El Problema

"El Problema"
Single by Ricardo Arjona
from the album Santo Pecado
Released	2002
Format	CD single, digital download
Recorded	2002
Genre	Latin pop
Length	5:31 (Album Version)
Label	Sony Music
Writer(s)	Ricardo Arjona
Producer(s)	Ricardo Arjona
Ricardo Arjona singles chronology
"A Cara o Cruz" (2001) "El Problema" (2002) "Minutos" (2003)

"El Problema" is a Latin pop song written and produced by Guatemalan Grammy Award- and Latin Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona, who also performed the song. It was released as the lead single from his ninth studio album, Santo Pecado (2002).

Critically and commercially successful, the song became a hit by the singer, staying at No.1 for eight consecutive weeks at the Billboard Latin Songs and twelve weeks at No.1 on the Latin Pop Songs chart, both being the most by any of his singles to date.

Reception

On the success of the song, Arjona commented that "it is an accident that happens, and you doesn't now how it is about. I thought 'El Problema' wasn't a song that could sound on radio and it happened."^[1] Mario Tarradell from The Dallas Morning News commented that "filled with lengthy verses and a gospellike chorus, the cut hardly sounds like your usual drive-time fodder."^[2]

Music video

The music video for "El Problema" was filmed between November 16 and November 18, 2002 on Barcelona, Spain. The video features the singer chasing a woman throughout the city to finally find her at the La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona's biggest church, in which he is arrested by the police and sent to prison.

Track listing

Digital Download
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"El Problema"	Ricardo Arjona	5:31

Chart performance

"El Problema" became a huge commercial success for Arjona. The song debuted at No.27 on the Billboard Latin Songs chart the week ending 2 November 2002.^[3] The following week it jumped to No.11, receiving the "Greatest Gainer" honor for that week.^[4] On the week ending November 16, "El Problema" jumped to No.9,^[5] thus becoming Arjona's third song to reach the top 10, after "Desnuda" and "Cuando", both of which reached No.1 in 2000.^[6] The week ending 7 December 2002, "El Problema" reached No.1 on the chart, and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks. On the Latin Pop Songs chart, it debuted at No.17 on the week ending 2 November 2002,^[7] and reached No.1 on the week ending November 30.^[8] The song stayed at No.1 for nine consecutive weeks. It is, to date, the longest-running number-one single by the Guatemalan singer on both charts.

Weekly charts Chart (2002–03) Peak position US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[9] 1 US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard)[10] 1

Yearly charts Chart (2003) Peak position US Billboard Latin Songs[11] 4 US Billboard Latin Pop Songs[12] 3 Decade-End charts Chart (2000–2009) Peak position US Billboard Latin Songs[13] 89 US Billboard Latin Pop Songs[14] 33

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Label
United Kingdom[15]	October 2002	CD single	Sony Music
United States[16]	January 19, 2010	Digital download (re-release)

References

1. Ricardo Arjona, El Problema. AccesMyLibrary.com. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
2. "Ricardo Arjona continues to make well-crafted music without worrying about sales or awards". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
3. "Top Latin Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
4. "Top Latin Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
5. "Top Latin Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
6. "Ricardo Arjona Album & Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
7. "Latin Pop Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
8. "Latin Pop Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
9. "Ricardo Arjona – Chart history" Billboard Hot Latin Songs for Ricardo Arjona.
10. "Ricardo Arjona – Chart history" Billboard Latin Pop Songs for Ricardo Arjona.
11. "The Year in Music 2003: Latin". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.) 115 (52): YE-67. 2003-12-27. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
12. "2003 Year End Charts". Billboard. 2003-12-27. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
13. "2009 Decade End Charts". Billboard. 2009-12-27. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
14. "2009 Decade End Charts". Billboard. 2009-12-27. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
15. "El Problema (US Import): Ricardo Arjona". Amazon.com. Retrieved on May 1, 2012.
16. "El Problema: Ricardo Arjona". Amazon.com. Retrieved on May 1, 2012.

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics