Critics' reviews of the album were generally positive; they praised its uptempo tracks and its production, though some criticized it for containing too many ballads. Martin received several accolades, including theBest Latin Pop Performance at the41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999.Vuelve debuted at number one on the USBillboard Top Latin Albums chart and peaked at number forty on theBillboard 200. Martin's performance of "La Copa de la Vida" on the Grammy Awards show was credited for boosting the album's sales. Certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it sold more than 888,000 copies in the United States, standing as the10th best-selling Latin album in the country.Vuelve reached number one in Norway, Portugal, and Spain, as well as the top 10 in seven other countries, including Australia and Italy. As of 2008, the album had sold over six million copies worldwide.
Vuelve spawned six singles: its title track, "Vuelve", "La Copa de la Vida", "La Bomba", "Perdido Sin Ti", "Por Arriba, Por Abajo", and "Casi un Bolero". "Vuelve" and "Perdido Sin Ti" both reached number one on theBillboard Hot Latin Songs in the US while "La Copa de la Vida" became an international hit in both Europe and South America. For promotion, Martin embarked on the worldwide Vuelve tour performing in Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico, South America, and the United States.
KC Porter (left) andRobi Draco Rosa (right) co-producedVuelve and composed most of the tracks for the album.
In 1995,Ricky Martin released his third studio album,A Medio Vivir. On it, he shifted from his traditionalballad-style compositions to a riskier fusion of music focused on traditionalLatin sounds, epitomized by the song "María". Taken aback by the starkly different musical style, hisrecord label executives felt the song would ruin Martin's career. Despite this, "María" was chosen as the album's secondsingle and became a breakthrough success, reaching number one in France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Finland, Italy, Turkey, and the whole of South America.[1] As of 2014,A Medio Vivir has sold over three million copies worldwide.[2] "María" caught the attention ofFIFA.[3] They contacted Martin in the middle of his tour and asked him to write ananthem for the1998 World Cup; Martin subsequently recorded "La Copa de la Vida" (transl. "The Cup of Life") composed byKC Porter,Desmond Child, and fellow ex-member ofMenudoRobi Draco Rosa.[1][4] According to the vice president of marketing at Sony Music Europe, Richard Ogden, FIFA chose Martin because he "exemplified all of the ideals that organizers of the famed football (soccer) tournament wanted us to try to embody in music".[5]
While on tour in 1997, Martin returned to the studio and began recording material for his fourth studio album. He said the experience of touring and recording at the same time was "brutal and incredibly intense".[1] On December 7, 1997, Martin confirmed he was completing his next project and that the album would be released in February of the following year.[6] He worked on the album with producers Porter and Rosa, and recorded it in studios across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Spain.[7][8] The album's title,Vuelve, was announced on January 25, 1998. In an interview withCNN en Español, he emphasized it was going to "reaffirm the internationalization of my career and I know that it will help me a lot to destroy the stereotypes that may exist with my culture".[9]
A 19-second sample of "Hagamos el Amor", one of the album's ballads. TheLos Angeles Times critic Ernesto Lechner noted its "sly use of the orchestral passages".[10]
A 28-second sample of "Lola, Lola", one of the record's uptempo tracks. Richard Torres ofNewsday described the song as an "insinuating mix of twanging guitars, blaring horns and flamenco fury".[11]
"Vuelve", written by Venezuelan singer-songwriterFranco De Vita, was released as thelead single for the album and became Martin's first song to reach number one theBillboardHot Latin Songs chart.
