Ritmo (song)


"Ritmo" is a song by American group Black Eyed Peas and Colombian singer J Balvin, released by Epic Records on October 11, 2019, as the first single from the soundtrack of the 2020 film Bad Boys for Life. It is also included on the group's eighth studio album Translation.

Background and composition

The song features a prominent, slowed down sample of the 1993 song "The Rhythm of the Night" by the Italian group Corona.
Jennifer Lopez was originally intended to appear on the remix version, but Jaden Smith, whose father starred in the third film, appeared on the remix instead which was released on the film's soundtrack.

Live performance

The song was performed live at the closing ceremony of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.

Critical reception

Billboard's writer Jessica Roiz compared "Ritmo" to "The Rhythm of the Night", writing that the first one "fuses hip-hop, EDM, and reggaeton, has Spanish and English verses without interrupting the original chorus from "The Rhythm of the Night"". In a less enthusiastic review, Gary Suarez of Rolling Stone wrote that "the overextended J Balvin atop a convenient confluence of virally primed factors" which "proved irresistible to radio programmers and streaming playlisters", but he defined the use of Corona's sample a "plunder".

Music video

The official video of the song, directed by Colin Tilley, was released on YouTube on October 11, 2019, on the official YouTube's Black Eyed Peas channel.

Commercial performance

The song debuted at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 26, staying on the chart for 27 weeks. It became the Black Eyed Peas' 17th Hot 100 entry and their first since "Don't Stop the Party" peaked at number 86 in 2011, as well as their first top 40 entry since "Just Can't Get Enough" peaked at number 3 in 2011. On Billboards Mainstream Top 40 chart, the song peaked at number 8. The song spent 24 weeks at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Easter eggs

The first line of the song's rap, "No son ni Reebok ni son Nike", references a viral clip in which a Dominican radio caller requests Corona's "The Rhythm of the Night" by asking the host to play the song that goes "esos son Reebok o son Nike". The moment went viral after the host impressively retrieved the requested song based on that clue alone.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position
Moldova Airplay 122
Romania Airplay 126
Ukraine Airplay 53

Monthly charts

Chart Peak
position
CIS Airplay 4
Latvia Airplay 23
Russia Airplay 2
Slovakia 40
Slovakia 59
Ukraine Airplay 6

Chart Peak
position
Estonia Airplay 92

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Argentina Airplay 9
Belgium 90
Belgium 79
Canada 62
CIS Airplay 18
France 56
Germany 76
Hungary 6
Hungary 9
Hungary 69
Italy 67
Romania 12
Russia Airplay 22
Spain 35
Switzerland 54
Ukraine Airplay 25
US Billboard Hot 10050
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs 2
US Hot Latin Songs 1
US Latin Airplay 3
US Mainstream Top 40 26
US Rhythmic 39

Chart Position
CIS Airplay 152
Hungary 18
Russia Airplay 186
Ukraine Airplay 198

Chart Position
Estonia Airplay 115
Hungary 72