A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal explained

A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal
Cover:A Veces Bien Y A Veces Mal - Ricky Martin single.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Ricky Martin and Reik
Ep:Play
Language:Spanish
English Title:"Sometimes Good and Sometimes Bad"
Genre:Pop
Label:Sony Latin
Producer:
  • Torres
  • Rengifo
Chronology:Ricky Martin
Prev Title:Otra Noche en L.A.
Prev Year:2022

"A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin and Mexican band Reik for Martin's second extended play, Play (2022). The song was written by Pedro Capó, Pablo Preciado, Andrés Torres, Martin, Kiko Cibrian, Mauricio Rengifo, and Julio Ramirez Juvelo, while the production was handled by Torres and Rengifo. It was released for digital download and streaming by Sony Music Latin on April 14, 2022, as the second single from the EP. A Spanish language pop ballad, it is a heartbreak song, describing what happens when you miss someone with whom you still hope to return one day, and the vulnerability of a heart that resists having to accept reality.

"A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" received widely positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its lyrics. The track was nominated for Song of the Year at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards. It was commercially successful, reaching number one on Billboards Latin Airplay and Latin Pop Airplay charts. An accompanying music video, released simultaneously with the song, was directed by Daniela Vesco and filmed in Puerto Rico.

Background and release

Ricky Martin started recording his eleventh studio album, initially titled Movimiento, in the second half of 2019, inspired by the 2019 political protests in Puerto Rico.[1] While, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent personal experiences, Martin decided to split the album Movimiento into the two EPs Pausa and Play. He released Pausa in May 2020, and launched "Qué Rico Fuera" and "Otra Noche en L.A." as the first two singles from Play.[2] [3] On March 2, 2022, Martin confirmed that the next single from Play would be a collaboration with Reik.[4] A few weeks later, on April 12, Martin revealed the song's title as "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" and announced that it would be released on April 14, 2022.[5] The song was released for digital download and streaming by Sony Music Latin on the specified date, marking the first collaboration between Martin and Reik.[6] An "Orbital Audio" version of the song was released simultaneously with the original.[7]

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Martin explained that they recorded the song at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and "thought it had to come out at the right time, not before or after", saying that it takes him back to the beginning of his career. He added about the collaboration: "I really wanted to work with Reik, they are an extremely talented group." Jesús Navarro, vocal leader of Reik told the newspaper:

Music and lyrics

Musically, "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" is a Spanish language pop ballad,[6] [8] [9] with a slow and intense rhythm.[10] It was written by Pedro Capó, Pablo Preciado, Andrés Torres, Martin, Kiko Cibrian, Mauricio Rengifo, and Julio Ramirez Juvelo. The production was handled by Torres and Rengifo, and the track runs for a total of 2 minutes and 25 seconds. Lyrically, "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" which translates to "Sometimes Good and Sometimes Bad" in English,[11] is a heartbreak song about the feelings that are shared flourish in the absence of a special person, whose emptiness reminds us that it is "easy to love, but difficult to forget". It describes what happens when you miss someone with whom you still hope to return one day, and the vulnerability of a heart that resists having to accept reality.[6] [9] [12] The lyrics include: "Le faltan piezas al rompecabezas / Ha sido duro mi amor / Como pesan las fotos que siguen adornando mi mesa / Ay como duele cuando un hombre pierde lo quiere" (Puzzle pieces are missing / It has been hard, my love / How heavy are the photos that continue to decorate my table / Oh how it hurts when a man loses what he wants).[13]

Critical reception

Upon release, "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" was met with widely positive reviews from music critics. In her review for Billboard, Griselda Flores labeled the song "a beautiful pop ballad that marries Martin and Jesús Navarro's dramatic-but-soothing vocals, effortlessly evoking pain and sorrow".[9] Tommy Calle from the Los Angeles Times stated that it "reaches deep into the hearts of those who have lost a loved one", describing Martin and Reik's interpretation as "emotional". He continued with admiring the combination of their voices as "simply sublime".[6] An author of Monitor Latino named the track a "nostalgic ballad", while FM Dos critic Érika Cabrera called the ballad "exciting".[13] [14] Univision's Lideny Villatoro described it as "the perfect collaboration".[12] Similarly, a writer of Paris Beacon News named it "the perfect mix", praising the collaboration as an "incredible and beautiful musical project".[11] Los 40's Paula Bascoli labeled Martin and Reik "two exponents of the romantic genre in the world".[10] Also from Los 40, Pascale Quililongo stated that the song "reminds us of the best romantic hits that marked the 2000s".[15]

Accolades

"A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" was nominated for Song of the Year at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, but lost to "Tocarte" by Jorge Drexler and C. Tangana.[16] The song has been also nominated for Pop Collaboration of the Year and Pop/Ballad Song of the Year at the 35th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards.[17]

