Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja

"Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja" is a Latin pop song written by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona for his thirteenth studio album, Independiente (2011). It was produced by Arjona, Dan Warner and Lee Levin. It was released as the album's third single on 8 May 2012. The song was used by American telecommunications corporation AT&T on a commercial promoting the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone, and has been widely performed on Arjona's Metamorfosis World Tour. A music video was filmed on the Universal Studios in Los Angeles, and is protagonized by Arjona alongside his son Ricardo Arjona Jr. In 2013, Arjona received a Song of the Year nomination at the 14th Latin Grammy Awards for the song.[1]

"Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja"
Single by Ricardo Arjona
from the album Independiente
Released	8 May 2012
Recorded	2011
Genre	Latin pop
Length	5:12
Label	Metamorfosis, Warner Music
Songwriter(s)	Ricardo Arjona
Producer(s)	Ricardo Arjona, Dan Warner, Lee Levin
Ricardo Arjona singles chronology
"Fuiste Tú" (2012) "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja" (2012) "Te Quiero" (2012)

Background

In 2011, Arjona founded his own record label, Metamorfosis.

Independiente is the first album Arjona released as an independent artist, and through his own record label, Metamorfosis, a company he created to refocus his career.[2] Presided by Arjona and some friends, Metamorfosis is based in Miami and Mexico City,[3] and also includes the photographer and director Ricardo Calderón, Universal Music México's executive Humberto Calderon and BMG's Miriam Sommerz.[3][4] Although the album is marketed with the new label, distribution was handled by Warner Music. Arjona commented many times, that he considered the way he decided to go independent raised more compromise than freedom, saying that "Inside the word 'Independent', even when it sounds like extreme freedom, there's a big amount of compromise and the responsibility of being able to administrate, in the best way possible, such independence."[5]

Independiente was composed and written within one year,[6] and marks the fourth time Arjona had collaborated with Tommy Torres, who had helped writing, composing, producing and providing backing vocals. The other three albums in which the two artists had worked together are Quién Dijo Ayer, in which Torres helped producing the singles "Quién" and "Quiero", and offering additional work on the new versions of Arjona's hits; 5to Piso, and Adentro, respectively. Also, in the album, Arjona returned to his classic and trademark sound, which Torres has helped crafting it since six years now, after the drastic change he made in Poquita Ropa. On that album, the artist made use of the fewest instruments possible, simplifying his sound, and introducing what he called a "stripped-down version of his music".[7]

Weeks before the release of Independiente, Arjona issued a letter in which he talked about his past relations with recording companies. In the letter, he revealed that he entered in his first record label as an exchange, commenting that "a producer, friend of mine, told them [the record label] that if they don't sign me they won't sign two artists he had [at that time]", and that he received the "minimum royalty percentage" out from his most successful albums.[8] Billboard notes that although other groups have decided to launch independently their works after having a contract with major record labels, Arjona is by far the most important artist in the Latin pop to follow this trend.[3]

Composition

"Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja" is a latin pop ballad song with a length of five minutes and 12 seconds.[9] It was composed within a year, as well as the rest of Independiente,[10] and was produced by Arjona, alongside longtime collaborators Dan Warner, Lee Levin and Dan Rudin.[11] A piano version of the song was recorded at the Jocoteco Studios in Mexico City, and was included as the last track on the album.[11] This version was produced by Arjona and Victor Patrón, the latter whom also played the piano, the only instrument present on this version of the song.[11]

Arjona wrote the song for his mother, Noemí Morales.[12] She told him she didn't like it because it make her cry.[13] He said that he "wrote the song as a gift for my mom in a Mother's Day and two sisters (a couple of years ago) [...] and i thought the idea of including it on the album was very good".[12] Lyrically, "Mi Novia Se Me Esta Poniendo Vieja" revolves around how a son looks at their mother from a sentimental perspective, with Arjona singing "She loves me either if i gor as a guerrilla, or I won the Nobel Prize for Peace / She doesn't care if i'm last or first, if i'm going as a conformist or as tenacious."[14] He also said that he never thought to include the song in an album, just as happened with his single "Señora De Las Cuatro Decadas" from Historias back in 1994.[12]

Release and promotion

The song has been widely performed by Arjona on his Metamorfosis World Tour.[15]

On 25 April, Arjona started promotion of the song by posting on his website a preview of the music video, which was released a few days after, on 30 April 2012.[13][15] It was intended to be a promotional single to coincide with Mother's Day,[16] and was released in the United States and Mexico as a digital download on 8 May 2012.[9][17]

Music video

The music video was filmed on the Universal Studios in Los Angeles, and is protagonized by himself and his son Ricardo Arjona Jr.[18] It was directed by Robert García.[13][18] The video was released on 29 April 2012. In it, Arjona is seen walking throughout a city. While he walks with a guitar on his shoulder, on the road of that city, he encounters with many people, including a musician and a police man while remembering past memories of his life.[19]

Live performances and media appearances

"Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja" was in the set list for a televised program in 2011. The special included guest singers such as Gaby Moreno, Ricky Muñoz (from Mexican band Intocable) and Paquita la del Barrio.[20] Broadcast by Televisa, the program was made to showcast the new fourteen songs included on Independiente. Ricky Muñoz commented that he was "happy to do things for Ricardo [Arjona]" and elaborated that the met each other "some time ago" and that it was "a very special situation."[21] The show was later bordcasted on 5 November 2011 by Canal de las Estrellas.[22] The song is also present on his ongoing Metamorfosis World Tour. It is performed while on one of the ambiences the concert, alongside "Acompañame A Estar Solo", "Dime Que No", "Como Duele" and "Señora De Las Cuatro Décadas".[23]

"Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja" was also used by American telecommunications corporation AT&T on a commercial promoting the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone.[24] Titled "The Shoot", the spot, which also features Arjona, shows how a teenage boy uses his Nokia smartphone to record the singer's performance, and then showing it to his mother. The commercial was, as well as the song, released to coincide with Mother's Day.[25]

Track listing

• Digital download

1. "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja" — 5:12

• Piano version

1. "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja" (Piano version) — 5:05

Personnel

Credits are taken from Independiente Liner notes.[11]

Technical

• "Mi Novia Se Me Esta Poniendo Vieja" (Piano version) was recorded at Jocoteco Studios, Mexico City.

