A Puro Dolor
Encyclopedia
"Purest of Pain " is a song recorded by Puerto Rican band Son by Four
. It was written by Omar Alfanno and released as the first single of the second studio album
of the band in 2000. The song reached number-one on Billboard Top Latin Songs chart, and became the longest running chart topper of the chart in history, spending 20 weeks at the top; this record was broken five years later by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira
with "La Tortura
" which spent 25 weeks at number-one.
"Purest of Pain" also reached the Billboard 100
in the original version; this led to the recording of an English language version of the track, which also charted in the United States. The song also met with critical acclaim receiving the Lo Nuestro Award, the Billboard Music Award
and a Latin Grammy Award
nomination. In 2009, "A puro dolor" was named the best-performing Latin single of the decade.
released their first album Prepárense. The success of the singles "Nada" and "No Hay Razón", distributed in Puerto Rico by the independent label
RJO, captured the attention of the Sony Music CEO Oscar Llord, who made an agreement with RJO to re-release the album and start the recording sessions of the next album
. The first single taken from the following album was "A puro dolor", written and arranged by Panamanian record producer
Omar Alfanno, with a ballad version arranged by Alejandro Jaén. Omar Alfanno, well-known for his work with salsa recording singers Marc Anthony
, Víctor Manuelle
, Jerry Rivera
and Gilberto Santa Rosa
was in charge of the album production. Alfanno declared that he wrote the song in ten minutes, and that after the success of the track, he analyzed the composition, since he did not understand how "A Puro dolor" became that popular. He named it "the Cinderella of all his songs."
: "When they told us we were going to be signed by Columbia
for the single, we flipped." About the song, López also declared that "has something everybody can relate to. We're adults, we've been all through that [rejection]. The way the song reaches out to people is outstanding." In his album review for Allmusic, Evan C. Gutierrez declared that "A puro dolor" set "an impossibly high standard for the rest of the playlist." Omar Alfanno while recording the album Historias de Amor, named López "the best singer in the world" and the best performer of his compositions.
Son By Four
while promoting the single, opened a Ricky Martin
live performance in the Madison Square Garden
in New York City. They also did a concert with the R&B trio Destiny's Child
, and were presented in the 1st Latin Grammy Awards
along with boy band
N'Sync, performing the medley
"A puro dolor"/"Purest of Pain" with "This I Promise You
"/"Yo te voy a amar". The song was featured in the Mexican telenovela "Frente al Espejo", broadcasted by Televisa
. In 2000, due to the success of the track in the American market, they were asked to perform on The Tonight Show
hosted by Jay Leno
.
for Best Tropical Song
at the 1st Latin Grammy Awards
, which it lost to "El Niágara en Bicicleta
" by Juan Luis Guerra
.
, in where shows Ángel singing his verses, while the others members of the group, follow up with the chorus. At the end of the video the people of the orchestra starts to applaud when the group ends to sing.
CD, Maxi-Single"
. In the aforementioned chart only three songs have had similar week runs at the top: "Me Enamora
" by Juanes
and "Te Quiero" by Flex
, with 20 weeks each, and "La Tortura
" by Shakira
featuring Alejandro Sanz
with 25 non-consecutive weeks at the top. "Purest of Pain", the English version of the track, peaked at number 26 in the Billboard Hot 100
chart and ranked 61 at the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2000. The song exposure led to the parent album to receive a Gold certification in both the United States and México. "A puro dolor" ranked 1st at the Hot Latin Songs 25th Anniversary chart.
Son By Four
Son by Four is a salsa music group from Puerto Rico, well-known for their English U.S. pop hit "Purest of Pain ". The group is signed to Sony Music Entertainment....
. It was written by Omar Alfanno and released as the first single of the second studio album
Son By Four (album)
Son by Four is the second studio album released in 2000 by the romantic music group Son by Four. This album received a Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song, for their number-one hit "A Puro Dolor", and also became their first number-one album on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.-Track...
of the band in 2000. The song reached number-one on Billboard Top Latin Songs chart, and became the longest running chart topper of the chart in history, spending 20 weeks at the top; this record was broken five years later by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
with "La Tortura
La Tortura
"" is a Latin pop-reggaeton song performed by singers Shakira and Alejandro Sanz. It was recorded for Shakira's sixth studio album , released on June 7, 2005...