Commercial performance

"A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" debuted and peaked at number 50 on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart on August 27, 2022, becoming Martin's 51st entry on the chart and Reik's 25th.[18] The song also peaked at number one on both the Latin Airplay and Latin Pop Airplay charts, becoming Martin's 18th and Reik's 4th number one on the former,[19] making Martin tie Bad Bunny to hold the eighth-most number ones on the list.[20] On the latter, it became Martin's twelfth crowning hit and Reik's fourth.[21] It also extended Martin's own record as the artist with most top 20s on the US Latin Pop Airplay chart, with 53 songs,[22] and became his 41st top 10 hit on the chart, making him the second artist in history to achieve this milestone.[23] Besides the United States, "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" reached the top 10 in Mexico and Puerto Rico, as well as the top 20 in Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Music video

On February 11, 2022, Martin shared photos of himself walking on a beach, with the hashtags #secretproject and #comingsoon.[24] Almost two months later, he shared snippets of the accompanying music video for "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal", announcing that it would be released alongside the song on April 14, 2022.[5] The black-and-white video was filmed in Puerto Rico and directed by Costa Rican director Daniela Vesco, who had also directed the video for Martin's previous single "Otra Noche en L.A.". Beach, sand, palm trees, and the sea appear in the visual, as well as a black background in the middle of a valley landscape in which the singers sing the song. The video also features the Spanish model Ángela Ponce, the first openly transgender woman to be crowned Miss Spain. Martin explained about his idea of featuring her in the visual: "She is a symbol of success, of equality, and the work she has done on behalf of our community around the world has been extremely important. A song as beautiful as this should have a beautiful woman like her as a model." Tommy Calle from the Los Angeles Times gave the music video a positive review, saying: "The use of drones for aerial shots are phenomenal and show the beauty of the Puerto Rican coast."[6]

Credits and personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2022)!scope="col"
Peak
position
Argentina Latin (Monitor Latino)[25] 16
Bolivia (Monitor Latino)[26] 16
Costa Rica (Monitor Latino)[27] 11
Dominican Republic Pop (Monitor Latino)[28] 12
Ecuador Pop (Monitor Latino)[29] 20
El Salvador (Monitor Latino)[30] 13
Guatemala (Monitor Latino)[31] 18
Mexico (Billboard Mexican Airplay)[32] 9
Mexico (Monitor Latino)[33] 12
Puerto Rico (Monitor Latino)[34] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
Argentina (Monitor Latino)[35] 83
Costa Rica (Monitor Latino)[36] 63
Dominican Republic Pop (Monitor Latino)[37] 71
El Salvador Pop (Monitor Latino)[38] 83
Guatemala (Monitor Latino)[39] 65
Latin America (Monitor Latino)[40] 56
Mexico Pop (Monitor Latino)[41] 30
Puerto Rico (Monitor Latino)[42] 22
US Latin Airplay (Billboard)[43] 34
US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)[44] 8

