Music review: Ricky Martin – 鈥楢 Quien Quiera Escuchar鈥�
Justin Timberlake may take the credit for bringing 鈥渟exy鈥� back, but Enrique Martin Morales (better known as Ricky Martin) is keeping 鈥渟exy鈥� alive and well.
Martin鈥檚 10th studio release smolders with stylish, sensual arrangements that focus on love, relationships and vulnerability.
The Spanish-language album is the 43-year-old singer鈥檚 follow-up offering to 2011鈥檚 鈥淢煤sica + Alma + Sexo,鈥� featuring a sparkling duet with Joss Stone on 鈥淭he Best Thing About Me Is You.鈥�
鈥淎 Quien Quiera Escuchar鈥� is deliciously drenched in infectious dance-floor beats and sizzling sex appeal with touches of vulnerability, passion and blissfulness.
Whether Martin is delivering intoxicating rhythms through songs like 鈥淣谩ufrago,鈥� 鈥淟a Mordidita鈥� and 鈥淢谩tame Otra Vez鈥� or steaming things up on the absorbing ballads 鈥淒isparo al Coraz贸n鈥� and 鈥淚sla Bella,鈥� the language of love is fluently spoken and well represented on each of the 10 addictive tracks.
Propelled by a hypnotizing beat and flirtatious dance vibe, 鈥淎di贸s,鈥� the album鈥檚 first single, topped the charts in Mexico and Columbia.
Martin鈥檚 first taste of music success came at age 12 as a member of Menudo.
The all-boy band became one of the first Latin pop groups to gain worldwide success.
In 1999, Martin broke into the pop mainstream with his first English-language album, featuring his biggest hit 鈥淟ivin鈥� la Vida Loca鈥� and 鈥淪hake Your Bon-Bon.鈥�
One of the most popular Latin crossover acts of all time, the international superstar has sold over 60 million albums and shows no signs of slowing down or losing his seductive allure.
In addition to chocolates, dinner and most likely a trip to the theater to see 鈥淔ifty Shades of Grey,鈥� make a lasting impression this Valentine鈥檚 Day by letting 鈥淎 Quien Quiera Escuchar鈥� provide the perfect soundtrack for your romantic festivities.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer.
He can be reached at crhodes@heraldstandard.com.