Editing Ricky Martin (section)

=== 1995–1997: Breakthrough with ''A Medio Vivir'' ===
[[File:Ricky Martin Viña 1996.jpg|thumb|left|Martin performing "[[Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo]]" at the 37th [[Viña del Mar International Song Festival]] in 1996]]
In 1995, Martin refocused on his music career, and began working on his third studio album, ''[[A Medio Vivir]]'' ({{Translation|''Half Alive''}}).<ref name="rickybook"/> The album was released in September 1995,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/album/a-medio-vivir/187287914|title=A Medio Vivir – album by Ricky Martin|date=September 12, 1995|publisher=[[Apple Music]] (global)|access-date=August 22, 2021|archive-date=August 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822151408/https://music.apple.com/album/a-medio-vivir/187287914|url-status=live}}</ref> and became a huge success; it sold over three million copies worldwide.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-832349|title=La Fórmula de Martin|work=El Tiempo|language=es|date=November 10, 1998|access-date=November 29, 2021|archive-date=November 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129180510/https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-832349|url-status=live}}</ref> being certified gold in the United States,<ref name="RIAA">{{cite news|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=ricky+martin#search_section|title=Gold & Platinum - RIAA|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=November 28, 2021|archive-date=November 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128165852/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=ricky+martin|url-status=live}}</ref> platinum in France,<ref name="fr cert">{{cite news|url=http://snepmusique.com/les-certifications/?interprete=Ricky%20Martin|title=Les certifications - SNEP|publisher=[[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique]]|language=fr|access-date=November 28, 2021|archive-date=November 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128170036/http://snepmusique.com/les-certifications/?interprete=Ricky+Martin|url-status=live}}</ref> 4× platinum in Spain,<ref name="spain book">{{cite book|first=Fernando|last=Salaverri|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref> as well as many other certifications in Latin American countries.<ref name="El Tiempo debut"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Platino y Oro Para Ricky|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84541991/el-nuevo-herald/|newspaper=[[El Nuevo Herald]]|date=March 19, 1996|page=31|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=September 1, 2021|archive-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210901185923/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/84541991/el-nuevo-herald/|url-status=live}}</ref> It spawned several successful hits, including "[[Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo]]" ({{Translation|"I Miss You, I Forget You, I Love You"}}), "[[María (Ricky Martin song)|María]]", and "[[Volverás (Ricky Martin song)|Volverás]]" ({{Translation|"You Will Come Back"}}).<ref name="Hola actor"/> On "María", which was released as the second single from the album,<ref name="Clarín Maria"/> Martin allowed himself "to go into a very [[Latin music|Latin]], [[Music of Africa|African]] sound". He created a mix of different Latin music genres instead of singing a romantic [[Sentimental ballad|ballad]], the style that he focused on it in his first two albums, while [[Latin pop]] music in general was mainly made up of it at the time. Although Martin was satisfied with the track and he describes it as a song that he is "extremely proud of", the first time he played it for a record label executive, the man said: "Are you crazy? You have ruined your career! I can't believe you are showing me this. You're finished — this is going to be your last album."<ref name="rickybook"/> Despite this, the track became Martin's breakthrough song and his first international hit.<ref name="RS Maria">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin-lists/50-greatest-latin-pop-songs-695776/ricky-martin-maria-pablo-flores-remix-1995-695909/|title=50 Greatest Latin Pop Songs|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=August 24, 2021|date=July 9, 2018|archive-date=August 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824165101/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-latin-lists/50-greatest-latin-pop-songs-695776/ricky-martin-maria-pablo-flores-remix-1995-695909/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Billboard Q&A|magazine=Billboard|date=June 27, 2009|page=46|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=48SZ4YlqhgEC&pg=PT46|access-date=August 25, 2021 |issn=0006-2510|archive-date=August 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825192836/https://books.google.com/books?id=48SZ4YlqhgEC&pg=PT46|url-status=live}}</ref> It topped the charts in 20 countries,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0003/26/wbt.00.html|title=Ricky Martin: Puerto Rico's Shining Star|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=March 26, 2000|access-date=April 13, 2021|archive-date=March 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309153531/https://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0003/26/wbt.00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and has sold over five million physical copies worldwide.<ref name="RS Maria"/> As a result, the song was featured in the 1999 edition of ''[[The Guinness Book of Records]]'' as the biggest Latin hit.<ref name="Guinness">{{cite book|title=The Guinness 1999 book of records|author1=Guinness World Records|author1-link=Guinness World Records|last2=Young|first2=Mark C.|year=1999|page=[https://archive.org/details/guinness1999book00slgu/page/241 241]|publisher=[[Bantam Books|Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group]]|isbn=978-0-553-58075-4|url=https://archive.org/details/guinness1999book00slgu|quote=Biggest Latin Hit: Puerto Rican-born performer Ricky Martin's recording of '(Un, Dos, Tres) María' was a hit in many countries around the world in 1997 and sold over 5 million copies.}}</ref>

In Australia, "María" spent six weeks at number one, topped the country's year-end chart in 1998, and was certified platinum.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Ricky+Martin&titel=The+Cup+of+Life+/+Maria&cat=s|title=Ricky Martin – The Cup of Life / Maria|publisher=[[ARIA Charts]]|access-date=November 29, 2021|archive-date=November 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129100803/https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Ricky+Martin&titel=The+Cup+of+Life+%2F+Maria&cat=s|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1998/singles-chart|title=ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 1998|publisher=ARIA Charts|access-date=November 29, 2021|archive-date=November 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129100809/https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1998/singles-chart|url-status=live}}</ref> The song also spent nine weeks at number one in France, and was certified diamond,<ref name="fr cert"/> selling over 1.4&nbsp;million copies there.<ref name="Le Point">{{cite news|url=https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/vos-tubes-de-l-ete-4-maria-un-dos-tres-10-07-2014-1844898_3.php|title=Vos tubes de l'été (4) : 'María (Un, dos, tres)'|last=Pérou|first=Olivier|work=[[Le Point]]|access-date=August 27, 2021|date=July 10, 2014|language=French|archive-date=August 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827192829/https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/vos-tubes-de-l-ete-4-maria-un-dos-tres-10-07-2014-1844898_3.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, the track reached the top 10 in the United Kingdom,<ref name="UK chart">{{cite news|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/3472/ricky-martin/|title=Ricky Martin: Artist Chart History|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=September 20, 2021|archive-date=September 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920170427/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/3472/ricky-martin/|url-status=live}}</ref> and became Martin's first entry on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.<ref name="Hot 100">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/ricky-martin/chart-history/hsi/|title=Ricky Martin Chart History (Hot 100)|magazine=Billboard|access-date=November 29, 2021|archive-date=November 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129103145/https://www.billboard.com/artist/ricky-martin/chart-history/hsi/|url-status=live}}</ref> To promote ''A Medio Vivir'', he embarked on the worldwide A Medio Vivir Tour, that lasted for more than two years, through which he performed 63 shows and visited Europe, Latin America and the United States. During an interview with ''[[The Miami Herald]]'' in 1996, Martin expressed an interest in performing on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. In a few days, he received a phone call from producer [[Richard Jay-Alexander]], and was offered the role of [[Marius Pontmercy]] in the play ''[[Les Misérables (musical)|Les Misérables]]''. After the conclusion of the A Medio Vivir Tour in Latin America, Martin returned to New York to appear in the play in an eleven-week run. He greatly enjoyed the experience, calling his time in the play an "honor" and "the role of [his] life". Martin continued to tour after the conclusion of the show's run, and noted that his audiences were growing in both size and enthusiasm.<ref name="rickybook"/>