Release history

Region!scope="col"
DateFormat(s)Label
VariousApril 14, 2022Sony Music Latin[45]
Latin AmericaApril 22, 2022Contemporary hit radio[46]
RussiaMay 3, 2022[47]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Ricky Martin Finds Inspiration in Puerto Rico Protests: 'The People Will Rise Up More Than Ever'. Billboard. February 2, 2021. January 28, 2020. February 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210204192249/https://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/columns/latin/8549431/ricky-martin-talks-puerto-rico-protests. live.
  2. Web site: Ricky Martin makes 'Pausa' to channel newly found anxiety. ABC News. May 29, 2020. Sigal Ratner-Arias. February 27, 2021. June 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200617175651/https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/ricky-martin-makes-pausa-channel-newly-found-anxiety-70960307. live.
  3. News: Watch: Ricky Martin Steamy Music Video for New Single 'Otra Noche en L.A.'. Vega. Isabella. Remezcla. January 28, 2022. January 27, 2022. January 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220128075232/https://remezcla.com/music/watch-ricky-martin-steamy-music-video-new-single-otra-noche-en-l-a/. live.
  4. News: Ricky Martin graba junto a Reik. es. El Imparcial. Garcia. Andrea. March 2, 2022. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220415081559/https://www.elimparcial.com/espectaculos/Ricky-Martin-graba-junto-a-Reik-20220302-0078.html. live.
  5. Ricky_Martin. Ricky Martin. Ricky Martin. 1513647306503036934. April 12, 2022. es. Estoy loco por que puedan disfrutar de mi más reciente sencillo este 14 de abril. Una hermosa colaboración con @ReikMx titulada 'A veces bien a veces mal'.. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220415084555/https://twitter.com/ricky_martin/status/1513647306503036934. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022.
  6. News: 'A Veces Bien Y A Veces Mal' une a Ricky Martin y Reik en una balada profunda y cargada de nostalgia. es. Los Angeles Times. Calle. Tommy. April 14, 2022. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220415090558/https://www.latimes.com/espanol/entretenimiento/articulo/2022-04-14/a-veces-bien-y-a-veces-mal-une-a-ricky-martin-y-reik-en-una-balada-profunda-y-cargada-de-nostalgia. live.
  7. Web site: A Veces Bien Y A Veces Mal (Orbital Audio) - Single by Ricky Martin & Reik. April 14, 2022. Apple Music (global). April 15, 2022. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220415081548/https://music.apple.com/album/a-veces-bien-y-a-veces-mal-orbital-audio-single/1618663491. April 15, 2022.
  8. News: A Veces Bien Y A Veces Mal de Ricky Martin, Reik (Letra, Música). Enorable. April 15, 2022. April 14, 2022.
  9. First Stream Latin: Listen to New Music From Los Dos Carnales, Ricky Martin & More. Billboard. April 15, 2022. April 16, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416054250/https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/first-stream-latin-los-dos-carnales-ricky-martin-1235059673/. live.
  10. News: 'A Veces Bien y A Veces Mal': La colaboración entre Ricky Martin y Reik. es. Los 40. Bascoli. Paula. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416070403/https://los40.cl/2022/a-veces-bien-y-a-veces-mal-la-colaboracion-romantica-entre-ricky-martin-y-reik-113872.html. live.
  11. News: The perfect mix: Ricky Martin and Reik came together for this incredible and beautiful musical project. Paris Beacon News. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. https://archive.today/20220415110649/https://www.parisbeacon.com/81452/. live.
  12. News: Uforia #NewMusicPicks: ¡Anitta, Ricky Martin, Farina, Jessi y Los Dos Carnales llegan esta week con todo el power!. es. Univision. Villatoro. Lideny. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416054255/https://www.univision.com/musica/uforia-newmusicpicks-anitta-rickymartin-farina-jessi-y-los-dos-carnales-llegan-esta-week-con-todo-el-power. live.
  13. News: Ricky Martin & Reik estrenaron 'A Veces Bien Y A Veces Mal'. es. FM Dos. Cabrera. Érika. April 14, 2022. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220415110552/https://www.fmdos.cl/musica/ricky-martin-reik-estrenaron-a-veces-bien-y-a-veces-mal/. live.
  14. News: Los lanzamientos más hot / abril 15, 2022. es. Monitor Latino. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416054455/https://monitorlatino.com/top/los-lanzamientos-mas-hot-abril-15-2022/. live.
  15. News: Cris MJ y Anitta se toman este viernes de estrenos en Los40. es. Los 40. Quililongo. Pascale. April 15, 2022. April 15, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416070406/https://los40.cl/2022/cris-mj-y-anitta-se-toman-este-viernes-de-estrenos-en-los40-113843.html. live.
  16. News: Nominees 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards. Latin Grammy Awards. October 11, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221011170826/https://www.latingrammy.com/en/nominees. October 11, 2022. dead.
  17. News: Sebastian Yatra Leads 2023 Premio Lo Nuestro Nominations: Complete List. Raygoza. Isabela. Billboard. January 23, 2023. January 23, 2023. January 23, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230123192241/https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/2023-premio-lo-nuestro-nominations-complete-list-sebastian-yatra-bad-bunny-grupo-firme-1235203265/. live.
  18. Reik Chart History (Hot Latin Songs). Billboard. September 13, 2022. September 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220913164839/https://www.billboard.com/artist/reik/chart-history/htl/. live.
  19. Reik Chart History (Latin Airplay). Billboard. September 13, 2022. September 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220913164813/https://www.billboard.com/artist/reik/chart-history/hta/. live.
  20. 'Good' Times: Ricky Martin & Reik Top Latin Airplay Chart With 'A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal'. Billboard. Bustios. Pamela. August 24, 2022. September 13, 2022. September 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220913164807/https://www.billboard.com/pro/ricky-martin-reik-a-veces-bien-y-a-veces-mal-latin-airplay-chart/. live.
  21. Reik Chart History (Latin Pop Airplay). Billboard. September 13, 2022.
  22. Ricky Martin Extends Latin Pop Songs Chart Record. Billboard. Amaya. Mendizabal. May 29, 2015. July 25, 2015. July 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150724150408/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/6582920/ricky-martin-latin-pop-songs-chart-record. live.
