador and then met with activists and decided to fight against
human trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
, which is the second-most lucrative crime in the world. In 2004, Martin launched the Ricky Martin Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that focuses on denouncing human trafficking and educating about the crime's "existence through research and community initiatives, anchored in the defense of children and youth rights".
In the same year, he appealed to the United Nations for international help to fight against sex tourism. In January 2005, following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, Martin visited Thailand to assess the needs of the minor survivors who were "extremely vulnerable to traffickers". Later that year, the Ricky Martin Foundation signed an alliance in partnership with Habitat for Humanity to construct 224 homes for the tsunami-affected families. The project was completed in December 2006. In March 2006, the foundation collaborated with the International Organization for Migration in the Llama y Vive () campaign, which focuses on facilitating "the prevention of human trafficking and the protection of young people, victims of child trafficking and prosecution of traffickers".
In January 2010, along with many celebrities, Martin operated the charitable organization, charity telethon ''Hope for Haiti Now'' to raise donations for the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Later that year, the Ricky Martin Foundation created the first program of community Social actions, social action against child trafficking in Martin's native Puerto Rico, titled "Se Trata" (). In 2012, the foundation participated in the making of the Child Protection Model Law on the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children.
In 2016, Martin visited Syrians in Lebanon#Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Syrian refugees in Lebanon and played with the children and talked to them in an informal refugee camp. Following the Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017, the Ricky Martin Foundation helped people and handed over homes that were rebuilt after the losses; Martin launched a viral campaign of selling a black T-shirt with the Puerto Rican flag stamped on it in order to raise the funds. The T-shirts were designed by Martin's twin boys Matteo and Valentino, while many celebrities including Will Smith, Bad Bunny, Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi, and Maluma supported the campaign. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Martin created a campaign to help health care workers through the non-profit organization Project Hope. He expressed: "As you know, health care professionals are extremely vulnerable and professionals around the world don’t have personal protection equipment they need to prevent them getting infected." In February 2021, Martin collaborated with Antonia Novello to launch mass vaccination events in Puerto Rico. Following the murder of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, Martin honored an effort called "Black Out Tuesday" and launched the hashtag #knowthestruggle, giving his social media to the voices of the community that are "looking for justice", to learn more about what is happening.
For his humanitarian efforts and fighting against human trafficking, Martin has been honored with numerous accolades, including the Peace Summit Award by the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, the TIP Report Hero Award by the United States Department of State, the Billboard Spirit of Hope Award, Spirit of Hope Award by
''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards, the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Award,
the Award of Inspiration by amfAR Gala, the Leader of Change Award by the Foundation for Social Change, the Humanitarian Award by the Global Gift Foundation, the Humanitarian Award by the Hispanic Federation, the Corazón Latino Award by the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina, the International Humanitarian Award by the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Agent of Change Award by the International Peace Honors, the PODER Social Leadership Awards, and the Agent of Change Award by the Premios Juventud.
Politics
![Ricky Martin in Congress](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Ricky_Martin_in_Congress.jpg)
On January 20, 2001, during the first inauguration of George W. Bush, first inauguration of George W. Bush, Martin performed "The Cup of Life" and danced with him. Martin's view of Bush changed over the Iraq War, as expressed in his declaration to BBC News that he will "always condemn war and those who promulgate it". He also stuck up his The finger, middle finger while singing the president's name in his 2003 song "Asignatura Pendiente" at a concert. At the 2010 ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards, Martin expressed his disagreement with the Arizona SB 1070 bill, a proposed law that would have required police officers to request documents from individuals whom they suspected to be illegal immigrants. Martin campaigned for the 44th president of the United States Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, and thanked him for an "outstanding presidency" in 2016, while calling him "an amazing leader". Also in 2016, he was an active ally to the List of United States Democratic Party presidential candidates, Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton campaign, while condemning Donald Trump's hateful comments about immigrants. He also performed his hits during the "Hillary Clinton: She's With Us" concert at Greek Theatre (Los Angeles), the Greek Theatre on June 6, 2016.
