Ricardo Arjona is sharing his Apnea with the world…
The 50-year-old Guatemalan singer-songwriter has released his new single “Apnea,” a powerful ballad from his upcoming studio album Viaje.
Arjona debuted the single after revealing it in pieces throughout the past week by posting clues surrounding the track to his fans, including his 12 million Facebook followers.
On March 3, fans were given the chance to unlock the first minute of the song through a campaign on his website by reaching 50,000 clicks to access the content.
With more than 100,000 visits the preview was quickly obtained by followers a day prior to the official release. An official lyric video for the full track was uploaded on YouTube the following day, along with its delivery to digital retailers distributed by Sony Music Latin.
“Apnea,” meaning the inability to breathe, holds a special meaning to Arjona, who expressed, “There are personal events that made me write this song. The lyrics, word for word are what I lived and breathed with those around me.”
The song has Arjona’s distinct sound, telling the heartbreaking tale of of trying to cope with the end or a relationship.
The singer added “I couldn’t find another word in the dictionary to reflect the feeling of this abandonment more accurately than Apnea.”
Arjona’s extensive Billboard chart history spans over 20 years and includes five No. 1 songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart, most recently with “Te Quiero,” which spent two weeks at the top in September 2012. He’s had 12 top 10 albums on the Top Latin Albums list, including four No. 1s.
With more than 2 million albums sold in the United States alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan, he is a symbolic figure in the industry with a vast presence in Latin America as well.
Arjona’s upcoming album Viaje will be released on April 29 through his independent label, Metamorfosis.