ET takes a look back at the Puerto Rican singer's career as his hit song turns 20.
Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" turns 20!
The singer's mega hit came out in 1999, and helped turn the late '90s into a Latin pop explosion. The song was from Martin's self-titled English-language debut album and sold more than 8 millions copies, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. And that's not all -- "Livin' La Vida Loca" was also the Puerto Rican crooner's first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, remaining in that position for five consecutive weeks.
As fans celebrate 20 years of "Livin' La Vida Loca," ET takes a look back at our time with the Latin heartthrob, from the early years of his career to the success of his massive song that paved the way for a slew of other Latin artists.
"I've been doing this since I was 12 years old. It's my life already, and it's addictive," a then-26-year-old Martin told ET in 1998 about fame and the industry. "You have to be strong in order for you to deal with this for a long time, which is what I want to do. My priority is to keep my feet on the ground and to do good."
Beginning his career at the age of 12 as one-fifth of boy band Menudo, Martin was destined for success. After going solo and making it big in Latin America, he made his way to the silver screen, acting in soap operas in both Mexico and the U.S, including on General Hospital. It wasn't until he released "The Cup of Life" in 1998 for the World Cup that the entire world took notice. A year later, he broke barriers with the most famous song ever.
"How crazy [it is] out there," Martin told ET in 1999 at the release of his single in New York City. "We're living la vida loca. Today, I'm releasing my first English album and I'm excited… It's amazing. Broadway is completely packed with people. I'm going to be here signing autographs."
"It's my music. It's my life. I've been recording this album for two and a half years and I've been giving it all," he expressed, adding, "So today's a very special day."
It only got better from there, with "Livin' La Vida Loca" earning two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Pop and Dance Video, a Premio Lo Nuestro for Song of the Year, and garnering four GRAMMY nominations, among many other accolades.
Reflecting on the song's success in 2017, Martin told ET that his song "broke boundaries and brought people together."
"It's one of those songs that everybody knows where they were the first time they heard it," he added. "It's incredible. So I'm very proud of this track."
There's no doubt that "Livin' La Vida Loca" is part of pop culture history, and Martin is an undeniable force that keeps on bringing that fire, year after year.
For more on the worldwide phenomenon, watch below.
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