"El Problema" ("The Problem") is a Latin pop song written, produced and performed by Guatemalan Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona. It was released as the lead single from his ninth studio album, Santo Pecado (2002). It is also recognized as one of Ricardo Arjona's signature songs.
Critically and commercially successful, the song became a hit by the singer, staying at No.1 for eight consecutive weeks at the Billboard Hot 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."Ricardo Arjona, El Problema. AccesMyLibrary.com. Retrieved April 1, 2012. 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.""Ricardo Arjona continues to make well-crafted music without worrying about sales or awards". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.
Music video The music video for "El Problema" was filmed between November 16 and 18, 2002 in 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
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 November 2, 2002."Top Latin Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012. The following week it jumped to No.11, receiving the "Greatest Gainer" honor for that week."Top Latin Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012. On the week ending November 16, "El Problema" jumped to No.9,"Top Latin Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012. thus becoming Arjona's third song to reach the top 10, after "Desnuda" and "Cuando", both of which reached No.1 in 2000.[ "Ricardo Arjona Album & Chart History"]. Billboard. Retrieved on April 30, 2012. The week ending December 7, 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 November 2, 2002,"Latin Pop Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012. and reached No.1 on the week ending November 30."Latin Pop Songs of the week". Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012. 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) Peakposition
Yearly charts Chart (2003)PeakpositionUS Billboard Latin Songs4US Billboard Latin Pop Songs3
Decade-End charts Chart (2000–2009)PeakpositionUS Billboard Latin Songs89US Billboard Latin Pop Songs33
Release history Country Date Format Label United Kingdom"El Problema (US Import): Ricardo Arjona". Amazon.com. Retrieved on May 1, 2012. October 2002 CD single Sony Music United States"El Problema: Ricardo Arjona". Amazon.com. Retrieved on May 1, 2012. January 19, 2010 Digital download (re-release)
References