5to Piso | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 November 2008 | |||
Recorded | 2008 Miami, FL (Jet Wash Studios, Legacy Studio, The Tiki Room, Wally World, Picks & Hammers) Mexico City (Antigua Studios) Veracruz, Mexico (Cabanna Studios) Los Angeles (Green Parrot Studios, House of Therm) Nashville, TN (The Red Door) | |||
Genre | Latin pop, rock | |||
Label | Warner Music | |||
Producer | Jorge Amaro, Ricardo Arjona, Fernando Otero, Lee Levin, Tommy Torres, Fernando de Santiago | |||
Ricardo Arjona chronology | ||||
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Singles from 5to Piso | ||||
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5to Piso (Quinto Piso, 5th Floor) is the eleventh studio album by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona, released on 18 November 2008. Produced by Arjona, Jorge Amaro, Dan Warner, Lee Levin, Fernando de Santiago and Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tommy Torres, the album was recorded in various studios between the United States and Mexico. It is the first release by the artist under Warner Music. Arjona commented that with this album, he "tried to recoup some of the freshness" of his past releases, stating that "it makes good to the songs". [1] Jason Birchmeier from Allmusic named it "an eagerly awaited album with a phenomenal lead single." [2] 5to Piso marks the third album in which the singer collaborates with Tommy Torres, after Adentro and Quién Dijo Ayer .
Commercially and critically successful, 5to Piso became Arjona's second number-one set on the Billboard Top Latin Albums. It received gold and platinum certifications from several Latin American countries, as well as a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album. Six singles were released from the album. "Como Duele", considered his "biggest hit in years", became a critical and commercial success, reaching number two on the Billboard Top Latin Songs chart. "Sin Ti... Sin Mi" and "Tocando Fondo", the second and fourth singles, respectively, also became commercial hits. To promote the album, the singer embarked on his second major world tour following the Adentro Tour, which he named the Quinto Piso Tour.
I constantly change and i would be worried if i wouldn't, [...]. I try to be a composer with the doors open for albums of different nature.
Ricardo Arjona. [3]
After spending the majority of his career signed to Sony, and later, Sony BMG, Arjona signed a long-term recording deal with Warner Music Latina. [4] The deal was closed in September 2008. [4] Iñigo Zabala, chairman of Warner Music Latin America commented that "He's an artist that fits perfectly with our company," and that they are a label which has many top-Latin pop artist signed along with Arjona. [4] Arjona started development of 5to Piso in 2005. [5] He stated in an interview that the inspiration behind the album was the thought of recouping some of the "freshness" of his previous releases. [1] The singer additionally stated that he believed each additional album is the result of an evolution, as well as contradictions that he went through, which he celebrates as part of life. [1]
"Quinto Piso" has been categorized as an analytic song—a prologue to the album holding autobiographical tendencies. [6] "Sin Ti... Sin Mi" is about missing someone who has left, with analogical lyrics talking about absence of one's beloved person. [5] "El Del Espejo" includes lyrics influenced by "self-criticism" that makes people confront themselves, crafted inside a "rhythmic sound". [6] Lead single "Como Duele" was highly praised. Jason Birchmeier from Allmusic named it Arjona's "biggest hit in years", as well as a standout track of the album alongside "Sin Ti.. Sin Mi" and "El Del Espejo". [2] El Mercurio Online stated that "Como Duele" is "a ballad of merciless chords and lyrics plagued of contradictions made metaphors." [7] It was also compared to his past song "Olvidarte", from Sin Daños a Terceros . [7]
In "Que Nadie Vea", the singer writes about homosexuality for the first time in his career. [8] In the song, Arjona became the witness of this character, from his childhood until his adulthood, always hiding his true identity with the goal of being socially accepted. [5] Arjona commented in an interview that "Que Nadie Vea" was not intended to be a "judgemental" song, further stating that it was "just a chronicle" that he wrote for this album because he never did so before and found the subject to be fascinating. [9]
"Tocando Fondo" is about "those feelings which can make a person fall off a precipice." [5] "La Vailarina Vecina" was inspired by a true story that happened to Arjona while he lived in Madrid. [10] The singer commented about a woman: "She was to do her trials and 'tickled', as the song says, all my roof, and those tickles didn't let me sleep." He further commented that when he planned to meet her, he discovered that she was "very beautiful". [10] "Vuelo" is a piano ballad themed about tenderness, poetry and romanticism. [5] [6]