The title track was released as the album's first single on January 26, 1998.[27] It was his first number-one song on theBillboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the US.[28] The song became a top five hit in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama, and on Mexico's ballads chart.[29][30][31] It reached number one in Costa Rica,[32] El Salvador,[33] Guatemala,[34] Honduras,[29] Nicaragua,[33] Peru,[35] and Venezuela.[36] The track was the theme song for the Mexican telenovelaSin ti (1997).[37] "La Copa de la Vida" was released as the second single on March 9, 1998.[4] The song grew to be an international success, appearing on the charts in more than 60 countries,[4] and reaching number one in 30 countries,[38] including Australia,[39] Belgium (Wallonia),[40] Costa Rica,[41] El Salvador,[34] France,[42] Germany,[43] Italy,[44] Panama,[41] Spain,[45] Nicaragua,[34] Sweden,[46] Switzerland,[47] Venezuela,[48] as well as topping theEuropean Hot 100 Singles chart.[44] It peaked at number two in Norway,[49] as well as on the ballads chart in Mexico,[50] and the Hot Latin Songs chart in the US.[28] The song has been ranked as the best World Cup anthem of all time by multiple publications.[51][52]
The third single fromVuelve, "La Bomba", was released on June 16, 1998; it reached number five in Spain, number 27 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, and ranked on several charts in Europe and Australia.[28][53][54] The album's fourth single, "Perdido Sin Ti", was released on August 18, 1998, and became Martin's second number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[28][55] "Por Arriba, Por Abajo", was the fifth single to be released fromVuelve on November 3, 1998; it reached number 13 in Spain and number 33 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[28][56] The album's final single, "Casi un Bolero", was launched on December 21, 1998.[57] "Corazonado" was released as apromotional single in the US and peaked at number 20 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[28][58]Music videos were filmed for "Vuelve", "La Copa de la Vida", "La Bomba", "Perdido Sin Ti", and "Por Arriba, Por Abajo".[59]
Sony Music releasedVuelve in Puerto Rico on February 12, 1998. Martin was on hand for the album's launch.[60][61] It was released on the same day in the United States, February 24 in Spain, and the following month across the rest of Europe and Southeast Asia. To promoteVuelve in Asian markets, Sony Music Asia released a promoCD containing three versions of "María", and "The Cup of Life" (the English-language version of "La Copa de la Vida").Sony Music Japan launched the album in the label's native country on March 25, 1998, to coincide with Martin's advertisement campaign forSuzuki.[5] The European edition ofVuelve includes theSpanglish radio edit of "La Copa de la Vida" while the Australian adds the radio edit of "María" as well; neither features the instrumental rendition of "Casi un Bolero".[62][63] The Japanese release includes the three aforementioned tracks.[64] For the Asian market, the album includes two more remixes of "La Copa de la Vida" in addition to a remix of "La Bomba", the Spanglish rendition of "Casi un Bolero" and Martin's previously recorded songs "Corazón" (transl. "Heart"), "Dónde Estarás" (transl. "Where Could You Be"), and "Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo" (transl. "I Miss You, I Forget You, I Love You").[65] Martin advertisedVuelve onSiempre en Domingo in Mexico andHey Hey It's Saturday in Australia.[66][67]
To further promoteVuelve, Martin embarked on the worldwide Vuelve Tour; he performed in Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico, South America, and the United States.[68][69] The day after releasing the album, Martin held two sold-out concerts at the 30,000-seatHiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico on February 13 and 14, 1998, respectively.[5] In South America, he performed in Argentina,[70] Chile,[71] Colombia,[72] Peru,[73] and Venezuela.[74] His shows in Venezuela and Peru were held asbenefit concerts, the former as part of "A Venezuela Without Drugs" campaign,[75] and the latter for the Foundation for Children of Peru .[76] Martin also participated in the second annual "Festival Presidente de Música Latino" in the Dominican Republic on June 26, 1997, where he had top billing for the event.[77] In Asia, he toured in India, China, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore.[78][79][80] A concert was planned for Indonesia in May of the same year but was cancelled because ofanti-government rioting.[81] In the US, he performed at theMiami Arena in Miami, theArrowhead Pond in Anaheim, andMadison Square Garden in New York.[82] His sold-out performance at the Arrowhead Pond grossed over $446,805 which landed it at number 10 on the Boxscore chart on November 7, 1998.[83] For this achievement, the concert's promoter, theNederlander Organization, presented Martin with the Estrella del Pond Award.[84] His show at Madison Square Garden grossed $632,180 placing it second on the Boxscore chart of November 10.[85]
