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 written by Desmond Child, Victoria Shaw, and Gary Burr and produced by Child; the duet received additional production from Walter Afanasieff. The duet was released by Columbia Records on January 9, 2001, as the second single from the album. A mid-tempo pop song and power ballad with elements of flamenco and Latin music, it is about heartbreak and longing.

"Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" received widely positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the singers' vocals. The song was listed among the Greatest Love Songs by VH1. It was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, losing the award to Aguilera's other contender, "Lady Marmalade". The song was commercially successful, peaking at number one in Hungary, New Zealand, and Romania while topping Poland's airplay chart and Croatia's foreign song chart. It also reached the top five in Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, among others. In Australia and Canada, it became a top-10 hit. The song has received several certifications, including silver in the UK.

A Spanish-language solo version of the song, entitled "Sólo Quiero Amarte" (), penned by Martin and percussionist Danny Lopez, was recorded by the former and released in the United States. This version reached the summit of the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks, Latin Pop Songs, and Tropical/Salsa charts in the United States. To promote the English version of the song, Martin and Aguilera performed it on several television programs and award shows, such as the 2001 World Music Awards. The accompanying music videos for the duet and Spanish versions were directed by American director Wayne Isham and filmed in Florida. Several contestants on various music talent shows have covered the song.

Background and release

From 1999 to 2000, Ricky Martin embarked on his fifth tour, the Livin' la Vida Loca Tour, to promote his first English album, ''Ricky Martin''. While on tour in 2000, Martin returned to the studio and began recording material for his sixth studio album, ''Sound Loaded''. The album was released on November 14, 2000, by Columbia Records, and a solo version of "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was included as the fifth track on the album. A Spanish version of the song, titled "Sólo Quiero Amarte" () was featured as the 15th track on the Latin American edition of the album with the same release date.

Martin re-recorded the song along with Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas in December 2000 for the 11th Annual ''Billboard'' Music Awards. Aguilera wrote about the re-recording in an online message: "An incredible music and career opportunity has come up for me to record a duet with Ricky Martin." In an interview with the Grammy Awards in 2021, Martin talked about collaborating with Aguilera: "Every time I talk about Christina, it brings a smile o my facebecause I think it was a very powerful track. Her delivery, her performance like always was beautiful." The duet was released to radio stations in the United States, by Columbia Records on January 9, 2001, as the second single from ''Sound Loaded''. The track was not released in a major commercially available single format in the United States, and consumers could purchase the song only with buying the album. Those who had already bought the album could download it from Martin's website for free or mail a sticker from their copy of the album, receiving a free CD with the new version of "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely".

A maxi single, including all three versions of the song (solo, duet, and Spanish), as well as a remix of Martin's previous song, "She Bangs", was released in Europe, on January 16, 2001. Additionally, CD singles of the suetwere launched in Australia and the United Kingdom, on February 26, 2001. The promo CD of the Spanish version was released in the US and includes a salsa version of "Sólo Quiero Amarte" recorded by Martin. The duet version of "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was later added to Martin's compilation albums ''The Best of Ricky Martin'' (2001), '' 17'' (2008), ''Greatest Hits'' (2011), '' Playlist: The Very Best of Ricky Martin'' (2012), and '' Greatest Hits: Souvenir Edition'' (2013), and Aguilera's '' Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits'' (2008), while "Sólo Quiero Amarte" was added to Martin's '' La Historia'' (2001).

Music and lyrics

Musically, the re-recorded version of "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" is a mid-tempo pop song and power ballad, featuring elements of flamenco and Latin music. ''The News Journal'' noted that the duet features a more "danced-up" melody than the original, which was simply a ballad. Both the solo and duet versions of "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" were written by Desmond Child, Victoria Shaw, and Gary Burr, while the production for the solo version was handled by Desmond Child and the duet's production was handled by Walter Afanasieff. Martin and Danny Lopez co-wrote "Sólo Quiero Amarte".