"Nadie Sabe A Donde Va" is inspired by the bombings which occurred on 11 March 2004 in Madrid at the Atocha train station. [6] "El Demonio En Casa" has been considered the "most witty and funny" song of the album. The lyrics of the song are about a man recounting how his woman changed his life. [5] "La Vida Está De Luto" is inspired by the actual situation of the planet, a place where man is accustomed to taking advantage of those weaker. [11] "Ni Tu Ni Yo" is the only duet on the album, as it features Mexican ranchera singer Paquita la del Barrio. The song was composed so that when it is heard, it "gives and immediate desire of drinking tequila" according to Arjona. [10] In an interview with newspaper Reforma, Arjona talked about the collaboration with Barrio, stating that "it was very special, because she does not make duets with someone she does not like", agreeing that he did not duet either. [12] "Niña Buena" is dedicated to women who cannot stay in the same place and dislike having a boring life. [11]
The lead single off the album was "Como Duele", a Latin pop and ballad song with soft rock and orchestral arrangements, with the main sound being a piano. It was released on 4 November 2008, and became the first single Arjona released under his new label, Warner Music. The song was a critical and commercial hit for the singer, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Latin Songs chart, and topping the Latin Pop Songs component chart. The music video for "Como Duele" was shot in Mexico City. [13] It was released on 20 October and was directed by the Mexican filmmaker Ricardo Calderón. [14] "Sin Ti... Sin Mi" was chosen as the second single of the album, and was released in January 2009. The song reached No. 4 on both the Latin Songs and Latin Pop Songs chart. Its music video was filmed at the Argentinian Boxing Federation in Buenos Aires. [15] It was directed by Joaquín Cambre. [16] "Ni Tú Ni Yo", featuring Mexican singer Paquita la del Barrio, was released as the third single in some regions, and failed to appear on the US and other national charts. The music video for the song was filmed in black-and-white and features both artists singing around a buffet. [17] Pop ballad "Tocando Fondo" followed as fourth single. The song managed to reach No. 20 on the Latin Songs chart, becoming the third top ten single off 5to Piso on the Latin Pop Songs chart, reaching No. 6. Its music video was filmed in Mexico City. [18] Two other singles, "Suavecito" and "Por Si Regresas" were released in promotion of the album.
To promote the album, the singer embarked on his second major world tour, the Quinto Piso Tour. Starting on 24 April 2009, the tour included 123 shows between the United States, [19] Spain, [20] [21] Argentina, [22] [23] Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, among many other countries in Latin America. It ended on 18 June 2010. During the first North American leg of the tour, Arjona expressed interest in singing in Cuba, though showed no political commitment for the matter, a clear reference of the charity event Colombian singer Juanes was planning to hold in that country in 2009. [24] Later that year, Arjona cancelled the planning of a concert in the country, and spoke heavily about Juanes' charity concert influence on the decision. [25] The Quinto Piso Tour has been one of the most successful tours made by a Latin artist, with an attendance of more than one million people from 19 countries. [26] Also, Arjona received in 2010 a Billboard Latin Music Award for "Latin Tour of the Year". [26] The tour grossed more than $15 million. [27]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Jason Birchmeier from Allmusic gave a mostly positive review of the album, commenting that "fans of Arjona's straight-ahead rock style are sure to be disappointed with much of 5to Piso, as piano and strings drive much of the music rather than the electric guitar and drums of years past." [2] Billboard's Leila Cobo, on her review of the album, commented that the singer had "an uncanny knack for marrying sophisticated lyrics with catchy hooks and mass-appeal messages", stating that songs like "Ni Tu Ni Yo", a duet with Paquita la del Barrio, "underscores how universal" his songs and themes are, "even in the most regional arrangements." [28] 5to Piso received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album and a Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Singer-Songwriter Album though lost to Sin Frenos and Caetano Veloso respectively. [29]
5to Piso debuted atop the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart the week ending 6 December 2008, going ahead of Wisin & Yandel's La Mente Maestra . [30] [31] The following week, it stayed at No. 1. [32] On its third week, it fell to No. 2, being replaced at the top by Vicente Fernández' Primera Fila . [33] On the Latin Pop Albums component chart, the album debuted at No. 1 the same week it did on the Latin Albums chart. [34] The album stayed at the top of that chart for four consecutive weeks. [35] [36] [37] On its fifth week, it fell to No. 2, being replaced at the top by Luis Fonsi's Palabras del Silencio . [38] Almost one year later, on the week ending 12 September 2009, 5to Piso reached No. 1, with a total of six weeks at the top. It was the most weeks at No. 1 by any of Arjona's albums until Independiente stayed 11 weeks at the top between 2011 and 2012.