Telegramgate, also known as Chatgate, was a political scandal involving Ricardo Rosselló, then Governor of Puerto Rico, which began on July 8, 2019, with the leak of hundreds of pages of a group chat on the messaging application Telegram (software), Telegram between Rosselló and members of his cabinet. The messages were considered vulgar, misogynistic, and homophobic toward several individuals and groups, including Martin. Therefore, Martin, Bad Bunny, Residente and several other artists, and more than half a million Puerto Ricans led the call to take to the streets of Puerto Rico, demanding Rosselló's resignation. In September 2020, Martin, Luis Fonsi, and actress Eva Longoria attended a campaign event in Kissimmee, Florida to support the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for the 2020 United States presidential election. During an interview with ''Variety'', Martin stated: "I've been supporting Biden forever, I think he is the only option we have and he is great and he has been in politics all his life. This is the moment. We all need to get together and be loud about the course of this nation." Following the election of Biden as 46th president of the United States, Martin said "Bye-bye" to Trump on social media, and shared a photo of himself along with Biden on Instagram.
In May 2021, Martin demonstrated his support for the Ni una menos movement, condemning femicides and violence against women in Puerto Rico, while calling authorities to protect women. He further expressed that no woman should fear for her safety and urged authorities to take steps in order to prevent these acts. In the same month, he supported the 2021 Colombian protests. Later that year, the singer raised his voice in support of the 2021 Cuban protests against the Raúl Castro, Castro regime for the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis, stating: "This is very important. Our brothers and sisters in Cuba need us to inform the world what they are experiencing today. Let's fill the networks before they remove the internet in the country. Humanitarian aid for Cuba NOW."
LGBT advocacy
![Ricky Martin 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Ricky_Martin_2010.jpg)
As a gay man, Martin actively supports LGBT rights by country or territory, LGBT rights worldwide since his coming out in 2010.
Even before coming out, he was noted by the mainstream media for being popular among gay men and having a large gay fan base. He also went on the cover of the American LGBT-interest magazine ''The Advocate (LGBT magazine), The Advocate'' in July 1999. Despite this, he admitted that he felt homosexuality was evil since he was raised as a Catholic and targeted his anger toward others, especially gay men: "I was very angry, very rebellious. I used to look at gay men and think, 'I'm not like that, I don't want to be like that, that's not me.' I was ashamed." He added that he "had internalized homophobia" back then.
He is currently considered to be a gay icon, with ''PinkNews'' labeling him "a strong advocate of LGBT rights" who "expressed support for equal marriage" since coming out.
As the first mainstream Latin music artist to come out, Martin's coming out was a game-changer for "Latin Pride". ''Billboard''s Lucas Villa stated: "With Martin's announcement, gay artists, who had long kept their sexual identities a secret, finally had a beacon of hope. If Martin could come out with his career unscathed, there was hope for other artists in Latin music to start doing the same." He added that since then, "a growing number of Latin artists have either come out after years in the spotlight, or many have simply started their careers by embracing their gay identities".
In 2010, GLAAD then-president Jarrett Barrios expressed that Martin's coming out as gay leads "hundreds of millions of people" to have "a cultural connection with an artist, a celebrity and, perhaps most importantly, a father who happens to be gay", adding that "his decision to model this kind of openness and honesty can lead to greater acceptance for countless gay people in U.S., in Latin America and worldwide".
In 2019, Human Rights Campaign then-president Alphonso David expressed that Martin "has used his international stage to advocate for LGBTQ people around the world" with his "unique voice and passionate activism". The following year, Suzy Exposito from ''Rolling Stone'' argued that with risking his career and coming out, Martin "set the scene for Bad Bunny to be free in many ways that, during his own breakthrough moment, he could not".