A 14-piece band accompanied Martin during his tour, which included four backup vocalists alongside percussion and brass sections.[86][87] His hour-and-45 minute show consisted of 17 tracks of uptempo numbers and ballads fromVuelve and his earlier career.[70][86] Aside from the tour, Martin sang "The Cup of Life" live at the1998 FIFA World Cup Final in France, on the halftime show at theDallas Cowboys-New England Patriotsfootball game at theEstadio Azteca in Mexico City, and the 1999 Grammy Awards.[88][89]Billboard's John Lannert criticized Martin's presentation in Puerto Rico for the uneven number of slow-tempo anddance numbers as well as the awkward pauses when he changed outfits off-stage.[86] TheLos Angeles Times critic Ernesto Lechner felt that Martin "showcased his slick, masterfully composed pop material" at his show at the Arrowhead Pond but remarked that the singer "might have served himself and his fans better by performing a handful of nights at a more intimate venue than the Pond".[87]
Vuelve was met with generally favorable reviews frommusic critics with the uptempo tracks receiving with the most positive reactions.AllMusic's Jose F. Promis complimented Martin over how it "effectively balances" dance tracks and ballads. He cited "La Copa de la Vida" as the main highlight but preferred the original version on the album to the English-language adaption. He also lauded the other dance numbers from the record.[12] John Lannert ofBillboard magazine comparedVuelve toA Medio Vivir as a "like-minded package of meaty, bitter-sweet romantic ballads and chest-pumping, upbeat numbers". He felt the uptempo songs had the potential to be a hit.[18] Vilma Maldonado ofThe Monitor praised the record as "creative history" and its production as "seamless" and mentioned that "La Copa de la Copa" stands out the most.[91] Writing forVista magazine, Carmen Teresa Roiz described the record as a metamorphosis for Martin; she regarded it as the culmination of his music career in "all his splendor".[92]
In theSan Antonio Express-News, Ramiro Burr remarked Martin "took careful notes" following the success of "Maria" asVuelve "continues in that same party fever vein but with more intensity".[15] Burr complimented Porter for being able to maintain the "right balance between the gorgeousR&B drive of the horn and high-energy pop rhythms" on the production and commented that the ballads "serve only as breaks from dancing".[15]David Wild ofRolling Stone touted the record's "extremely polished and infectiousLatin pop that's immediately accessible even to dogged English-speaking types".[90] TheMiami Herald editorLeila Cobo wrote a positive review ofVuelve; she called the album a "collection ofbaila-able tunes interspersed with catchy pop ballads and felt the arrangements make it "stand above the often heavily synthesized Latin pop fray".[13] ForThe Dallas Morning News, Mario Tarradell complimented the singer for "showing a refreshing flair for diversity". He regarded the dance tunes "Lola, Lola", "La Bomba", and "Marcia Baila" as the best tracks on the album.[19]
Critics, however, were divided on the ballads. Promis found some of them forgettable, particularly on the second half of the record.[12] Maldonado found the hook on the title track to be "instant and unforgettable" a sentiment shared by Roiz whereas Cobo criticized it as one of the weakest songs from the album and felt its choruses were "irritating" as they overshadowed Martin's voice.[91][92][13] Burr's only complaint aboutVuelve was the inclusion of "No Importa la Distancia", describing it as "sappy" which Tarradell similarly expressed as an "unwelcome dose of sugary pap".[15][19] Tarradell also opined that the ballads "fell into excess" and called the instrumental version of "Casi un Bolero" an "overkill" although he praised "Vuelve" and "Perdido Sin Ti".[19] TheLos Angeles Times' Lechner commended Martin's vocal ability on the album to "handle both ballads and up-tempo tunes" and cited the title track would make the album "most likely survive the test of time".[10] In addition, he admired "Hagamos el Amor" for its "sly use of the orchestral passages, passionate delivery, and an overall mood that belongs only to an album by a real artist" despite recognizing the title of the song.[10] Richard Torres ofNewsday, writing a positive review ofVuelve, was more receptive of the ballads. He complimented Martin's "soulfulfalsetto" on "Corazonado", the "sweetness" of "Perdido Sin Ti", and the "gospel-ish intensity" on the title track.[11]
In the US,Vuelve debuted atop theBillboard Top Latin Albums the week of February 28, 1998, succeedingMe Estoy Enamorando.[99] The album spent 26 weeks in this position.[100]Billboard's Lannert credited its success onValentine's Day weekend sales.[101] On the USBillboard 200,Vuelve debuted at number 81.[101] A year after its release, sales ofVuelve climbed after Martin's performance of "La Copa de la Vida" at the Grammy Awards.[102] The album ended 1998 as the second best-selling Latin album (afterMe Estoy Enamorando), and the best-selling Latin record the following year in the US.[103][104] His rendition, along with anticipation of Martin's firstEnglish-language album, helped the former to peak at number 40 on theBillboard 200.[105][106] According toNielsen SoundScan,Vuelve has sold over 888,000 copies in the US, making it the10th best-selling Latin album in the country as of October 2017[update].[107] It was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping over 1,000,000 units.[108] In Canada,Vuelve reached number three on theRPM chart and number 11 on theCanadian Albums Charts; it was certified double platinum for shipping 200,000 copies in Canada.[109] Over 1.5 million copies of the album have been shipped in Latin America.[5]Vuelve has been certified triple platinum in Argentina, and platinum in the respective countries of Peru and Uruguay.[110][111][112] It was certified double gold byAMPROFON for shipments of 200,000 units.[113]
