Ricky Martin

• 1. Introduction

  ›

  Ricky Martin once played a new song for a record executive and was told he had ruined his career. The Puerto Rican singer, born Enrique Martín Morales in San Juan, had walked away from the ballads that filled his first two albums. In their place was a blend of Latin styles with an African-influenced sound, and the executive predicted it would be his last album.

  The song was "María", and it went on to top the charts in 20 countries. Martin has since sold over 70 million records.

  How did a child performer from San Juan become a figure credited with opening the American mainstream to Latin pop? Why did one television performance change how audiences heard Spanish-language music? And what did it cost him to be so famous while guarding part of his life?

  5860476963

• 2. Menudo Years

  ›

  Enrique Martín Morales was born on the 24th of December 1971 in San Juan, and the people closest to him called him Kiki. His parents divorced when he was two. He moved easily between his mother's home, his father's house in the suburb of University Gardens, and his paternal grandmother's place nearby. Years later he told People that he never had to decide whom he loved more.

  At six, Martin was already singing, with wooden kitchen spoons standing in for microphones. His songs came from Menudo, the Puerto Rican boy band, and from rock groups such as Led Zeppelin, Journey and REO Speedwagon. His maternal grandfather was a poet. Martin says that whether he faces twenty people or one hundred thousand, he feels again the energy of his family's gatherings.

  By nine he was appearing in television commercials for soft drinks, toothpaste and fast food, including Orange Crush and Burger King. He starred in 11 of them within about a year and a half. At Colegio Sagrado Corazón, a bilingual Catholic school, he was an average student.

  Menudo had been formed in Puerto Rico in 1977, and its rule was that members were replaced at 16 so the band stayed full of fresh-faced boys. Martin auditioned twice and was turned away both times for being too short. At the third audition his persistence won over the executives, and in 1984, at 12, he replaced Ricky Melendez.

  His debut with the group came a month later, at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in San Juan. He wandered across the stage when the choreography called for him to stand still, and the band manager scolded him afterward. Martin remembered the lesson this way: "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."

  While Martin was a member, Menudo released 11 albums. Evolución, from 1984, was nominated for a Grammy and carried his debut single, "Rayo de Luna". The 1985 album Menudo had the highest chart position and the longest run on the US Billboard 200 of any of their records. It included "Hold Me", which peaked at number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains the group's only entry there. Billboard, Rolling Stone and Complex have all placed it on lists of the best boy band songs.

  The group also took him to television, in an episode of The Love Boat in 1985 and the Argentine soap opera Por Siempre Amigos in 1987. As UNICEF ambassadors, the members gave him his first taste of philanthropy. The pace of the band's schedule and its strict management wore him out, and he later said the experience cost him his childhood. He still valued the chance to meet remarkable people.

  In July 1989, at 17, Martin left Menudo, hoping to rest and think about his direction. He had stayed a few extra months beyond the age limit, and his last show was at the same venue as his first. He went home to Puerto Rico and finished high school. Having been a minor in Menudo, he had not been allowed to touch his own bank accounts. Thirteen days after turning 18, he moved to New York City to celebrate his independence.

  59101520

• 3. Detours Before Stardom

  ›

  New York University's Tisch School of the Arts accepted Martin in 1990, but a friend's invitation to Mexico City ended his plans for college. There he saw the musical comedy Mama Ama el Rock and was offered the chance to replace one of its actors. He said yes, dropped out of university and moved south.

  A producer in the audience noticed his acting and offered him a part in the Mexican telenovela Alcanzar una estrella II, which aired in 1991. A film spinoff, Más que alcanzar una estrella, followed in 1992 and earned him an El Heraldo Award.

  A Sony Discos executive who had seen him in the soap operas offered him a first solo recording contract. Martin was so eager, and so hurried by the executive, that he signed without reading it. The deal paid him one cent for each album sold. He still called the record the start of something phenomenal.

  His debut, Ricky Martin, came out on the 26th of November 1991, after he worked around the clock to finish the telenovela and the recording. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart and spent 41 weeks there. It sold over 500,000 copies worldwide and went gold in several countries. Its singles included "Fuego Contra Fuego", "El Amor de Mi Vida" and "Dime Que Me Quieres". The first two reached the top 10 of the Hot Latin Tracks chart. His tour of Latin America broke box office records, which he described as "an indescribable feeling, almost like coming home".

  For his second album, Me Amaras, in 1993, his record company paired him with the Spanish musician Juan Carlos Calderón. Martin felt grateful for the chance but said: "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 1993 Martin also survived two frightening episodes. He was injured in a car accident, and a plane that had just flown him to San Diego for an interview crashed right after dropping him off.

  In 1994 his agent urged him to move to Los Angeles for an American sitcom, Getting By. It was canceled after two seasons, and he soon won the role of Miguel Morez on the soap opera General Hospital. Morez was a long-haired Puerto Rican bartender and singer, hiding in the United States from his lover's criminal mastermind father. Martin played him for two years and became one of the soap's most talked-about actors.

  On General Hospital, Martin felt he lacked chemistry with the rest of the cast. He also noticed that people treated him differently because of his Puerto Rican accent, since Latin actors were still uncommon on American television. Some people suggested accent reduction classes. He refused.

  2930313237

• 4. María to the Grammys

  ›

  A Medio Vivir, released in September 1995, sold over three million copies worldwide. It went gold in the United States, platinum in France and 4× platinum in Spain. Its hits included "Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo", "María" and "Volverás". Martin says he is extremely proud of "María".

  In Australia, "María" spent six weeks at number one and topped the 1998 year-end chart. In France it held the top spot for nine weeks and went diamond, selling over 1.4 million copies. It reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom and became Martin's first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide it sold over five million physical copies, and the 1999 edition of The Guinness Book of Records named it the biggest Latin hit.

  The A Medio Vivir Tour ran for more than two years and covered 63 shows across Europe, Latin America and the United States. During a 1996 interview with The Miami Herald, Martin said he would like to perform on Broadway. Within days, the producer Richard Jay-Alexander phoned and offered him the part of Marius Pontmercy in Les Misérables. After the Latin American leg ended, Martin returned to New York for an eleven-week run. He called it an honor and "the role of his life".

  Vuelve was recorded while that tour was still going, an experience Martin described as "brutal and incredibly intense". As he finished the record in 1997, FIFA noticed "María" and asked him for an anthem for the 1998 World Cup. He admitted the request made him nervous. The potential for growth was too large to refuse, so he accepted. K.C. Porter, Robi Rosa and Desmond Child joined him to write "La Copa de la Vida", which means "The Cup of Life".

  From then on, Martin said, the team treated the album as a global strategy. They chose and arranged songs with one aim, which was to get the whole world dancing and singing in Spanish. Vuelve came out on the 12th of February 1998. His label called it the best-selling Spanish-language album in history, with over eight million copies, though some sources report six million. It spent 26 weeks atop the US Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.

  The title track and "Perdido Sin Ti" both reached number one on the Hot Latin Tracks chart. "La Copa de la Vida" charted in more than 60 countries and reached number one in 30. On the 12th of July 1998, Martin performed it as the official anthem at the World Cup final in France, in front of more than a billion television viewers.

  The Recording Academy and the wider music industry paid little attention to Latin music then. Tommy Mottola, the head of Columbia Records, was sure of Martin's stardom and pushed hard to get him onto the Grammy stage. On the 24th of February 1999, at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, Martin performed a bilingual version of "La Copa de la Vida" with a 15-piece band, dancers and percussionists. It drew a standing ovation and warm reviews. That same night Vuelve won him his first Grammy Award, for Best Latin Pop Performance.

  3440414758

• 5. Crossing Over

  ›

  In October 1998, CNN confirmed that Martin was working on his first album in English. Called Ricky Martin, it arrived on the 11th of May 1999, two weeks ahead of schedule, because demand surged after the Grammy performance. Tim Devin, general manager of Tower Records, said interest in Martin had risen considerably since that night.

  Ricky Martin debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 661,000 copies in its first week. That was the biggest sales week of any album in 1999 and a record for any pop or Latin artist. Martin became the first male Latin act to debut at number one on that chart. The RIAA certified the album 7× platinum, meaning more than seven million shipments in the United States. Within three months it was the best-selling album ever by a Latin artist. Estimates of worldwide sales run between 15 million and 17 million.

  "Livin' la Vida Loca", the lead single, topped the charts in more than 20 countries and is considered his biggest hit. It spent five consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In Britain it debuted at number one and stayed there three weeks, making Martin the first Puerto Rican artist to top the UK chart. Canada gave it eight consecutive weeks at the top. Elle ranked it the best 90s pop song.

  At the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, the video for "Livin' la Vida Loca" earned a nomination for Video of the Year, a first for a Latin artist. It won five awards that night. The follow-up single, "She's All I Ever Had", arrived in June 1999 and reached number two on the Hot 100. Its Spanish version, "Bella", topped the charts in five countries. The Livin' la Vida Loca Tour then became the highest-grossing tour of 2000 by a Latin artist in the United States.