Martin expressed support for same-sex marriage during an interview on ''Larry King Live'' in 2010. He has then delivered speeches about LGBT rights at the LGBT rights at the United Nations, United Nations Homophobia Conference, the GLAAD Media Awards, and the Human Rights Campaign. He also raised his voice to support gay marriage in Puerto Rico before its legalization in 2015. In March 2016, Martin met with Chilean LGBT rights group Fundación Iguales to learn about the challenges LGBT citizens face there. AT the meeting, he said that he wants "equal marriage rights for Chile" and he wants his sons to grow up in a world where "there are no second-class citizens". Following the Colombia's highest court voting against an anti same-sex marriage proposal in April 2016, Martin tweeted: "Love and equality win, Colombia says YES to same-sex marriage." During an interview with ''New York (magazine)#Vulture, Vulture'', Martin talked about his role in ''The Assassination of Gianni Versace'' and how he wanted his portrayal to help "normalize open relationships". In June 2019, he published an open letter slamming the Religious freedom bill, religious liberty bill, saying: "As a defender of human rights and a member of the LGBTT community, I am vehemently opposed to the proposed measure imposed upon us under the guise of religious freedom, that projects us to the world as a backwards country." Puerto Rico's then-governor backed down and withdrew his support of the bill following Martin's statement. In June 2020, Martin performed his song "Recuerdo (song), Recuerdo" with Carla Morrison for a virtual event, Can't Cancel Pride: Helping LGBTQ+ People in Need, to raise visibility and funds for LGBTQ+ communities. He appeared at the virtual event in the following year as well. In February 2021, Martin was named national spokesperson for the Pulse Memorial and Museum, onePULSE Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on managing "the design and construction of the permanent national memorial and museum dedicated to the Orlando nightclub shooting, Pulse nightclub tragedy". Later that year, he expressed that he wants to "normalize families like" his, in an interview with ''People''.
Several of Martin's music videos feature diversity in sexual orientations and same-sex couples, including "The Best Thing About Me Is You",
"
Disparo al Corazón
"Disparo al Corazón" ( en, "Shot to the Heart") is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, released on January 13, 2015 as the second single from his Grammy Award–winning Spanish-language album, ''A Quien Quiera Escuchar'' (2015) ...
",
"
Fiebre", and "
Tiburones". For his activism and advocacy for LGBTQ community, Martin has been honored with numerous accolades, including the GLAAD Vito Russo Award,
the Gala Vanguard Award by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the International Icon Award by the British LGBT Awards, the National Visibility Award by the Human Rights Campaign, the Trailblazer Award by the LGBT Center Dinner, the Celebrity Activist of the Year by ''LGBTQ Nation'', and the Legacy Award by Attitude (magazine), ''Attitude'' Awards.
Achievements
![Ricky Martin Walk of Fame](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Ricky_Martin_Walk_of_Fame.jpg)
Throughout his career, Martin has won over 200 awards (most awarded male Latin artist), including two
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
,
five
Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
, five
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
(tied for most wins by a Latin artist), two
American Music Awards
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...
, three
Latin American Music Awards
The Latin American Music Awards (Latin AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by the MRC Live and Alternative. It is the Spanish-language counterpart of the American Music Awards (AMAs). As with AMAs, the Latin AMAs are determine ...
,
three
''Billboard'' Music Awards, a ''Billboard'' Music Video Award,
nine
''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards, eight
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world's ...
, fourteen
Lo Nuestro Awards
The Lo Nuestro Awards or Premios Lo Nuestro (Spanish for "Our Thing") is a Spanish-language awards show honoring the best of Latin music, presented by Univision, a Spanish-language television network based in the United States. The awards began in ...
(including the Lo Nuestro Excellence Award, Excellence Award), and a ''
Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
''.
As an actor, he was nominated for an Emmy Awards, Emmy Award.
In 2007, Martin was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
, located at 6901 Hollywood Blvd.
Martin is ranked among the Greatest Latin Artists of All Time and the Greatest Hot Latin Songs Artists of All Time by ''Billboard'', while his album ''Vuelve'' was placed at number five on ''Billboard''s Top 20 Latin Albums Of All Time in 2018. In 1998, his song, "Perdido Sin Ti" reached the top of the Latin Pop Airplay chart, displacing Martin's own "Vuelve", making him the first artist on the chart's history to replace himself. His song "Livin' la Vida Loca" became the first number-one song on ''Billboard'' Hot 100, which was made entirely in Pro Tools,
and achieved the first number one hit for his label, Columbia. It also became the first song in history to top ''Billboard''s Adult Top 40, Adult Pop Airplay, Mainstream Top 40, Pop Airplay, and Rhythmic (chart), Rhythmic Airplay charts, holding its record as the only song to do so for 14 years.