On the week it debuted atop both Latin Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts, 5to Piso also appeared at No. 55 on the Billboard 200. [39] It is his third consecutive album to chart on that list, after Adentro (2005) and Quién Dijo Ayer (2007), and it was his highest entry until Poquita Ropa reached No. 43 in 2010. [40] On the Mexican Albums Chart, 5to Piso debuted at No. 40 the week ending 8 November 2008. [41] The following week it jumped to No. 4, and on its third week, the album reached No. 1 position on the country. It stayed at that position for one week, falling to No. 4 again on its fourth week. [41] It also reached No. 21 on the Spanish Albums Chart. [41]
The album followed the success of his past releases, receiving Gold and Platinum certifications in Mexico, [42] [43] United States, [44] Spain, Argentina, [45] [46] Venezuela, [47] Colombia, Guatemala, and many other countries. [48] It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, becoming his second chart-topper on that chart, and has sold more than one million copies worldwide. [49]
All tracks are written by Ricardo Arjona
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Quinto Piso" | 5:01 |
2. | "Sin Ti... Sin Mi" | 4:20 |
3. | "El del Espejo" | 4:16 |
4. | "Como Duele" | 3:30 |
5. | "Que Nadie Vea" | 5:44 |
6. | "Tocando Fondo" | 4:28 |
7. | "La Bailarina Vecina" | 3:47 |
8. | "Vuelo" | 3:42 |
9. | "Nadie Sabe a Donde Va" | 4:53 |
10. | "El Demonio en Casa" | 3:56 |
11. | "La Vida Está de Luto" | 4:06 |
12. | "Suavecito" | 4:05 |
13. | "Ni Tú Ni Yo (duet with Paquita la del Barrio)" | 5:40 |
14. | "Niña Buena" | 5:20 |
No. | Title | Length |
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15. | "Si Dios Me Pasa Factura" | 5:04 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
15. | "Por Si Regresas" | 3:52 |
The credits are taken from the iTunes exclusive digital booklet. [50]
"Quinto Piso"
"Sin Ti... Sin Mí"
"El Del Espejo"
"Cómo Duele"
"Que Nadie Vea"
"Tocando Fondo"
| "La Bailarina Vecina"
"Vuelo"
"Nadie Sabe a Donde Va"
"El Demonio En Casa"
"Suavecito"
"Ni Tú Ni Yo"
"Niña Buena"
|
Weekly charts
Yearly charts
| Sales and certifications
|
Country | Date | Format(s) | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United States [70] [71] | 18 November 2008 | CD, Digital download | Warner Music Group |
Spain [72] | |||
Mexico [73] | |||
Argentina [74] | |||
Brazil [75] | |||
Canada [76] | |||
Guatemala [77] | |||
Chile [78] | |||
Venezuela [79] | |||
Colombia [80] | |||
United Kingdom [81] | CD |
Edgar Ricardo Arjona Morales, known as Ricardo Arjona, is a Guatemalan and Mexican singer and songwriter. He is one of the most successful and best-selling Latin American artists of all time, with more than 20 million records sold. He is often called El bajito de sal, thanks to his breakthrough success with his fourth studio album, which bears the same name. His music ranges from ballads to Latin pop, rock, pop rock, Cuban music, and more recently a cappella performances and a mixture of Tejano music and Norteño music, and Latin sounds. Arjona is noted for his lyrical style, and often addresses topics such as love, sexuality, violence, racism and immigration.