  Sound Loaded arrived on the 14th of November 2000 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with 318,000 copies in its first week. Sales have been put at seven or eight million worldwide. "She Bangs" reached number one in seven countries, including Italy and Sweden. "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was re-recorded with Christina Aguilera and topped the charts in five countries.

  The video for "She Bangs" caused a stir. Its explicit sexual scenes drew complaints, several American television stations cut them, and some Latin American countries, including the Dominican Republic, banned it. According to John Dingwall of the Daily Record, the video let Martin shed his teen idol image for a more mature one. Martin told MTV News the video was about freedom, not his sexuality. It still won Best Music Video at the 2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

  In February 2001 came La Historia, a Spanish compilation that spent five weeks at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart. That year it was also announced that Martin would star opposite Jennifer Lopez in a remake of Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas. The film never happened.

  6462729192

• 6. Reinventions

  ›

  Sony Music Entertainment's plan after Sound Loaded called for a third English album, but Martin wanted otherwise. After a two-year hiatus he told himself and his team: "I woke up five months ago, and I said 'We're doing an album in Spanish.'"

  Almas del Silencio arrived in May 2003 and debuted at number one on the Top Latin Albums chart with 65,000 copies in its first week. That was the largest opening ever for a Spanish-language album in the United States. It also entered the Billboard 200 at number 12. The single "Tal Vez" debuted at number one on the Hot Latin Tracks chart, only the sixth song in the chart's history to do so. It held the top spot for 11 weeks, which beat "Livin' la Vida Loca" as the longest run of his career.

  Life, his third English album, came out in October 2005, and Martin described it as multi-layered, a record about anger, joy and uncertainty. In August 2006 he taped MTV Unplugged in Miami, mixing romantic ballads with tropical dance songs. The album debuted at number one on Top Latin Albums, sold over two million copies worldwide and won two Latin Grammy Awards. In 2007 he released "Non siamo soli", an Italian duet with Eros Ramazzotti that spent eleven consecutive weeks at number one in Italy.

  Música + Alma + Sexo, released in January 2011, debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. That was the highest debut for a mostly Spanish-language album since Selena's Dreaming of You in 1995. It is also the highest-charting Latin album of the 2010s.

  In February 2012 Martin appeared on Glee as a Spanish teacher named David Martinez. From March 2012 to January 2013 he played Ché in the Broadway revival of Evita. The production broke its theater's box-office record after only six performances and then broke its own record six more times. It was nominated for Best Revival of a Musical at the 66th Tony Awards.

  In 2013 Martin replaced Keith Urban as a coach on the second season of the Australian version of The Voice. He stayed through the fourth season in 2015. Lars Brandle of Billboard observed in 2014 that Martin's profile in Australia had never been bigger. That year Martin also released "Vida" for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and it reached the top five in Spain.

  A Quien Quiera Escuchar came out in February 2015 and won Best Latin Pop Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. "La Mordidita" was certified 15× Latin platinum in the United States, and its video has passed 1.2 billion views on YouTube. As executive producer and judge of Univision's La Banda, Martin helped find the winners CNCO, billed as the first boy band to make reggaeton. He then became their manager and produced their debut album, Primera Cita.

  On the 23rd of September 2016 he released "Vente Pa' Ca" with the Colombian singer Maluma. It reached number one in seven countries, and its video has passed 1.75 billion YouTube views. He then took a Las Vegas residency called All In at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in 2017 and 2018. In The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story he played the designer's partner Antonio D'Amico, a role described as the acting opportunity of his career. It earned him an Emmy nomination at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards.

  The 61st Annual Grammy Awards opened with Martin performing alongside Camila Cabello, J Balvin, Young Thug and Arturo Sandoval. In 2019 he also coached on the Italian show Amici di Maria De Filippi and hosted the 20th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in November. His next album, first called Movimiento, was inspired by that year's political protests in Puerto Rico. The pandemic and later personal experiences led him to split it into two extended plays, Pausa in May 2020 and Play on the 13th of July 2022. Pausa won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 21st Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

  On the 13th of November 2020, Netflix released Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, in which Martin voices the villainous figure Don Juan Diego. In April 2021 his duet "Canción Bonita" with the Colombian singer Carlos Vives reached number one in 12 countries. On the 8th of February 2026 he joined Bad Bunny and Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl LX halftime show, performing Bad Bunny's song "Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii", which means "What Happened to Hawaii".

  9396985521

• 7. Privacy and Pride

  ›

  In 2000, the journalist Barbara Walters asked Martin on national television to end the rumors by saying whether he was gay. His answer was "I just don't feel like it". He later said the question left him feeling violated, because he was not ready to come out and was very afraid. He called the aftermath "a little fake PTSD" that still haunts him. Through the 2000s he steered interviewers away from his personal life.