On May 15, 1999, it became the first single ever to rule four different Billboard charts and made Martin the first act to simultaneously scale a pop, Latin, and dance chart. Two weeks later, he became the first artist to simultaneously top the ''Billboard'' 200, Hot Latin Tracks, Dance Club Songs, Hot Dance Music/Club Play, Dance/Electronic Singles Sales, Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales, Top 40 Tracks, and the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
His song "Tal Vez" (2003) marked the first number one debut on ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs in the 21st century. Martin is the first and only artist with List of Latin songs on the Billboard Hot 100, Spanish-language entries on ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in three decades.
In 2020, he became the first and only artist in history to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart across five decades, including his work as part of Menudo. The following year, he became the first male Latin artist in history to have 4 songs from different decades to have over 100 million streams on Spotify. He owns the record as the artist with most top 20s on the US Latin Pop Airplay chart, with 51 songs,
and is the runner-up of most top 10s. He is the fourth artist with the most number one songs in the history of the Hot Latin Songs chart. Additionally, he holds the record as the most Spanish-language entries on ARIA top 50 singles chart, with three.
On October 11, 2007, then-mayor of Miami Beach, Florida David Dermer awarded him the Freedom of the City, key to the city of Miami Beach. Puerto Rico named August 31 the "International Ricky Martin Day" in 2008.
The Government of Spain granted Spanish nationality law, Spanish nationality to Martin in 2011, for being "recognized in different artistic facets". In 2018, in recognition of "his dedication to the island and people of Puerto Rico, his philanthropic work to eliminate human trafficking across the Caribbean, and his commitment to the arts", the singer received a proclamation naming June 7 the "Ricky Martin Day" in New York City. Throughout his career, Martin has sold over 70 million records making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all time. In 2022, ''La Nación'' estimated his net worth at US$130 million.
Discography
* ''
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Me Amaras'' (1993)
* ''A Medio Vivir (album), A Medio Vivir'' (1995)
* ''
Vuelve'' (1998)
* ''
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Sound Loaded
In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid.
In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'' (2000)
* ''
Almas del Silencio
''Almas del Silencio'' (English: ''Souls from the Silence'') is the seventh studio album and fifth Spanish language album recorded by Puerto Rican performer Ricky Martin. This is the first Spanish album release since 1998's '' Vuelve''. It was ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Música + Alma + Sexo
Musica (Latin), or La Musica (Italian) or Música (Portuguese and Spanish) may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Musica è'', a mini album by Italian funk singer Eros Ramazzotti 1988
* ''Musica'', an album by Ghaleb 2005
* ), a German album by Giovan ...
'' (2011)
* ''
A Quien Quiera Escuchar
''A Quien Quiera Escuchar'' (''To Those Who Want to Listen'') is the sixth Spanish album and tenth studio album by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on February 10, 2015, through Sony Music Latin. It won the Grammy Award for Best ...
'' (2015)
Filmography
* ''Alcanzar una estrella, Mas Que Alcanzar una estrella'' (1992)
* ''Hercules (1997 film), Hercules'' – Latin American dub (1997)
* ''Idle Hands'' (1999)
* ''One Night Only (video), Ricky Martin: One Night Only'' (1999)
* ''Minions (film), Minions'' – Latin American dub (2015)
* ''The Latin Explosion: A New America'' (2015)
* ''All In (concert residency), Ricky Martin: Behind the Vegas Residency'' (2017)
* ''
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey'' (2020)
* ''El cuartito'' (2021)
Theatre
*''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' (1996), Broadway –
Marius Pontmercy
Marius Pontmercy () is a fictional character, one of the protagonists of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. He is a young student, and the suitor of Cosette. Believing Cosette lost to him, and determined to die, he joins the revolutio ...