Tomás Torres Carrasquillo, known professionally as Tommy Torres, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and record producer. Named "#1 Hot Latin Tracks Producer" of 2007 by Billboard magazine and Composer of the Year at 2010 ASCAP's Latin Music Awards, Torres has written and produced songs for many artists including Ricardo Arjona, Jaci Velasquez, Ednita Nazario, Alejandro Sanz, Ricky Martin and Franco De Vita.
"Como Duele" is a latin pop song by Guatemalan recording artist Ricardo Arjona, released on 4 November 2008 as the lead single from his eleventh studio album, 5to Piso (2008). The song was written and produced by Arjona along with longtime collaborators Dan Warner and Lee Levin under their stage name Los Gringos, with additional production work and background vocals from Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tommy Torres. "Como Duele" is the first single Arjona releases after signing a record deal with Warner Music in 2008, after being signed to Sony Music since 1993.
Poquita Ropa is the twelfth studio album by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona. It was released on August 24, 2010, through Warner Music. It was recorded in Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles and was produced by Lee Levin and Dan Warner under their production name Los Gringo, with additional works from Matt Rollings and Brian Lang.
Quién Dijo Ayer is a compilation album released by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona on 21 August 2007. Dan Warner and Lee Levin co-produced the album with Arjona and Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tommy Torres. It was recorded in the United States, Mexico, Italy and Argentina, and is the last album Arjona released under the Sony Music Entertainment label before signing with Warner Music Group. It is Arjona's first compilation to include new material in the form of re-recorded versions of past hits in different musical genres from the original recordings, featuring guest artists such as Marc Anthony, Marta Sánchez and Mexican ska band Panteón Rococó, among others.
Simplemente Lo Mejor is a greatest hits album by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona that was released on December 2, 2008. The album is composed of Arjona's number-one hits, drawn from Animal Nocturno (1993) to Galería Caribe (2000). It served as his final project under the Sony Music label after signing a contract with Warner Music in 2008. A CD+DVD and a DVD edition of the album were released in several countries; these included a collection of music videos for the compilation's songs.
Independiente is the thirteenth Spanish-language studio album by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona, released on 23 September 2011. Recorded in the United States and Mexico, it was produced by Arjona with Dan Warner, Carlos Cabral "Junior", Lee Levin and Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tommy Torres. The album—the first independent release by Arjona after he was signed by Sony Music in 1993 and Warner Music in 2008—was issued by his own label, Metamorfosis.
Quinto Piso Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Guatemalan singer–songwriter Ricardo Arjona, in support of his eleventh studio album, Quinto Piso.
Guatemalan recording artist Ricardo Arjona has released 15 studio albums, sixteen compilation albums, two live albums, forty-five singles and two promotional singles. Four of his albums have reached the number-one position on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, while four of his singles have topped the Billboard Latin Songs chart. Throughout his career, Arjona has sold approximately 20 million albums worldwide, making him one of the most successful Latin artists in music history. Arjona released his debut album, Déjame Decir Que Te Amo, in 1985. However, his experiences while recording the album and its commercial failure led to his decision to abandon the music industry. Despite this decision, Arjona returned and released Jesús, Verbo No Sustantivo in 1988. In 1991, Arjona signed a record deal with Sony Music and released his third studio album, Del Otro Lado del Sol.
"El Amor" is a latin pop song by Guatemalan recording artist Ricardo Arjona, released on 23 August 2011 as the lead single from his thirteenth studio album, Independiente (2011). The song was written and produced by Arjona along with longtime collaborators Dan Warner and Lee Levin under their stage name Los Gringos, with additional production work from Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tommy Torres. "El Amor" is the first single Arjona releases under his new record label, Metamorfosis.
