A Latin pop and dance song with elements of salsa, surf, and ska, it is about an irresistible, particularly sinister, wild woman who lives on the edge, seducing others into her crazy world.

A Spanish-language version of "Livin' la Vida Loca" was recorded under the same title and reached the summit of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States.

In February 1999, Ricky Martin performed his smash hit "The Cup of Life" at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, which was greeted with a massive standing ovation and met with acclaim from music critics.

[4] On March 6, 1999, almost two weeks after his Grammy performance, Billboard revealed the lead single's name as "Livin' la Vida Loca" in an article and mentioned that it is set for release later that month.

[9] During an interview with Digital Spy, Martin said that he has reworked the song several times for concerts, changing it "from heavy hardcore rock to being exclusively influenced by ska and it's been urban as well!

She questions, "Was there a person alive in 1999 whose jaw literally did not drop when they saw Ricky Martin strut and swivel in the video to the song whose title would come to exemplify an era and a lifestyle?

"[32] In addition, Billboard staff praised the single, saying: "The big horns, the seductive bass, the debauchery in the lyrics, and Ricky Martin shaking his bon-bon: how could anyone resist this late '90s anthem penned by Robi Draco Rosa and Desmond Child?

"[38] Multiple sources have named "Livin' la Vida Loca" a "mega-hit", including The Hollywood Reporter,[2] Rolling Stone,[39] Billboard,[40] Los Angeles Times,[41] and Entertainment Tonight.

[43] Agustin Gurza from Los Angeles Times celebrated the song, labeling it "a sensual smash hit that came to symbolize the frenzied cultural breakthrough of a long-marginalized minority".

"[45] Both Katherine Keenan and Noa Amouyal from The Jerusalem Post described "Livin' la Vida Loca" as catchy, while the latter said it "was truly inescapable as the century drew to a close".

[51] Brittany Berkowitz and Elisa Tang from Good Morning America described "Livin' la Vida Loca" as an "epic dance song",[52] and Katrina Rees from CelebMix described it as infinitely infectious.

[56] Greg Kot from Chicago Tribune described it as "the year's most ubiquitous hit single" and wrote: "It's the kind of tune that defines the word 'pop': a jolt of instant caffeine, with its fizzy combination of surf guitar, Latin percussion and strutting horns."

[92] Internationally, "Livin' la Vida Loca" topped the charts in more than 20 countries and is considered to be Martin's biggest hit,[33][93] and one of the best-selling singles of all time.

In March 2021, the track was certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for additional track-equivalent sales of 1.2 million digital units since 2011.

[129][130] The song also reached number one in Argentina,[131] Chile,[131] Costa Rica,[132] El Salvador,[132] Greece,[133] Guatemala,[134] Hungary,[135] Ireland,[136] Mexico,[137] New Zealand,[138] Nicaragua,[132] Panama,[132] Puerto Rico,[132] and Saudi Arabia.

[144] In Romania, "Livin' la Vida Loca" was listed as the most-played song of the year, however, its peak position on the weekly chart is unknown.

[176] At the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, he performed "She's All I Ever Had" and "Livin' la Vida Loca", accompanied by a group of impressive women dressed in glitter.

[196] On February 10, 2015, he performed "Adiós", "Disparo al Corazón" and "Livin' la Vida Loca" on the Honda Stage at the iHeartRadio Theater.

Put It Down", "Livin' la Vida Loca", "She Bangs", and "The Cup of Life" alongside Clark Beckham, Nick Fradiani, Quentin Alexander, Qaasim Middleton, and Rayvon Owen on the fourteenth season's finale of American Idol.

On the same evening that Martin was Saturday Night Live's musical guest in May 1999, American comedian and SNL cast member Jimmy Fallon parodied an acoustic version of his song under the title "Livin' la Vida Yoda" as an ode to the fictional character in the Star Wars universe.

[212] A version of the "Livin' la Vida Loca" performed by Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas (Donkey and Puss in Boots voice roles) is played at the end of the 2004 American animated comedy film Shrek 2,[213] which also appears on its soundtrack.

[214][215] The original Martin's song was also featured in the American live-action/animated adventure comedy film The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020),[216] the Mexican mystery thriller streaming television series Who Killed Sara?

"[235] Following his performance of "The Cup of Life" at the Grammys, and the success of "Livin' la Vida Loca" and Ricky Martin (1999), he opened the gates for many Latin artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony, Santana, and Enrique Iglesias who released their crossover albums and followed him onto the top of the charts.

Lucas Villa from Spin wrote about it: "When the world went loca for Ricky, he led the way for other Latin music superstars like Spain's Enrique Iglesias, Colombia's Shakira and Nuyoricans like Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony to make their marks beyond the Spanish-speaking crowds.

[241] People's Jason Sheeler credited it as the song that "led the way for the late-'90s so-called 'Latin explosion' that dominated pop music into the new century: Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez".

[242] Leila Cobo named the track one of the genre's biggest singles of the past 50 years in his 2021 book Decoding "Despacito": An Oral History of Latin Music.

[243] She also wrote about his impact in "Whenever, Wherever" chapter: "Ricky Martin's phenomenal success opened the door for a string of Latin artists who waved the flags of their heritage, but who sang in English.

"[244] Additionally, she compared Martin's song with "Despacito" in one of her Billboard articles: "'Livin', like 'Despacito', became not just a global hit but a cultural phenomena that transcended all barriers of language and nationality.

[72] During an interview with mitú in 2021, Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma told the channel about Latin Music globalization: "This has been work that started with Ricky Martin's 'Livin' La Vida Loca' and Shakira like 15 or 20 years ago.

[248] Colombian singer-songwriter J Balvin referenced "Livin' la Vida Loca" on his song "Reggaetón" (2018) since Martin "gave as clear a depiction of his actualized artistic dreams".