According to the duet version's sheet music on Musicnotes.com, "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" uses piano and guitar and is composed in the key of B♭ minor with a groove of 100 beats per minute. Martin and Aguilera's vocals span from the low note of D♭₄ to the high note of D♭₆. The album version track runs for a total of five minutes and five seconds, while the duet runs for a total of 4 minutes and 12 seconds. According to Stephen Daw from ''Billboard'', "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" is a love song about "heartbreak" and "longing", as well as "love, lose, and hope" according to mitú's Cristal Mesa, with lyrics including, "Nobody wants to be lonely / Nobody wants to cry / My body's longing to hold you / So bad, it hurts inside / Time is precious and it's slipping away / And I've been waiting for you all of my life".

Critical reception

"Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" has been met with widely positive reviews from music critics. ''Billboard'' staff reviewed the duet version, following its release in January 2001, writing that the song was "edgier and sexier" than Martin's previous works and calling his vocal performance with Aguilera "radiant". They described the track as "the combination of two of pop music's most sexually charged performers", mentioning the song's "sensuality" and its "feel-good vibe". British trade paper ''Music Week'' referred to the duet as a "pop swayer" and noted its "perfect" performance. AllMusic reviewer Jose F. Promis wrote that the duet version was more "bombastic" than the solo album version. The ''Los Angeles Times'' staff described the singers as "two of pop's hottest heartthrobs". ''Tango''s Alice Kelly stated: "These two harmonize each other so beautifully that anyone would be convinced their love story was real." Writing for '' The Advocate'', Gina Vivinetto praised "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely", saying the singers "blended their voices beautifully" on the track. Cristal Mesa from mitú described them as "two vocal powerhouses" and said they "definitely keep your attention as they sing" the song.

In 2017, ''Bustle'' critic Mathew Jedeikin gave the song a positive review, saying it is "basically a cult classic". He added that although the track "seemed underappreciated" in 2001, it "has lived on as one of the most iconic duets of the early 2000s". Kevin Apaza from Direct Lyrics labeled the song "an iconic hit", and Mark Blankenship from NewNowNext described it as "spectacular". In 2018, Stephen Daw from ''Billboard'' placed it among Aguilera's 10 best collaborations in her career, saying "no two musical artists scream 'early aughts' quite like" Martin and Aguilera, describing them as "two icons". Also from ''Billboard'', Rebecca Schiller named the duet one of Aguilera's "most memorable collaborations". Writing for ''O, The Oprah Magazine'', Amanda Mitchell ranked the track as Martin's third-best song on her 2019 list. In the same year, Gary James of ''Entertainment Focus'' ranked the song as Aguilera's second-biggest duet. ''Idolator''s Mike Wass acknowledged it as her sixth-best collaboration in 2021.

Accolades

"Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was ranked at number 65 on VH1's "100 Greatest Love Songs". ''Tango'' ranked it at numbers 35 and 89 on the lists of "100 Best 2000s Love Songs To Play On Repeat" and "100 Songs About Loneliness For When You're Feeling Alone", respectively. In ''The Advocate'', the song was placed in the ninth position on their "10 Best Queer Duets" list in 2015. In 2017, ''E! Online'' named it the fourth-best duet with a Latin star. The following year, in Yardbarker, the duet placed at number six on the list of best musical collaborations featuring Latin artists. In 2021, BuzzFeed listed Martin and Aguilera as the eighth famous musicians who had the "best musical chemistry of all time". "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was nominated for Choice Music – Love Song at the 2001 Teen Choice Awards. The song was also nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards but lost to "Lady Marmalade" by Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa, and Pink. "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" won the silver award for Top Duet at the 2002 RTHK International Pop Awards. It earned a nomination for Best Collaboration at the 2001 Music Television Awards.

Commercial performance

"Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" became an international hit. On the week of January 27, 2001, it debuted on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 66. The following week, the song rose to number 34, becoming that week's highest climber as well as the greatest airplay gainer with an audience jump of 13 million. Three issues later, the duet peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100, becoming Martin's fourth and Aguilera's fifth top-20 hit in the US. The song spent a total of 20 weeks on the Hot 100. It also reached the top 10 on three other ''Billboard'' rankings: the Adult Contemporary chart (number three), the Mainstream Top 40 (number eight), and the Top 40 Tracks chart (number 10). In addition, the song appeared on the Rhythmic and Adult Top 40 charts, peaking at numbers 20 and 27, respectively. The Spanish-language version of the song, "Sólo Quiero Amarte", debuted at number 18 on ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks on the chart issue dated February 10, 2001. It subsequently reached number one on April 7, 2001, and stayed there for four weeks, giving Martin his sixth number-one hit on the chart. It also topped the Latin Pop Songs and Tropical/Salsa listings. On the Canadian Singles Chart, "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" charted for seven weeks, achieving a peak of number six on April 28, 2001.