" which spent 25 weeks at number-one.
"Purest of Pain" also reached the Billboard 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the original version; this led to the recording of an English language version of the track, which also charted in the United States. The song also met with critical acclaim receiving the Lo Nuestro Award, the Billboard Music Award
Billboard Music Award
The Billboard Music Award is an honor given by Billboard magazine, the preeminent publication covering the music business. The Billboard Music Awards show had been held annually in December until it went dormant in 2007, but it returned in May 2011...
and a Latin Grammy Award
Latin Grammy Awards
A Latin Grammy Award is an accolade by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. Unlike the regular Grammy Award which primarily honors music produced in the United States, the Latin Grammy honors works produced anywhere around the...
nomination. In 2009, "A puro dolor" was named the best-performing Latin single of the decade.
Background
In early 1999, Son By FourSon By Four
Son by Four is a salsa music group from Puerto Rico, well-known for their English U.S. pop hit "Purest of Pain ". The group is signed to Sony Music Entertainment....
released their first album Prepárense. The success of the singles "Nada" and "No Hay Razón", distributed in Puerto Rico by the independent label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
RJO, captured the attention of the Sony Music CEO Oscar Llord, who made an agreement with RJO to re-release the album and start the recording sessions of the next album
Son By Four (album)
Son by Four is the second studio album released in 2000 by the romantic music group Son by Four. This album received a Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song, for their number-one hit "A Puro Dolor", and also became their first number-one album on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart.-Track...
. The first single taken from the following album was "A puro dolor", written and arranged by Panamanian record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Omar Alfanno, with a ballad version arranged by Alejandro Jaén. Omar Alfanno, well-known for his work with salsa recording singers Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
, Víctor Manuelle
Victor Manuelle
Víctor Manuelle, born Víctor Manuel Ruiz on November 4, 1968 in Bronx, New York, is a successful Latin Grammy nominated Puerto Rican American salsa singer, songwriter, and improvisational sonero, known to his fans as El Sonero de la Juventud...
, Jerry Rivera
Jerry Rivera
-Albums:* Empezando a Vivir Sony Music* Abriendo Puertas * Cuenta Conmigo * Cara de Niño...
and Gilberto Santa Rosa
Gilberto Santa Rosa
Gilberto Santa Rosa, also known as "El Caballero de la Salsa" , is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of salsa and bolero.-Early years:...
was in charge of the album production. Alfanno declared that he wrote the song in ten minutes, and that after the success of the track, he analyzed the composition, since he did not understand how "A Puro dolor" became that popular. He named it "the Cinderella of all his songs."
Release and reception
The song was released in the United States and Puerto Rico and became very successful with the ballad and tropical/salsa versions, setting an airplay record for a Latin single with 23.4 million impressions in those countries. The reaction of the song was intense, and Son By Four was asked to record an English language version of the track. This version was titled "Purest of Pain" and was serviced to English-speaking radio stations in May 2000. The success of the song took by surprise the leader of the band, Ángel López, who told Billboard magazineBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
: "When they told us we were going to be signed by Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
for the single, we flipped." About the song, López also declared that "has something everybody can relate to. We're adults, we've been all through that [rejection]. The way the song reaches out to people is outstanding." In his album review for Allmusic, Evan C. Gutierrez declared that "A puro dolor" set "an impossibly high standard for the rest of the playlist." Omar Alfanno while recording the album Historias de Amor, named López "the best singer in the world" and the best performer of his compositions.
Son By Four
Son By Four
Son by Four is a salsa music group from Puerto Rico, well-known for their English U.S. pop hit "Purest of Pain ". The group is signed to Sony Music Entertainment....
while promoting the single, opened a Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
live performance in the Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City. They also did a concert with the R&B trio Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, and were presented in the 1st Latin Grammy Awards
Latin Grammy Awards of 2000
The "1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards" were held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center on Friday, September 13, 2000. The big winners were Luis Miguel, Santana and Maná with 3 awards; Juan Luis Guerra, Shakira, Fito Páez and Emilio Estefan Jr. received 2 awards each.Winners were chosen by voting...
along with boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
N'Sync, performing the medley
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
"A puro dolor"/"Purest of Pain" with "This I Promise You
This I Promise You
"This I Promise You" is a ballad by 'N Sync, released as the third single in America and the fourth single in Europe from their fourth studio album, No Strings Attached, in 2000...
