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Released: May 11, 1999


Genre: Latin pop


Quotable: --


Album Tracks:

  1. Livin’ la Vida Loca
  2. Spanish Eyes
  3. She’s All I Ever Had
  4. Shake Your Bon-Bon
  5. Be Careful (Cuidado con Mi Corazón) (with Madonna)
  6. I Am Made of You
  7. Love You for a Day
  8. Private Emotion (with Meja)
  9. The Cup of Life
  10. You Stay with Me
  11. Livin’ la Vida Loca (Spanish Version)
  12. I Count the Minutes
  13. Bella (She’s All I Ever Had)
  14. Maria


Rating: 3.333 (average of 3 ratings)


Sales:

sales in U.S. only 7 million
sales in U.K. only - estimated 300,000
sales in all of Europe as determined by IFPI – click here to go to their site. 2 million
sales worldwide - estimated 20 million


Peak:

peak on U.S. Billboard album chart 1 1
peak on U.K. album chart 2


Singles/Hit Songs:

  • Maria (7/20/96) #88 US, #6 UK
  • The Cup of Life (6/27/96) #31a US, #29 UK
  • Livin’ la Vida Loca (4/17/99) #1 US, #1 UK, #18 AC. Platinum single.
  • She’s All I Ever Had (8/7/99) #2 US, #4 AC. Gold single.
  • Shake Your Bon-Bon (11/20/99) #22 US, #12 UK
  • Private Emotion (2/26/00) #67 US, #9 UK, #21 AC


Awards:

Rated one of the top 1000 albums of all time by Dave’s Music Database. Click to learn more. One of the Top 100 All-Time World’s Best-Selling Albums


Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Review:
“It was just a matter of time before Ricky Martin broke into the pop mainstream. By the end of the ‘90s, he was no longer the kid that used to be in Menudo or the General Hospital heartthrob – he was a genuine star, ready to bust out of the Latin pop ghetto” (Erlewine).

“His dynamic performance at the 1999 Grammys stole the show, announcing his presence to middle America – and conveniently paving the way for the May release of Ricky Martin, his second eponymous album but first English-language record. Like most records that are crafted to sell an artist to a larger audience – think Celine Dion’s Falling Into YouRicky Martin is a big, bold album with something to please everyone, from his longtime Latin fans to housewives with a weakness for dramatic ballads” (Erlewine).

“Reportedly two years in the making, the album never makes a wrong move, balancing infectious dance-pop with immaculately crafted power ballads, mid-tempo pop, straight-ahead rockers, and, of course, the inevitable cameos: Madonna on Be Careful (Cuidado con Mi Corazón) and Meja on Private Emotion” (Erlewine).

“Since each track has been so carefully constructed to stand on its own (most likely as a single), the album plays as a series of moments, some more thrilling than others. Although there is inarguably some filler cluttering the record – and although the production sounds weirdly dated, with tracks like I Count the Minutes and She’s All I Ever Had sounding for all the world as if they were cut in 1985 – most of the moments work” (Erlewine).

“The opening quartet (Livin’ la Vida Loca, Spanish Eyes, ‘She’s All I Ever Had,’ and the irresistibly stupid Shake Your Bon-Bon) is positively intoxicating. If the rest of the album doesn’t live up to the opening salvo, Martin does carry the day with his fine voice and undeniable charisma – even when the songs aren’t distinctive, he brings them alive. And that’s the sign of a true star” (Erlewine).


Review Source(s):


Last updated March 28, 2008.