In the United Kingdom, the song debuted and peaked at number four on March 4, 2001, staying on the UK Singles Chart for 12 weeks. In July 2020, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the song silver for sales and streams exceeding 200,000 units. The record failed to enter the top 10 in Ireland, where it reached number 12 for two weeks and stayed in the top 30 for five weeks. In mainland Europe, the track topped four national rankings: Hungary's Mahasz chart, the Romanian Top 100, Poland's National Airplay chart, and Croatia's Foreign Singles chart. The song also reached number two in Greece, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland; number three in the Netherlands and Sweden; number four in Finland; and number five in Germany, Norway, and Portugal. In Denmark, the song peaked at number six, and IFPI Danmark awarded the song a gold certification for shipping over 4,000 copies. The record has also been certified gold in the Netherlands (40,000 units shipped), Sweden (15,000 units shipped), and Switzerland (20,000 units shipped). Elsewhere in Europe, "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" peaked at number 11 in the Flanders region of Belgium, number 13 in Austria, number 16 in Belgium's Wallonia region, and number 28 in France. On the European Hot 100 Singles ranking, the song reached number two in March 2001.

On February 18, 2001, "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" debuted at number 27 on New Zealand's RIANZ Singles Chart. The following week, the track rose to number 20, then to number 12 three weeks in. After jumping to number two, the song ascended to number one, giving both Martin and Aguilera their second number-one hit; it was Martin's last song to chart until " Come with Me" in 2013. The song stayed at number one for two non-consecutive weeks, temporarily losing the number-one position to LeAnn Rimes' " Can't Fight the Moonlight" on the week of March 25, 2001, and remained in the top 50 for 17 weeks. In neighboring Australia, the track first appeared at number eight on the ARIA Singles Chart, which would become its peak. As such, it gave both Aguilera and Martin their fourth top-10 hit in Australia. After its debut, the song descended the chart, leaving the top 50 in May 2001 after logging nine weeks on the chart. The same month, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified the song gold for shipments of over 35,000 copies.

Music videos

The accompanying music video for "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was filmed at the Miami Biltmore Hotel in December 2000 and was directed by American director Wayne Isham, who had also directed the videos for Martin's previous singles " Vuelve", "The Cup of Life", " La Bomba", "Livin' la Vida Loca", "She Bangs", and "Shake Your Bon-Bon". The visual was aired on January 16, 2001, on MTV's ''Making the Video''. The video begins with several doves flying out of a historical building while Aguilera is standing alone in the foyer of the building. In the next scene, Martin is shown, leaning on the wall of an outdoor maze. The two start singing the song, and Aguilera shows off on the stairs out of the building while Martin watches her.

In another scene, Martin is seen outside standing between columns of the mansion. He and Aguilera then pass each other on the stairs and show love between themselves by hugging and spinning around each other. Martin touches her arm, and they look into each other's eyes. He once again passes by the columns, and the video depicts flying doves in the last scene. A music video was also filmed for "Sólo Quiero Amarte", which aired in 2001 and shows only Martin in the same scenes of "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" video, singing the Spanish song in different locations of the mansion by his own. Mallory Schlossberg from ''Bustle'' described "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" video set as "pretty epic", saying: "The architecture steals the show." Cristal Mesa from mitú named the visual Martin's 16th-best music video on her 2018 list and ''E! Online'' staff ranked it as Aguilera's 16th-best music video in 2021. It won the award for Outstanding Music Video at the 2002 ALMA Awards.

Live performances and appearances in media

Martin gave his first live performance of "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" at the 28th Annual American Music Awards on January 8, 2001. He and Aguilera delivered a performance of their collaboration on the BBC
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