*''
Evita Evita may refer to:
Arts
* Evita (1996 film), ''Evita'' (1996 film), a 1996 American musical drama film based on the 1976 concept album of the same name
* Evita (2008 film), ''Evita'' (2008 film), a documentary about Eva Péron
* Evita (album), ''E ...
'' (2012), Broadway – Ché
Tours and residencies
Headlining tours
* Ricky Martin Tour (1992)
* Me Amaras Tour (1993–1994)
* A Medio Vivir Tour (1995–1997)
* Vuelve World Tour (1998)
*
Livin' la Vida Loca Tour
The Livin' La Vida Loco World Tour was the first major world concert tour by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin to support his first English-language album ''Ricky Martin''. The tour started in October 1999 and continued until October 2000.
The to ...
(1999–2000)
*
One Night Only with Ricky Martin
One Night Only with Ricky Martin (also known as Una Noche con Ricky Martin) was the worldwide Concert, concert tour by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin, in support of his 2005 album ''Life (Ricky Martin album), Life''. The tour visited the Americ ...
(2005–2006)
*
Black and White Tour (2007)
*
Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour
The Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour (also known as the M.A.S. Tour) was the eighth concert tour by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Ricky Martin. The tour supported his ninth studio album, ''Música + Alma + Sexo'' (2011). It began with a series o ...
(2011)
*
Ricky Martin Live
Ricky Martin Live was the ninth concert tour by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It supported his compilation album, '' Greatest Hits: Souvenir Edition''. The tour started in Newcastle on October 3, 2013 and continued across Australia for three ...
(2013–2014)
* Live in Mexico (2014)
*
One World Tour (2015–2018)
* Ricky Martin en Concierto (2018-2019)
*
Movimiento Tour
The Movimiento Tour was the eleventh tour by Puerto Rican recording artist Ricky Martin, in support of his eleventh studio album, which was set to be called ''Movimiento'' (2020). The tour began in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the José Miguel Agrel ...
(2020-2022)
Co-headlining tour
*
Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Live in Concert
The Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin Live in Concert was a co-headlining concert tour by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias and Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin. The tour began in Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada on September 25, 2021 an ...
(with Enrique Iglesias) (2021)
Residency
*
All In (2017–2018)
See also
* Honorific nicknames in popular music
* List of artists who reached number one in the United States
* List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
* List of Latin pop artists
* List of multilingual bands and artists
* List of Grammy Award winners and nominees by country#Puerto Rico, List of Puerto Rican Grammy Award winners and nominees
* List of Puerto Ricans
* List of Urbano artists
Notes
References
Book sources
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Ricky
Ricky Martin,
1971 births
Living people
20th-century LGBT people
20th-century Puerto Rican male actors
20th-century Puerto Rican male singers
20th-century Puerto Rican singers
21st-century LGBT people
21st-century Puerto Rican male actors
21st-century Puerto Rican male singers
21st-century Puerto Rican singers
American gay actors
American gay musicians
American humanitarians
American male pop singers
American male singer-songwriters
Columbia Records artists
Echo (music award) winners
Grammy Award winners
Hispanic and Latino American male actors
Hispanic and Latino American musicians
Latin Grammy Award winners
Latin music songwriters
Latin pop singers
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honorees
LGBT entertainers from Puerto Rico
LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people
LGBT people in Latin music
LGBT rights activists from the United States
LGBT singers from the United States
Male actors from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Menudo (band) members
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Naturalised citizens of Spain
Puerto Rican activists
Puerto Rican expatriates in Australia
Puerto Rican expatriates in Mexico
Puerto Rican expatriates in Spain
Puerto Rican male film actors
Puerto Rican male soap opera actors
Puerto Rican male television actors
Puerto Rican people of Basque descent
Puerto Rican people of Canarian descent
Puerto Rican people of Corsican descent
Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent
Puerto Rican philanthropists
Puerto Rican pop singers
Puerto Rican record producers
Puerto Rican singer-songwriters
Singers from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sony Music Latin artists
Sony Music Spain artists
Spanish-language singers of the United States
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors
World Music Awards winners