He has also amassed many successful singles and chart-topper hits, including " She Bangs", " Nobody Wants to Be Lonely", " Tal Vez", " Tu Recuerdo", " La Mordidita", " Vente Pa' Ca", and " Canción Bonita". Martin has since established his status as a sex symbol and a pop icon, releasing several successful albums, including all-time Latin bestsellers Almas del Silencio (2003) and MTV Unplugged (2006), as well as Grammy Award winner A Quien Quiera Escuchar (2015). He has been credited for getting Latin pop music genre to mainstream recognition, paving the way for a large number of Latin artists to achieve global success. Martin's success in the late '90s is generally seen as the beginning of the "Latin explosion". The lead single " Livin' la Vida Loca" is considered to be Martin's biggest hit, topping both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. His first English album, Ricky Martin (1999) became his first US Billboard 200 number one. Martin performed the latter at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, which was greeted with a massive standing ovation and is known as a game-changer for Latin music worldwide. The album, which earned Martin his first Grammy Award, spawned chart-topping hits " Vuelve" and " La Copa de la Vida". His international success was further solidified with his fourth album, Vuelve (1998). The chart-topping single " María", incorporated a mixture of Latin music genres and became his first international hit.
Martin's third album, A Medio Vivir (1995), helped him rose to prominence in European countries. He started his solo career in 1991 while in Sony Music Mexico, gaining recognition in Latin America with the release of his first two studio albums, Ricky Martin (1991) and Me Amaras (1993), both of which were focused on ballads. Born in San Juan, Martin began appearing in television commercials at the age of 9 and began his musical career at age 12, as a member of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. He is regarded as one of the most influential artists in the world.
He is known for his musical versatility, as his discography spans multiple genres, including Latin pop, pop, dance, reggaeton, and salsa. Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor.