“Livin’ la Vida Loca” (La vida loca means “the Crazy Life” in English) is a number-one hit song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on March 23, 1999 from Martin’s self-titled debut English album (he had previously released several albums in Spanish). The song was composed by Desmond Child and Draco Rosa and topped the charts during 1999. It received various Grammy Awards nominations and helped Ricky Martin obtain enormous success inside the United States and worldwide. In 2007, the song was ranked at number twenty-eight on the list of 100 Greatest Songs of the 90’s by VH1. It is Martin’s signature song.
“Livin’ la Vida Loca” is generally seen as the song that began the Latin pop explosion of 1999 and made the transition of other Spanish-speaking artists (first Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias, then later Shakira and Thalía) into the English-speaking market easier. Before this time, most non-Latino Americans had never heard of Ricky Martin until what CNN reported was a show-stopping performance of “La Copa de la Vida” at the 41st Grammy Awards show, which became a catalyst in bringing Latin pop to the forefront of the U.S. music scene. “Livin’ la Vida Loca” sold over 8 million copies, making it one of the best selling singles of all time.
Tag: Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin – Vida
“Vida” (English: “Life”) is a song recorded by Puerto Rican pop musician Ricky Martin for the One Love, One Rhythm – The 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Album (2014). It was written by Martin, Salaam Remi and Elijah King and produced by Remi. The song was chosen in a musical contest organized by FIFA and Sony Music which King won, and it was subsequently arranged for Martin to record the track. It was digitally released as the second official single from the compilation album on April 22, 2014. “Vida” is a Latin pop song that features guitar, ukulele, percussion, horn and exotic sounds with a Caribbean feel.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics who praised the liveliness of the track and noted the consistency with other songs performed by Martin. It peaked at number 10 on the US Hot Latin Songs and became Martin’s 23rd top-ten single on the chart. An accompanying music video, directed by Kátia Lund and Lívia Gama of Bossa Nova Films, was shot in Rio de Janeiro. It features Martin singing and dancing on the beach accompanied by around 100 other people. Martin performed the song on several occasions including at the 2014 Latin Billboard Music Awards and on season eighteen of the Dancing with the Stars US series.