  In August 2008 Martin became a father to twin boys born through gestational surrogacy. He chose surrogacy because it seemed faster and more intriguing than adoption, which was complicated and could take a long time. In March 2010 he came out in a message on his website: "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am."

  In interviews he said he likes both men and women and opposes sexual labels. He also said he would not want an ongoing relationship with a woman: "Men are my thing." He has said that writing his memoir, Me, was one of the reasons he came out when he did. The book was published on the 2nd of November 2010, with a Spanish edition titled Yo, and spent several weeks at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.

  Carlos González Abella, a Puerto Rican economist, was his first partner after coming out, and they dated from 2010 to 2014. On the 30th of March 2016, the Syrian-Swedish painter Jwan Yosef posted a photo of himself with Martin on Instagram, captioned "Obviously we're starting a band." In January 2018 Martin confirmed that he had secretly married Yosef. They announced a daughter on the 31st of December 2018 and a son on the 29th of October 2019, and all of Martin's children were born through surrogacy. In July 2023 the couple announced their separation and divorce after six years of marriage.

  In 2021, the once-guarded star appeared on the cover of People beneath the headline "No More Secrets". He told the magazine he was more comfortable in his own skin than ever before.

  The Ricky Martin Foundation, which Martin launched in 2004, works against human trafficking. In January 2005, after the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, he went to Thailand to assess the needs of young survivors who were extremely vulnerable to traffickers. The foundation partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build 224 homes for affected families, finished in December 2006. In March 2006 it joined the International Organization for Migration on the Llama y Vive campaign.

  Martin was raised Catholic, and he has admitted that he once believed homosexuality was evil. He felt shame and directed his anger at gay men, a reaction he now calls internalized homophobia. After coming out he became a visible advocate. Lucas Villa of Billboard wrote that Martin was the first mainstream Latin music artist to come out, and that his career surviving it gave hidden gay artists a beacon of hope.

  In June 2019 he published an open letter opposing a Puerto Rican religious liberty bill, saying he spoke as a defender of human rights and a member of the LGBTT community. Puerto Rico's then-governor withdrew his support of the bill after the statement.

  294568

• 8. Influences and Legacy

  ›

  Martin credits Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Michael Jackson and Madonna with teaching him the beauty of pop. Of Madonna he says: "I know every choreography of Madonna." His mother interrupted her sons' classic rock listening with records by Fania All-Stars, Celia Cruz, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and Gilberto Santa Rosa. She once took them to a Fania All-Stars concert, and he says he is beyond grateful. He names Carlos Santana, José Feliciano, Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan as artists who paved his way.

  David Bowie's ambiguous sexuality inspired him. As a teenager he wondered whether he wanted to be like Elton John or simply admired his music, colors and wigs. Barbra Streisand gave him a different ambition: "I want to be an entertainer, not just a singer."

  Martin sings in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian and French. He calls his music Latin pop, a spectrum so broad that outside influences are inevitable, so long as his identity stays firm. He says his songs can make people dance without being meaningless, and that they address love and heartbreak as well as freedom of expression and social justice. Critics describe a dramatic tenor, and Variety's Peter Gilstrap praised a powerful voice that can belt or lilt.

  Many publications call Martin the King of Latin Pop. His late-1990s success is widely seen as the start of the Latin explosion. Rob Prinz, then head of United Talent Agency, called his Grammy performance "the single biggest game changing moment for any artist in the history of the Grammys". Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, Santana and Enrique Iglesias followed with crossover albums of their own.

  The Hollywood Reporter says "La Copa de la Vida" became a musical template for World Cup anthems. Later songs copied its blend of Latin and dance styles and its "Ole! Ole! Ole!" chant. Olivier Pérou of Le Point wrote that, thanks to "María", some people even learned to count to three in Spanish.

  Martin has won over 200 awards, more than any other male Latin artist, including two Grammy Awards and five Latin Grammy Awards. In 2007 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6901 Hollywood Blvd. On the 11th of October 2007, Miami Beach mayor David Dermer gave him the key to the city. Puerto Rico named the 31st of August International Ricky Martin Day in 2008, and Spain granted him nationality in 2011. In 2018 New York City proclaimed the 7th of June Ricky Martin Day.

  The Menudo years returned to screens in Subete a Mi Moto, a 15-episode series that premiered on Amazon Prime Video on the 9th of October 2020. The actors Felipe Albors and Ethan Schwartz played Martin. Rolling Stone's Suzy Exposito argued that by risking his career to come out, Martin set the scene for Bad Bunny to be free in ways Martin could not be at his own breakthrough.

  5820197644