The Metamorfosis World Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Guatemalan singer–songwriter Ricardo Arjona in support of his thirteenth studio album, Independiente. Beginning in January 2012, it was Arjona's first tour since leaving Warner Music to become an independent artist. The tour was announced in December 2011 with dates at American, Argentinian and Chilean venues, and received a positive critical response. The show was designed for a revolving stage, with Arjona performing while the scenery changed with the songs being performed. Four changes of scenery were developed: a two-floor apartment, a bar, a circus and a theatre. The number of songs played at each show varied from 19 to 23.
"Fuiste Tú" is a Latin pop song by Guatemalan recording artist Ricardo Arjona, released on 7 February 2012 as the second single from his thirteenth studio album, Independiente (2011). Featuring additional lead vocals by Guatemalan singer Gaby Moreno, the song was written by Arjona, who produced it with longtime collaborators Dan Warner and Lee Levin under their stage name Los Gringos. Additional work on the recording was done by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tommy Torres.
"Puente" is a latin pop song by Guatemalan recording artist Ricardo Arjona, released on August 9, 2010 as the lead single from his twelfth studio album, Poquita Ropa (2010). The song was written by Arjona, who produced it with longtime collaborators Dan Warner and Lee Levin under their stage name Los Gringos. Two versions of the song were made, one of them being a mixture of salsa, merengue along with Cuban music influences; and the other an acoustic version made with piano and percussion.
"Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja" is a Latin pop song written by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona for his thirteenth studio album, Independiente (2011). It was produced by Arjona, Dan Warner and Lee Levin. It was released as the album's third single on 8 May 2012. The song was used by American telecommunications corporation AT&T on a commercial promoting the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone, and has been widely performed on Arjona's Metamorfosis World Tour. A music video was filmed on the Universal Studios in Los Angeles, and is protagonized by Arjona alongside his son Ricardo Arjona Jr. In 2013, Arjona received a Song of the Year nomination at the 14th Latin Grammy Awards for the song.
"Quién" is a latin pop song by Guatemalan recording artist Ricardo Arjona, released on 19 June 2007 as the lead single from his compilation album, Quién Dijo Ayer (2007). The song's lyrics were written by Arjona, and its music was composed by Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tommy Torres, who also worked with Arjona on his tenth studio album, Adentro (2005). Performed with additional background vocals by Torres, "Quien" was produced by Arjona with longtime collaborators Dan Warner and Lee Levin under their stage name Los Gringos, and was recorded between several studios in Miami and Mexico City.
"Quiero" is a latin pop song by Guatemalan recording artist Ricardo Arjona. It was released as the second single from his compilation album Quién Dijo Ayer (2007). Written by Arjona, the song was produced by Dan Warner, Lee Levin and Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Tommy Torres, who also worked with Arjona on Adentro. "Quiero" was recorded between several studios in Miami and Mexico City, and mixed and mastered in New York City. The song was called "bohemian" and "hippie" by website ADN Mundo, stating that it was "a love story that doesn't speak about love".
"Tocando Fondo" is a song written by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona for his eleventh studio album, 5to Piso (2008). The song was released as the third single from the album.
"Sin Ti... Sin Mi" is a song written by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona for his eleventh studio album, 5to Piso (2008). The song was released as the second single from the album.
"Te Quiero" is a Latin pop song by Guatemalan recording artist Ricardo Arjona, released on 5 July 2012 as the third single from his 13th studio album, Independiente (2011). The song was written by Arjona, who produced it with longtime collaborators Dan Warner and Lee Levin under their stage name Los Gringos. Additional recording work was handled by Peter Wallace, Matt Rollings, Carlos "Cabral" Junior and Isaías García.
Bachata #1's, Vol. 3 is a compilation album released by Machete Music on March 30, 2010. The album includes tracks recorded by several artists from the bachata genre, such as Aventura, Héctor Acosta, Xtreme, Ivy Queen, Grupo Rush, Andy Andy, Carlos & Alejandra, and Marcy Place. It also features select bachata versions of songs by reggaetón and Latin pop artists including R.K.M & Ken-Y, Alejandro Fernández, Luis Fonsi, and Cristian Castro.