Sound Loaded
Sound Loaded is the sixth studio album by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on November 14, 2000, by Columbia Records. Following the huge success of his first English album, Ricky Martin, Martin returned to the studio to record its follow-up English album. He worked with producers Walter Afanasieff, Emilio Estefan, Draco Rosa, and Desmond Child to create the album. Musically, Sound Loaded consists of dance club tracks, pop songs, adult contemporary ballads, and mid-tempo Latin numbers. After the album's release, Martin embarked on a North American promotional tour.
The album was supported by three singles. The lead single "She Bangs" topped the charts in seven countries and reached the top five in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. The second single "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was re-recorded along with American singer Christina Aguilera and became a number one and top five hit around the world. "Loaded" was released as the album's final single and experienced moderate commercial success. Sound Loaded received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its dance tracks. The album was a commercial success. It debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 318,000 copies. It also reached the top-five in Australia, Canada, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. It has received several certifications, including triple platinum in Canada and double platinum in the United States, and has sold over seven million copies worldwide.
Background and recording
released his fifth studio album and English-language debut, Ricky Martin in 1999, which became his biggest commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling over 15 million copies worldwide. To further promote the album, he embarked on the worldwide Livin' la Vida Loca Tour. While the Livin' la Vida Loca Tour had not been concluded yet, Columbia Records asked Martin to return to the studio to record his sixth studio album. He later wrote about the request in Me, his official autobiography: "Now, when I think about it, I realize I should have said no. Definitely no! It was too soon and I was not ready to fully immerse myself in the intense creative work needed to record a new album." He reflected on it as "one of the worst decisions" of his life and "a very serious mistake". In October 2000, Rolling Stone revealed the album's title as Sound Loaded, mentioning that it is an English album set for release on November 14, 2000. During an interview with the CNN, Martin explained the idea behind the album's title:The singer worked on the album with several producers and songwriters, including Walter Afanasieff, Emilio Estefan, Draco Rosa, and Desmond Child, and recorded it in Miami. During an interview with Billboard Martin explained: "It might sound clichéd, but it was my dream team. It was a situation devoid of egos. It was all about creativity. Everyone was open to working toward the same goal, which was to make the best possible record."
Music and lyrics
Sound Loaded is a primarily English language album composed of 15 songs, consisting dance club tracks, pop songs, adult contemporary ballads, and mid-tempo Latin numbers. "She Bangs" is a dance song that features Latin and salsa music influences. The song's instrumentation features "powerful" percussion, trumpet blasts, and tropical beats. Lyrically, it tells a "tale of a wild woman who may be hard to let go and even harder to hold", which is "a metaphor for the universe". The album also contains a Spanish-language version of "She Bangs", which was recorded under the same title. "Saint Tropez" has Brazilian influences with a "delectable" 1980's vibe, using a "passionate" trumpet solo. "Come to Me" is a pop love song and ballad, featuring elements of flamenco. It also has a Spanish version titled "Ven A Mí". On "Loaded", Martin combines 1960's pop and Latin music with "hard rock vocal intonations". The album also contains a Spanish-language version of the song, titled "Dame Más"."Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" is a mid-tempo pop song and power ballad, featuring elements of flamenco and Latin music. The track is a love song about "heartbreak" and "longing", as well as "love, lose, and hope". "Amor" is a Latin-flavored Spanglish salsa and dance club song, with Cuban influences, that uses "a percussion break, a truncated pop-rock guitar solo, and a lazy, lolling piano". A salsa track using a "tip-top" piano, "Jezabel" talks about a woman's "ruthless romantic ambitions". "The Touch" is a power ballad, while the gypsy-tinged "One Night Man" features elements of salsa and Arabic music. In the energetic "Are You In It for Love", the singer suspects that his lover is "in it for kicks, private jets and Armani / And when the ride's over, will you even bother to call me?". "If You Ever Saw Her" is a fusion of pop-soul, glam rock, and urban contemporary music. The last track on the album, "Cambia la Piel" is a Spanish song, "marked by bleating horns, jagged electric guitar lines, and staccato counter-rhythms".
Singles
Columbia Records released "She Bangs" to radio stations in several countries on September 22, 2000, as the lead single from the album. Thereafter, the song was released to the singles markets in October. The track was commercially successful, reaching number one in Argentina, Chile, Hong Kong, Italy, South Africa, Sweden, and Uruguay, as well as the top five in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and several other countries. It was nominated for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards. The Spanish-language version of "She Bangs" reached the summit of the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" was re-recorded along with American singer Christina Aguilera in December 2000. The duet was released to radio stations in the United States, on January 16, 2001, as the second single from the album. The single peaked at number one in Hungary, New Zealand, Romania, Poland, and Croatia, as well as the top five in Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom, among others. It was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. A Spanish-language solo version of the song, entitled "Sólo Quiero Amarte", was recorded by Martin and topped the Hot Latin Tracks chart.Both "She Bangs" and "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" reached the top-15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and has been certified silver in the UK. The album's final single, "Loaded", was launched on April 17, 2001; it became a top-20 hit in Belgium, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number 97 on the Hot 100. "Cambia la Piel" released as the only promotional single from Sound Loaded on October 15, 2001. Music videos were filmed for both English and Spanish versions of "She Bangs", "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely", "Sólo Quiero Amarte", "Loaded", and "Dame Más". The Spanish-language visual for "She Bangs" won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the 2nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, Video of the Year at the 13th Lo Nuestro Awards, and the Best Clip of the Year — Latin at the Billboard Music Video Awards. "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" video won the award for Outstanding Music Video at the 2002 ALMA Awards.