"Píntame" (transl. "Paint Me")[1] is a song by Puerto Rican American singer Elvis Crespo from his 1999 second studio album of the same name. The song was written by Crespo with Luis Angel Cruz and Robert Cora handling its productions. It is a merengue song in which Crespo asks an artist to materialize his lover by painting her. The song was met with positive reactions from three music critics who found the song to be catchy. An accompanying music video for the single features Crespo dancing with other performers in a white background.

"Píntame"
Close-up of Elvis Crespo facing the camera from his right wearing a white shirt.
Single by Elvis Crespo
from the album Píntame
B-side"Suavemente (Hot Head Mix)"
Released1999
GenreMerengue
Length4:20
LabelSony Discos
Songwriter(s)Elvis Crespo
Producer(s)Luis Angel Cruz  • Robert Cora
Elvis Crespo singles chronology
"Nuestra Canción"
(1999)
"Píntame"
(1999)
"Tiembo"
(1999)
Music video
"Píntame" on YouTube

Commercially, "Píntame" peaked at number two and one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States. An English-language version of the song was released to dance radio stations in the US. The track garnered several accolades including the Lo Nuestro Award for Tropical Song of the Year in 2000. In 2019, Dominican Republic singer Gabriel Pagán [es] covered the song with Crespo and their version topped the merengue charts in the Dominican Republic.

Background and composition

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In 1998, Elvis Crespo released his solo debut album, Suavemente, in 1998 which became an immediate success by topping the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States. Its first two singles, the title track and "Tu Sonrisa" reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs in the US and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[2][3] This led to Crespo to launch a follow-up record to Suavemente in 1999 titled Píntame. According to the singer: After recording a disc like Suavemente, which became a notable hit and inspired me, the most important thing of the time is to enter the studio a consistent disc that demonstrates my versatility as a vocalist".[4] Like its predecessor, it is a merengue album with "danceable tropical music".[5] One of the merengues in the album is the title track, in which Crespo "yearns for his ladylove to materialize at the tip of a painter's brush."[6][7] The song was written by Crespo with productions being handled by Luis Angel Cruz and Robert Cora.[6]

Promotion and reception

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"Píntame" was released as the album's lead single in 1999 by Sony Discos.[8] An English-language remix of the song was released to dance radio stations in the US.[1] The accompanying music video for the song features Crespo performing the track along with other dancers in a white background.[9] Crespo performed the song live in Las Vegas in 2008 and was later included in his live album, Elvis Crespo Lives: Live from Las Vegas (2008).[10] The original version was featured on Crespo's compilation album Suavemente...Los Exitos (2008).[11] An editor for Allmusic praised the saxophones for carrying "the title track to a fever pitch".[6] In spite of the availability of English-language remixes of the single, Leila Cobo of the Redding Record Searchlight suggested that "for a real experience", listeners should "move to the album’s frenetic tunes in Spanish like the title track".[1] The Orlando Sentinel critic Parry Gettelman called it one of the album's "best cuts".[12] A writer for Vibe found to be "übercatchy"[13]

At the 12th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 2000", "Píntame" won Tropical Song of the Year.[14] In the same year, the song was nominated in the category of "Tropical/Salsa Track of the Year" at the 7th Annual Billboard Latin Music Awards.[15] The record was also nominated for "Best Merengue Song" the 1999 Premios Globos,[16] but ultimately lost both awards to "El Niágara en Bicicleta" (1998) by Juan Luis Guerra.[17] It was acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 2001 BMI Latin Awards.[18] Commercially, "Píntame" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and became his third number one on the Tropical Airplay chart in the US.[19][20] The track was the third best-performing tropical song of the year in the US.[21] In 2019, Dominican Republic singer Gabriel Pagán [es] covered "Píntame" on his studio album, Morisoñando, Vol. 1, with Crespo's participation.[22] Their version peaked at number 15 on the Tropical Airplay chart and topped the merengue charts in the Dominican Republic according to Monitor Latino.[20][23]

Formats and track listings

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Charts

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Cobo, Leila (September 30, 1999). "¡Yo quiero musica!". Redding Record Searchlight. p. 10. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Harris, Craig. "Elvis Crespo Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  3. ^ "American certifications – Elvis Crespo – Suavemente". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  4. ^ "Elvis Crespo lanza nuevo disco con más energía y vitalidad". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish). August 22, 1999. p. 68. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  5. ^ Watrous, Peter (May 24, 1999). "For Latin Music, New Worlds To Conquer". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "Elvis Crespo - Pintame Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  7. ^ Roiz, Jessica (July 30, 2020). "In Celebration of Elvis Crespo's Birthday, Vote For His Ultimate Merengue Song". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Píntame (Media notes). Elvis Crespo. United States: Sony Discos. 1999. SAMPCS 7379.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ Crespo, Elvis (1999). Píntame (online video) (in Spanish). YouTube. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "Elvis Crespo - Elvis Crespo Lives: Live from Las Vegas Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  11. ^ "Elvis Crespo - Suavemente... Los Éxitos Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  12. ^ Gettelman, Parry (June 4, 1999). "Double Threat on Latin Charts". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  13. ^ "Vibe". Vibe. 8 (1–5): 146. 2000. ISSN 1070-4701.
  14. ^ Hernandez, Mary (May 7, 2000). "Lo Nuestro los premia... a la mitad". Mural (in Spanish). p. 5. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  15. ^ Lannert, John (April 29, 2000). "Catch Some Rising Stars: Artist Showcases Offer a Glimpse Into The Future of Latin Music". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 18. Prometheus Global Media. p. 16. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
  16. ^ "Premios Global Nominees". LaMusica.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 1999. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  17. ^ "Ricky Martin y Elvis Crespo ganan premios Globo". El Salvador (in Spanish). November 18, 1999. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  18. ^ "BMI Honors Top Latin Songwriters and Publishers at 8th Annual Awards Ceremony". Broadcast Music, Inc. April 20, 2001. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  19. ^ a b "Elvis Crespo Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  20. ^ a b c d "Elvis Crespo Chart History (Tropical Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  21. ^ a b c "1999: The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. pp. 76, 78. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
  22. ^ Ruiz, David (May 30, 2019). "Gabriel presenta disco 'Morisoñando Vol. 1' en el que canta junto a grandes del merengue". GenteRD (in Spanish). Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Top 20 RD música - Merengue: Del 8 al 14 de Julio, 2019" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. July 14, 2019. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  24. ^ Píntame – The Remixes (Media notes). Elvis Crespo. United States: Sony Discos. 1999. EPS-83389.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ^ "Elvis Crespo chart history". Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  26. ^ Productores de Música de España. "Elvis Crespo chart history". Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  27. ^ "Top 100 - Canciones RD: Merengue" (in Spanish). Monitor Latino. 2019. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  28. ^ "2019 Year-End Charts: Tropical Airplay Songs". Billboard. 2019. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2022.