Vuelve debuted atop theSpanish Albums Chart on the March 4, 1998, issue.[114] It was certified six-times platinum by the Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE), shipment of over 600,000 copies in Spain.[115] The album also peaked at number one on thePortuguese Albums Chart,[116] and received a platinum certification fromAssociação Fonográfica Portuguesa (AFP) denoting shipments of over 40,000 copies in Portugal.[117]Vuelve debuted at number 34 on theNorwegian Albums Chart. In its fifth week on the chart, it peaked at number one and stayed on the top for three consecutive weeks.[118] It became Martin's first number-one album in Norway,[118] and was certified gold byInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) Norway for selling over 25,000 copies in the country.[119] In Sweden,Vuelve debuted at number 29 on thealbums chart on April 10, 1998. After fluctuating on the chart for 17 weeks, on July 31, 1998, it reached its peak at number two.[120] The album was certified platinum by theSwedish Recording Industry Association (GLF), denoting shipments in Sweden of over 80,000 copies.[121] It received a platinum certification from the IFPI signifying sales of 1,000,000 copies in Europe,[122] and as of 2006, over 2.1 million copies have been shipped in the region.[123]
In Southeast Asia,Vuelve was certified gold in Singapore and platinum in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand.[67][124] In Malaysia, the record reached number three on the albums chart, while it peaked at number 19 on Japan'sOricon Albums Chart, and was certified gold in both countries.[67][125][126][127] In Turkey,Vuelve certified sextuple platinum for sales of 180,000 copies, making it thebest-selling album in the country by an international solo artist.[128]Vuelve shipped over one million copies in Asia and had sold over six million copies worldwide by 2008.[123][129]
^abcMartin, Ricky (1998).Vuelve (Album liner notes). United States:Sony Discos, a division of Sony Music. 7 509948 878922.
^Barquero, Christopher (January 25, 1998)."Ricky Vuelve".La Nación (in Spanish). Archived fromthe original on June 12, 2020. RetrievedJune 12, 2020.Es un LP que lo voy a usar para reafirmar la internacionalización de mi carrera y sé que me va a ayudar mucho a destrozar los estereotipos que pueden existir con mi cultura.
^abLannert, John (February 28, 1998)."Reviews & Previews".Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 9. Nielsen Business Media. p. 70.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. RetrievedNovember 6, 2020.
^abcdeChristensen, Thor; Tarradell, Mario (March 8, 1998). "Eric Clapton's 'Pilgrim' doesn't make any progress".The Dallas Morning News.A. H. Belo. p. 12C.
^No Importa la Distancia (CD single liner notes). Ricky Martin. Spain: Walt Disney Records. 1997. WRD 1041.1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Hits of the World".Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 36. Nielsen Business Media. September 5, 1998. p. 91.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. RetrievedJune 9, 2020.
^Vuelve (Asian Tour Special Package) (Media notes). Ricky Martin. Sony Music Asia. 1998. 488789 7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^abLannert, John (February 28, 1998)."Latin Notas".Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 9. Nielsen Business Media. p. 44.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. RetrievedJune 3, 2020.
^Lannert, John (March 13, 1999)."Ricky Martin's Sales Rocket".Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 11. Nielsen Business Media. p. 10.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. RetrievedJune 3, 2020.
^abc"1998: The Year in Music".Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 52. December 26, 1998. p. YE-66.Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. RetrievedApril 30, 2013.
^abc"1999: The Year in Music".Billboard. December 25, 1999. pp. 71, 72.Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. RetrievedDecember 10, 2011.
^Lannert, John (May 1, 1999)."Latin Notas".Billboard. Vol. 118, no. 18. Nielsen Business Media. p. 40.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. RetrievedJune 3, 2020.
^abc"Hits of the World".Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 12. Nielsen Business Media. March 21, 1998. p. 59.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. RetrievedNovember 20, 2015.
^abFernando Salaverri (September 2005).Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE.ISBN84-8048-639-2.
^ab"Hits of the World"(PDF).Billboard. May 2, 1998. p. 63. RetrievedNovember 20, 2015.
^abc"Six Times Platinum in Turkey"(PDF).Music & Media. June 27, 1998. p. 4.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 7, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2020 – via American Radio History.
^Victor Wong (October 24, 1998)."Taiwan Going Strong".Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 43. p. 66.ISSN0006-2510.Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 27, 2021.
^"Vuelve" (in Chinese). Sony Music Hong Kong. Archived fromthe original on February 3, 2021. RetrievedMay 28, 2022.
^"Vuelve" (in Chinese). Sony Music Taiwan. RetrievedMay 28, 2022.
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