  23. News: Nicky Jam & Daddy Yankee Unite Atop Latin Airplay Chart With 'Muévelo. April 21, 2020. April 2, 2020. April 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200418010100/https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/chart-beat/9349457/muevelo-tops-latin-airplay. live.
  24. Ricky_Martin. Ricky Martin. 1491948130908135434. February 11, 2022. es. No me dejan de sorprender las bellezas naturales de mi tierra. #secretproject #comingsoon. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416080244/https://twitter.com/ricky_martin/status/1491948130908135434. April 16, 2022. April 16, 2022.
  25. Web site: Top 20 Argentina Latino del 4 al 10 de Julio, 2022. Monitor Latino. June 19, 2022. Spanish. live. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730155451/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/argentina/latino/20220704.
  26. Web site: Top 20 Bolivia del 13 al 19 de Junio, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. Spanish. live. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225030/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/bolivia/general/20220613.
  27. Web site: Top 20 Costa Rica del 4 al 10 de Julio, 2022. Monitor Latino. June 19, 2022. Spanish. live. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730160012/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/costa%20rica/general/20220704.
  28. Web site: Top 20 Dominican Republic Pop del 30 de Mayo al 5 de Junio, 2022. Monitor Latino. June 8, 2022. Spanish. live. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730155258/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/rd/pop%20rd/20220530.
  29. Web site: Top 20 Ecuador Pop del 9 al 15 de Mayo, 2022. Monitor Latino. May 17, 2022. Spanish. live. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730155322/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/ecuador/pop/20220509.
  30. Web site: Top 20 El Salvador del 9 al 15 de Mayo, 2022. Monitor Latino. May 9, 2022. Spanish. live. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730155625/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/el%20salvador/general/20220509.
  31. Web site: Top 20 Guatemala Pop del 16 al 22 de Mayo, 2022. Monitor Latino. May 24, 2022. Spanish. live. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730155611/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/guatemala/general/20220516.
  32. Ricky Martin Chart History (Mexico Airplay). June 7, 2022. Billboard. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730155604/https://www.billboard.com/artist/ricky-martin/chart-history/mex/. live.
  33. Web site: Top 20 Mexico del 30 de Mayo al 5 de Junio, 2022. Monitor Latino. June 8, 2022. Spanish. live. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730155858/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/mexico/general/20220523.
  34. Web site: Top 20 Puerto Rico del 30 de Mayo al 5 de Junio, 2022. Monitor Latino. June 8, 2022. Spanish. live. July 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730155142/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top20/Print/puerto%20rico/general/20220530.
  35. Web site: Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – Argentina. es. December 1, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225519/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top100/anual/2022/Argentina/general. live.
  36. Web site: Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – Costa Rica. es. December 1, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225608/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top100/anual/2022/Costa%20Rica/general. live.
  37. Web site: Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – República Dominicana Pop. es. December 1, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225533/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top100/anual/2022/RD/pop%20rd/charts-las-mejores-canciones-por-pa%C3%ADs/Tocadas. live.
  38. Web site: Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – El Salvador Pop. es. December 1, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225614/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top100/anual/2022/El%20Salvador/pop/charts-las-mejores-canciones-por-pa%C3%ADs/Tocadas. live.
  39. Web site: Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – Guatemala. es. December 1, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225509/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top100/anual/2022/Guatemala/general/charts-las-mejores-canciones-por-pa%C3%ADs/Tocadas. live.
  40. Web site: Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – Internacional. es. December 1, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225508/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top100/anual/2022/Internacional/general. live.
  41. Web site: Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – Mexico Pop. es. December 1, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225522/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top100/anual/2022/Mexico/pop. live.
  42. Web site: Chart Anual Monitor Latino 2022 – Puerto Rico. es. December 1, 2022. Monitor Latino. December 1, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221201225459/http://charts.monitorlatino.com/top100/anual/2022/Puerto%20Rico/general/charts-las-mejores-canciones-por-pa%C3%ADs/Impresiones. live.
  43. Latin Airplay – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 1, 2022.
  44. Latin Pop Airplay – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 1, 2022.
  45. Web site: A Veces Bien Y A Veces Mal - Single by Ricky Martin & Reik. April 14, 2022. Apple Music (global). April 15, 2022. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220415081528/https://music.apple.com/album/a-veces-bien-y-a-veces-mal/1618663348. April 15, 2022.
  46. News: 'A Veces Bien Y A Veces Mal' Ricky Martin - Sony Music. Monitor Latino. es. May 3, 2022. subscription. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416074719/https://reportes.monitorlatino.com/Reports/DetalleSearch/Canciones/pisong,-722911030,A%20Veces%20Bien%20Y%20A%20Veces%20-Ricky%20Martin. live.
  47. News: Ricky Martin – Tophit. Tophit. May 6, 2022. February 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210203125311/https://tophit.ru/en/artist/Ricky_Martin. live.

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