"/"Yo te voy a amar". The song was featured in the Mexican telenovela "Frente al Espejo", broadcasted by Televisa
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
. In 2000, due to the success of the track in the American market, they were asked to perform on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
hosted by Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
.
Awards
Son By Four received seven Billboard Latin Music Award nominations in 2001 for "Hot Latin Track of the Year", "Pop Track of the Year" and "Tropical/Salsa Track of the Year" ("A puro dolor"); "Tropical/Salsa Album of the Year, New Artist" and "Tropical/Salsa Album of the Year, Group" (Son By Four); and "Billboard Latin 50 Artist of the Year" and "Hot Latin Track Artist of the Year". With further nominations for Omar Alfanno as "Songwriter of the Year" and Alejandro Jaén for "Producer of the Year". Son By Four won all the awards, and Alfano won the award for the writing of the song. At the Lo Nuestro Awards in 2001, the group also became the biggest winner with six awards including "Song of the Year" and "Pop Group of the Year". Omar Alfanno also received a Latin Grammy Award nominationLatin Grammy Awards
A Latin Grammy Award is an accolade by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. Unlike the regular Grammy Award which primarily honors music produced in the United States, the Latin Grammy honors works produced anywhere around the...
for Best Tropical Song
Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song
The Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the United States and internationally . The award is...
at the 1st Latin Grammy Awards
Latin Grammy Awards of 2000
The "1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards" were held in Los Angeles at the Staples Center on Friday, September 13, 2000. The big winners were Luis Miguel, Santana and Maná with 3 awards; Juan Luis Guerra, Shakira, Fito Páez and Emilio Estefan Jr. received 2 awards each.Winners were chosen by voting...
, which it lost to "El Niágara en Bicicleta
El Niágara en Bicicleta
"El Niágara en Bicicleta" is a song written and performed by Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and his backup vocal group, 4-40. The track was released as the third single released from his eighth studio album, Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual which Guerra produced by himself. The single...
" by Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra
Juan Luis Guerra is a singer, songwriter and producer from the Dominican Republic who has sold over 30 million records, and won numerous awards including 12 Latin Grammy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and two Latin Billboard Music Awards...
.
Music video
Two music videos were made for the song; the first one being the ballad version of the song and the other the English version."A puro dolor" version
The ballad version was filmed in 2000, and was directed by Felipe Niño. The video is basically a performance in where simply the group appears along with an orchestra behind them. The video opens on a stage acoustic kindAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
, in where shows Ángel singing his verses, while the others members of the group, follow up with the chorus. At the end of the video the people of the orchestra starts to applaud when the group ends to sing.
"Purest of Pain" version
In the English version of the video, the plot is completely different. The video starts in a cloudy afternoon after a storm, in where the group it is situated singing in a white room. Back later it shows Ángel singing in a ladder, when later starts to drain water over the ladder. At the last part of the video, it shows Son by Four singing out of the house, where it seemed like rain and finally it gets dark.Track listings
Vinyl, 12"- Side A
- "Purest Of Pain" [Martinee's Club Spanglish] (5:53)
- "Purest Of Pain" [Eddie "Love" Arroyo's Club Spanglish] (6:01)
- Side B
- "Purest Of Pain" [Martinee's Club English] (5:53)
- "Purest Of Pain" [Eddie "Love" Arroyo Club English] (6:01)
CD, Maxi-Single"
- "Purest of Pain (A puro dolor)" [Spanglish] (3:30)
- "Purest of Pain (A puro dolor)" [Bilingual] (3:30)
- "Purest of Pain (A puro dolor) [Living without you] (3:30)
Chart performance
"A puro dolor" reached the top spot of the Billboard Top Latin Songs, Latin Pop Songs and Tropical/Salsa charts. With the song spending 62 weeks within the Top 50 in the Top Latin Songs chart and 20 non-consecutive weeks at number-one. This chart run led the song being named in 2009 the best-performing Latin single of the decadeHot Latin Tracks Decade-End Chart of 2000s
The following is the list of the singles that ranked in Hot Latin Tracks Decade-End Chart of 2000s....
