"Ritmo" (also known as "Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)") is a song by American group Black Eyed Peas and Colombian singer J Balvin, released by Epic Records on October 11, 2019, as the first single from the soundtrack of the 2020 film Bad Boys for Life. It is also included on the group's eighth studio album Translation.
Background and composition The song features a prominent, slowed down sample of the 1993 song "The Rhythm of the Night" by the Italian group Corona (the song is performed by Italian singer Jenny B, the ghost-voice involved in the project).
Jennifer Lopez was originally intended to appear on the remix version, but Jaden Smith, whose father starred in the third film, appeared on the remix instead which was released on the film's soundtrack.
Live performance The song was performed live at the closing ceremony of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.
Critical reception Billboard's writer Jessica Roiz compared "Ritmo" to "The Rhythm of the Night", writing that the first one "fuses hip-hop, EDM, and reggaeton, has Spanish and English verses without interrupting the original chorus from "The Rhythm of the Night"". In a less enthusiastic review, Gary Suarez of Rolling Stone wrote that "the overextended J Balvin atop a convenient confluence of virally primed factors" which "proved irresistible to radio programmers and streaming playlisters", but he defined the use of Corona's sample a "plunder".
Accolades +Award nominations for "Ritmo"YearCeremonyAwardResultRef.2020Billboard Music Awards Top Dance/Electronic SongMTV Video Music AwardsBest CollaborationPremios Nuestra TierraBest Dance/EDM SongPublic Choice Song2021Latin American Music Awards Song of The YearCollaboration of the YearFavorite Urban SongBillboard Latin Music AwardsHot Latin Song of the YearSales Song of the YearLatin Rhythm Song of the YearVocal Event Hot Latin Song of the YearPremio Lo NuestroCrossover Collaboration of the YearUrban Collaboration of the YearUrban Song of the Year
Music video The official video of the song, directed by Colin Tilley, was released on YouTube on October 11, 2019, on the official YouTube's Black Eyed Peas channel.
Commercial performance The song debuted at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 26, staying on the chart for 27 weeks. It became the Black Eyed Peas' 17th Hot 100 entry and their first since "Don't Stop the Party" peaked at number 86 in 2011, as well as their first top 40 entry since "Just Can't Get Enough" peaked at number 3 in 2011. On Billboards Mainstream Top 40 chart, the song peaked at number 8. The song spent 24 weeks at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
Easter eggs The first line of the song's rap, "No son ni Reebok ni son Nike" (translates to "They are neither Reebok or Nike"), references a viral clip in which a Dominican radio caller requests Corona's "The Rhythm of the Night" by asking the host to play the song that goes "esos son Reebok o son Nike" (translates to "are those Reebok or Nike"). The moment went viral after the host impressively retrieved the requested song based on that clue alone.
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2019–2020) Peakposition Argentina (Argentina Hot 100) 2 Australia (ARIA) 100 Bolivia (Monitor Latino) 1 Brazil (Top 100 Brasil) 77 Chile (Monitor Latino) 2 Colombia (National-Report) 1 Colombia (Monitor Latino) 1 Ecuador (National-Report) 5 Ecuador (Monitor Latino) 5 El Salvador (Monitor Latino) 1 France (SNEP) 10Greece (IFPI)19 Guatemala (Monitor Latino) 10 Honduras (Monitor Latino) 3 Ireland (IRMA) 53 Italy (FIMI) 3 Lithuania (AGATA) 28 Nicaragua (Monitor Latino) 4 Panama (Monitor Latino) 2 Paraguay (Monitor Latino) 3 Paraguay (SGP) 2 Peru (Monitor Latino) 4 Puerto Rico (Monitor Latino) 3 Romania (Airplay 100) 1 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 2 San Marino (SMRRTV Top 50) 18 Spain (PROMUSICAE) 2 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 72 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) 3 Uruguay (Monitor Latino) 3 Venezuela (Monitor Latino) 2 +2021 Weekly chart performance for "Ritmo"Chart (2021)Peakposition Moldova Airplay (TopHit) 122 Romania Airplay (TopHit) 126 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) 53 +2024 Weekly chart performance for "Ritmo"Chart (2024)Peakposition Estonia Airplay (TopHit) 81 Kazakhstan Airplay (TopHit) 189
Monthly charts + 2019 monthly chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2019) Peakposition CIS Airplay (TopHit) 11 Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) 27 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 11 Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) 73 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) 97 + 2020 monthly chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2020) Peakposition CIS Airplay (TopHit) 4 Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) 23 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 2 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100) 40 Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100) 59 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) 6 + 2021 monthly chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2021) Peakposition CIS Airplay (TopHit) 92 Slovakia (Rádio Top 100) 99 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) 58 + 2024 monthly chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2024) Peakposition Estonia Airplay (TopHit) 92
Year-end charts +2019 year-end chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2019) Position Italy (FIMI) 93 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard) 74 +2020 year-end chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2020) Position Argentina Airplay (Monitor Latino) 9 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) 90 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia) 79 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 62 CIS Airplay (TopHit) 18 France (SNEP) 56 Germany (Official German Charts) 76 Hungary (Dance Top 40) 6 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40) 9 Hungary (Single Top 40) 69 Italy (FIMI) 67 Romania (Airplay 100) 12 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 22 Spain (PROMUSICAE) 35 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 54 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) 25 US Billboard Hot 100 50 US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard) 2 US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard) 1 US Latin Airplay (Billboard) 3 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 26 US Rhythmic (Billboard) 39
+2021 year-end chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2021) Position CIS Airplay (TopHit) 152 Hungary (Dance Top 40) 18 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 186 Ukraine Airplay (TopHit) 198
+ 2024 year-end chart performance for "Ritmo" Chart (2024) Position Estonia Airplay (TopHit) 115Hungary (Rádiós Top 40) 72
Decade-end charts + 20s Decade-end chart performance for "Ritmo"Chart (2020–2024)Position CIS Airplay (TopHit) 121 Estonia Airplay (TopHit) 161 Moldova Airplay (TopHit) 96 Russia Airplay (TopHit) 181
All-time charts +All-time chart performance for "Ritmo"Chart (2021)PositionUS Hot Latin Songs (Billboard) 12
Certifications
See also List of Airplay 100 number ones of the 2020s List of Billboard Argentina Hot 100 top-ten singles in 2019 List of Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay number ones of 2020
References
External links