Standard version

• Ricardo Arjona — vocals
• Brian Lang — contrabass, recording engineer
• Lee Levin — bass, percussion, recording engineer
• Dan Warner — guitar, recording engineer
• Matt Rollings — Hammond B-3, accordion, recording engineer
• Chris McDonald — Chord arrangements, conductor
• Pamela Sixfin — violin
• David Angell — violin
• James Grosjean — viola
• Anthony LaMarchina — cello
• Carlos Cabral Jr. — recording engineer
• Isaías García — recording engineer
• Dan Rudin — recording engineer
• David Thoener — mixing engineer

Piano version

• Ricardo Arjona — vocals
• Victor Patrón — piano
• Isaías García — recording engineer
• Ben Wisch — mixing engineer
• Isaías García — recording engineer

Charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[26]	44
US Latin Pop Songs (Billboard)[27]	40

Release history

Digital releases

Country	Date	Format	Label
United States[9]	8 May 2012	Digital download	Metamorfosis / Warner Music
Mexico[17]
Argentina[28]
Chile[29]
Venezuela[30]

References

1. "Premios Latin Grammy 2013: conozca la lista de nominados". Terra Networks (in Spanish). Telefónica. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
2. (12 October 2011). "Ricardo Arjona, de nuevo en la cima con 'Independiente'" (in Spanish). Univisión Musica. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
3. (7 July 2011). "Ricardo Arjona sacará un nuevo disco bajo su propio sello independiente" (in Spanish). San Diego Red. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
4. somos < metamorfosis.be (in Spanish). Metamorfosis. Retrieved 30 October 2011. Archived 5 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
5. (4 October 2011). "Ricardo Arjona: Estoy empezando de nuevo y me gusta" Archived 5 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish). El Nacional (Venezuela). Retrieved 15 October 2011.
6. (3 October 2011). "Arjona goza de "libertad extrema" consciente de sus riesgos" (in Spanish). EFE Agency. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
7. (26 August 2010). "Arjona presenta canciones con Poquita Ropa" (in Spanish). La Patria. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
8. (26 September 2011). "Arjona desclasifica los episodios menos glamorosos de su paso por las discográficas" (in Spanish). Emol.com. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
9. "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja - Single by Ricardo Arjona". iTunes. Retrieved on 8 May 2012.
10. (3 October 2011). "Arjona goza de "libertad extrema" consciente de sus riesgos" (in Spanish). EFE Agency. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
11. Independiente (booklet). Ricardo Arjona. Mexico City: Metamorfosis, a division of Warner Music Mexico S.A. de C.V. 2011. 825646649396.
12. (27 October 2011). "Ricardo Arjona canta al amor de su vida: su mamá". Tropicana. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
13. "Arjona lanzó "Mi novia se me está poniendo vieja"" Archived 28 October 2012 at WebCite (in Spanish). InfoBAE. Retrieved on 25 April 2012.
14. Bastidas, Saulo. "Arjona honra a su madre con su tema "Mi novia se me esta poniendo vieja"". La F.m. (in Spanish). RCN Radio. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
15. "Espera el lanzamiento del nuevo video este 30 de abril" (in Spanish). Archived 3 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine Ricardo Arjona Official Website. Retrieved on 25 April 2012.
16. "Ricardo Arjona estrena su sencillo Te quiero" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
17. "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja - Single de Ricardo Arjona". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Retrieved on 8 May 2012.
18. "Arjona honra a su madre en su nuevo video "Mi novia se esta poniendo vieja"" Archived 11 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved on 25 April 2012.
19. "Ricardo Arjona: "Sabrás que solo te hablo a ti mamá"" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. Retrieved on 5 May 2012.
20. Morán, Barbara (4 October 2011). "Ricardo Arjona dará un especial de TV sobre su nuevo disco Independiente". Starmedia (in Spanish). Venezuela: Orange Corporation. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
21. "Arjona llega a la TV con un programa especial" (in Spanish). Conexión Total. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
22. "Ricardo Arjona realiza inedito dueto junto a Paquita la del Barrio". La Nación (in Spanish). Chile: Empresa Periodistica La Nación S.A. 3 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
23. Trapé, Oscar. "Ricardo Arjona convocó a más de 25.000 personas en el Malvinas Argentinas" Archived 5 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish). Diario Uno. Retrieved on 26 April 2012.
24. "AT&T Gets Multi-cultural With Multi-channel campaign" Archived 18 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. RICG. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
25. "Consumer Empowerment at the Forefront of AT&T's New Ad Campaign Featuring National Spots on Major Spanish-Language Networks". Market Watch. Retrieved on 16 April 2012.
26. "Ricardo Arjona Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard.
27. "Ricardo Arjona Chart History (Latin Pop Songs)". Billboard.
28. "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja - Single de Ricardo Arjona". iTunes. Apple, Inc. Retrieved on 8 May 2012.
29. "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja - Single de Ricardo Arjona". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Retrieved on 8 May 2012.
30. "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja - Single de Ricardo Arjona". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Retrieved on 8 May 2012.