Why You Never Hear From Ricky Martin Anymore
Way back in 1999, it seemed like you couldn't go to any club, restaurant, or store without hearing Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" in the background. Nowadays, you rarely hear from Martin at all. Why is that?
One this is certain: the man has not been sitting around twiddling this thumbs. In fact, though he may not make a lot of headlines in the States, his showbiz career has continued to flourish around the world. We've got the scoop on his music, television, and theater work. In fact, if you missed his 2018 appearance in American Crime Story — critics say its well worth watching. Equally exciting: Martin became a husband and a father — though not in that order.
Fear not, we'll get you up to speed as we dissect why it feels like you never hear from Ricky Martin anymore, though he's definitely worth your time and attention.
He hasn't released an English-language album in years
A big reason you haven't heard from Martin has to do with the fact that he's barely released any new music. Case in point: his last English-language album, Life, came out in October 2005, more than a decade ago. Life was considered a disappointment compared to his previous smash hits. At the time of this writing, it had sold less than 300,000 copies in the United States—a paltry figure compared to the 7 million that his eponymous album sold in the late '90s.
Martin hasn't given up recording altogether. In recent years, he's released two Spanish-language albums—Música Alma Sexo (2011) and A Quien Quiera Eschuhar (2015)—and will be bringing his years-long One World Tour to Europe, Central America, and South America through the end of 2016.
As for why he continues to record in Spanish rather than English, Martin told Billboard magazine in 2015, "'The Cup of Life' was No. 1 in over 70 countries and it was in Spanish. And I took 'Maria' to France, Sweden, everywhere. Look at what has happened with songs like [Don Omar's] 'Danza Kuduro' and [Enrique Iglesias'] 'Bailando.' They're everywhere and they're in Spanish. Language no longer intimidates." Hey, he's got a point.
He became a father
Another good reason Martin's been MIA from the public eye: he's now the proud father of twin boys Valentino and Matteo, born via surrogate in 2008. As any parent will tell you, having kids will often change your priorities—and take over your life completely. "The first year as a single father with twins was insanity," Martin told The Sun in 2015. "I had eye bags down to my knees but it was the most beautiful year of my life."
Parenting appears to have gotten easier for Martin. In multiple interviews, he's expressed how much he loves taking his kids to his various gigs around the globe. "My kids travel with me everywhere," he told The Sun. "When I made the decision to bring my kids into this world, I made a strategy of how it was going to work. It's flowing beautifully." He added, "I try to keep my life very civilized, that's what I need for the well-being of my children."
In fact, parenting has been such a gift for Martin that he's actively considering expanding his family. "I am only starting. I want a bigger family. Let's see what happens next year," he said. "I'm also seeing the possibility of adopting. But in some countries as a single man it's kind of difficult, if not impossible. But it's worth a try."
Fatherhood inspired him to come out of the closet
Shifting his priorities from career to family had a number of positive impacts on Martin's life. Among them: becoming a father finally gave him the courage to come out as gay in 2010. "I couldn't take it any more. It was too painful," Martin told Oprah Winfrey. "I guess the most important thing is my children. When I was holding them in my arms I was like 'What? Am I going to teach them how to lie?...When I was holding my children, I said 'Okay, it's time to tell the world.'" Excuse us while we go cry.
He's totally in love
In April 2016, amid rampant internet speculation, Martin confirmed he was dating Swedish artist Jwan Yosef. The guys made their red-carpet debut at the amFAR Inspiration Gala in Sao Paolo, Brazil. "Yup," Martin wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of the handsome couple holding hands on the red carpet.
After the guys were spotted wearing what appeared to be matching rings in Ibiza in September 2016, wedding rumors erupted. That November, Martin revealed that he'd popped the question, but it wasn't until January 2018, that Martin confirmed that they'd made it official. "We exchanged vows ... and signed all the papers that we needed to sign, prenups and everything," he told E! News. "It feels amazing! I can't introduce him as my fiancé. I can't. He's my husband. He's my man."
Martin was previously linked to financial analyst and stockbroker Carlos Gonzalez Abella, whom he met in 2008, according to the Advocate. Their split was confirmed at the beginning of 2014 by Just Jared. "He comes to see the kids," Martin told The Sun. "There was a year of silence but now we're buddies."
He's been busy working in other countries
People reading this article in countries such as Australia and Mexico are probably saying right now, "Wait a second—Ricky Martin never disappeared!" That's because he was a popular fixture on overseas television, due in part to his appearance on The Voice Mexico and The Voice Australia.
We know what you're thinking: will we ever get to see Martin on The Voice in the United States? At the very least, he's totally open to the idea. "It would be beautiful. It would be amazing," he told talk show host Wendy Williams in 2015. Now, who do we need to call to make that happen?
His acting career temporarily tanked
Before he was livin' la vida loca and shaking his bon-bon, millions of housewives across America knew Ricky Martin as the hunky Miguel Morez on the daytime soap opera General Hospital. Martin made a few bold attempts to reboot his acting career in 2012 by appearing on an episode of Glee and in the Broadway revival of Evita. His reviews for the latter weren't exactly something to sing about. The New York Times called his performance "polite, vaguely charming and forgettable." That might explain why his acting career seemed to fizzle around 2012.
But don't count this guy out yet! Martin returned in a big way in 2018, with a starring turn in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Martin plays Versace's longtime lover, Antonio D'Amico, and according to Vanity Fair, his performance is "devastating" — in a good way. "In a striking, wordless, and unscripted moment, Martin lets his eternally optimistic mask slip off entirely," the magazine said, "and he's fantastic."
Let's hope we see a lot more of this unscripted Martin in the days to come.