. In the aforementioned chart only three songs have had similar week runs at the top: "Me Enamora
Me Enamora
"Me Enamora" is a song written and performed by Colombian singer-songwriter Juanes. The song is the first radio single of his fourth solo studio album La Vida... Es un Ratico and it received three awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video at the Latin Grammy...
" by Juanes
Juanes
Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez , better known as Juanes is a Colombian musician who was a member of heavy metal band Ekhymosis and is now a solo artist. In 2000, his solo debut album Fíjate Bien won three Latin Grammy Awards.Juanes has sold more than 13 million albums...
and "Te Quiero" by Flex
Flex (singer)
Félixer Danilo Gómez , known by his stage name DJ Flex and Nigga, is a Panamanian Latin Grammy Award winning reggaeton artist...
, with 20 weeks each, and "La Tortura
La Tortura
"" is a Latin pop-reggaeton song performed by singers Shakira and Alejandro Sanz. It was recorded for Shakira's sixth studio album , released on June 7, 2005...
" by Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
featuring Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sanz , is a Spanish singer-songwriter and musician. For his work, Sanz has won a total of fifteen Latin Grammy Awards and three Grammy Awards. He has won the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year three times, more than any other artist...
with 25 non-consecutive weeks at the top. "Purest of Pain", the English version of the track, peaked at number 26 in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and ranked 61 at the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2000. The song exposure led to the parent album to receive a Gold certification in both the United States and México. "A puro dolor" ranked 1st at the Hot Latin Songs 25th Anniversary chart.
Peak positions
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs Hot Latin Songs is a record chart published by Billboard magazine. It is often recognized as the most important music chart for Spanish language Latin music in the American music market. It was established by the magazine on September 6, 1986 with La Guirnalda by Rocío Dúrcal being the first song... |
1 |
| US Latin Tropical Airplay Latin Tropical Airplay The Tropical Songs is a record chart published on Billboard magazine established in 1994 with the first number-one song to be published was "En Las Nubes" by Edgar Joel. It features Latin music information from tropical music such as salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, and vallenato... |
1 |
| US Latin Regional Mexican Airplay Latin Regional Mexican Airplay Regional Mexican Songs is a record chart published on Billboard magazine. It was established by the magazine on October 8, 1994 with La Niña Fresa by Banda Z being the first song to reach number-one. It features Latin music information from different genres like Mariachi, Norteño, Banda and... |
34 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... "Purest of Pain", English version |
26 |
| US Rhythmic Top 40 "Purest of Pain", English version |
21 |
| US Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks Top 40 Tracks is a defunct airplay chart from Billboard Magazine. It was created in 1998, when Billboard Magazine changed the airplay profile of The Hot 100 Airplay to include more R&B, Country, and Rock stations to its profile . To preserve the notion of the former chart, Top 40 Tracks was... "Purest of Pain", English version |
29 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (2000) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 61 |
Cover versions
The song has been recorded by several performers, including recorded versions by Daniel Agostini, Los Amos de Nuevo León Alfano, Los Ángeles Negros, Angelitos Negros, Jackie Arredondo, Banda Boom, Banda Superbandido, Benman Group, Gerardo Casanova, María José Castillo, Chicos Aventura, Dinora y La Juventud, Emerson Ensemble, Los Flamers, Garcia Brothers, Víctor García, Giovanni, Grupo Condesa, Grupo Salvaje, Grupo Sonidero Show, Hermanos Rojos, Ana Isabelle, Latin All Stars, Mariachi Agave, Edith Márquez, Miguelon el Angel de La Banda, Nadia, Gerardo Ochoa, Hugo Raya, Raza Band, Resto, Los Reyes del Camino, Sonora Everest, Los Terricolas, Cat Tien, Tino y Su Banda Joven, Tropicana and Valdo y el Gallito.See also
- List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 2000
- Billboard Top Latin Songs Year-End ChartBillboard Top Latin Songs Year-End ChartThe Year-End charts for the Top Latin Songs chart are published in the last issue of Billboard magazine every year. The chart is based on information provided by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, which collects radio airplay information...