Amarte Es un Placer (song)

"Amarte Es un Placer" (English: "Loving You Is a Pleasure")^[3] is a song recorded by Mexican singer Luis Miguel and the fourth and final single from his album of the same name (1999). Released in 2000, it was written by Juan Carlos Calderón, while production was handled by Miguel. Lyrically, "Amarte Es un Placer" deals with a narrator describing the pleasures of being enamored with his lover.

"Amarte Es un Placer"
Single by Luis Miguel
from the album Amarte Es un Placer
Released	2000
Studio	A&M Studios Cello Studios Ocean Way Recording Watersound Record Plant (Hollywood, California)[1]
Length	3:31
Label	WEA Latina
Songwriter(s)	Juan Carlos Calderón Marcos Lifshitz
Producer(s)	Luis Miguel[2]
Luis Miguel singles chronology
"Dormir Contigo" (2000) "Amarte Es un Placer" (2000) "La Bikina" (2000)
Music video
"Amarte Es un Placer" on YouTube

The song received positive reactions from music critics for its orchestral arrangement and Miguel's delivery. However, both Miguel and Calderón were accused of plagiarism by Mexican composer Marcos Lifshitz who maintained that the melody in the song was derived from his composition "Siento nuestro aliento" and was not credited for it. A court ruled in favor of Lifshitz and ordered Miguel and Warner Music to pay 40% of the song's royalties as compensation. "Amarte Es un Placer" received a nomination for Pop Song of the Year at the 13th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 2001 and Calderón received an ASCAP Latin Award in the same year. A music video for the track was directed by Alberto Tolot and was nominated Best Clip of the Year in the Latin field at the 2000 Billboard Music Video Awards. The track peaked at number six Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States and number five on the Latin Pop Songs chart.

Background and composition

After an absence of two years from the music scene, Miguel announced on 19 July 1999 that he would release an album by September, saying it would be a return to pop recordings as opposed to the bolero cover versions he had recorded on the Romance series. The record's final title, Amarte Es un Placer was announced on 17 August 1999.^[4]

"Amarte Es un Placer" was composed by Juan Carlos Calderón and produced by Miguel himself, with the lyrics with the lyrics describing the protagonist having the pleasure of being enamored with his love interest.^[1][3] It was released as the fourth single from Amarte Es un Placer in 2000,^[6] and was included on the setlist of his Cómplices Tour (2008).^[7]

Reception and accolades

Eliseo Cardona from El Nuevo Herald regarded "Amarte Es un Placer" as the best track on the album.^[8] Ramiro Burr, writing for the Houston Chronicle praised the orchestra in the song and Miguel's delivery.^[5] "Amarte Es un Placer" was nominated in the category of Pop Song of the Year at the 13th Annual Lo Nuestro Awards in 2001,^[9] but lost to "A Puro Dolor" by Son by Four.^[10] The track was recognized as one of the major Latin songs of 2000 at the ASCAP Latin Awards in 2001.^[11]

In the United States, "Amarte Es un Placer" debuted at number 24 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart on the week ending 25 March 2000,^[12] reaching its peak position at number 11 on 13 May 2000.^[13] The track also peaked at number five on the Latin Pop Songs chart.^[14]

Controversy

In 2000, Mexican composer Marcos Lifshitz accused Miguel, Calderón, and Warner Music of plagiarizing his composition "Siento nuestro aliento" ("I Feel Our Breath"). Lifshitz maintained that he created the melody that was used on "Amarte Es un Placer" but was not credited for it.^[15] A court ruled in 2007 in favor of Lifshitz and ordered Miguel and his record label to pay 40% of the song's royalties as compensation.^[16]

Music video

The music video for "Amarte Es un Placer" was filmed by Alberto Tolot at a mansion in January 2000 in Bel Air, California.^[6] In the video, Miguel enters the mansion and views a painting of Flaming June which comes to life. He serenades in the building and later finds the woman portrayed in the painting.^[17] The visual was nominated in the category of Best Clip of the Year in the Latin field at the 2000 Billboard Video Music Awards,^[18] but lost to "Ritmo Total" (1999) by Enrique Iglesias.^[19]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Amarte Es un Placer.^[1]

• Luis Miguel – producer, vocals
• Juan Carlos Calderón – songwriter, arranger
• Michael Colombier – orchestra arranger

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2000) Peak position US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[13] 6 US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)[14] 5

Year-end charts Chart (2000) Position US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[20] 24

References

1. Miguel, Luis (1999). Amarte Es un Placer (Album liner notes). United States: WEA Latina, a division of Warner Music Group. pp. 1, 8. 3984 29288-2.
2. Guerra, Joey (27 September 1999). "Universal Appeal – 3 new CDs capitalize on fascination with Latin music sounds". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation.
3. Promis, Jose F. "Amarte Es un Placer – Luis Miguel". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
4. "Lo último de Luis Miguel". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 17 August 1999. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
5. Burr, Ramiro (24 October 1999). "Ingles? Pop star Luis Miguel says he'll stick in Spanish". San Antonio Express-News.
6. "El 'Placer' de estar 'Vivo'". Terra Networks (in Spanish). Telefónica. Archived from the original on 12 March 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
7. "Luis Miguel pone el grito en el cielo de la noche chilena con sus grandes éxitos" (in Spanish). 21 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
8. Cardona, Eliseo (16 September 1999). "Amarte Es Un Placer – Luis Miguel (WEA)". El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). The McClatchy Company.
9. "Premios Lo Nuestro: Votación 2001". Univision. Univision Communications. 2001. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
10. "Premios Lo Nuestro: Alfombra Roja: Lista completa de los ganadores de Premio Lo Nuestro 2001". Univision. Univision Communications. 2001. Archived from the original on 13 October 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
11. "El Premio ASCAP Awards Arturo Sandoval, Songwriter Omar Alfanno". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 21. Prometheus Global Media. 19 May 2001. p. 50. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
12. "Hot Latin Songs: The Week of March 25, 2000". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 25 March 2000. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
13. "Luis Miguel Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
14. "Luis Miguel Chart History (Latin Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
15. "Confía compositor que demandó a Luis Miguel en ganar pleito". El Universal (in Spanish). 10 September 2000. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
16. "Condenan a Luis Miguel por plagio de canción". People en Español (in Spanish). Time. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
17. Tolot, Alberto (director) (2000). Luis Miguel – Amarte Es un Placer (Music video) (in Spanish). WEA Latina. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
18. Hay, Carla (23 September 2000). "Gilman Tops Nominees in Billboard Video Awards". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 39. Nielsen Business Media. p. 86. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
19. Hay, Carla (25 November 2000). "Gilman Sweeps Billboard Video Music Awards". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 48. Nielsen Business Media. p. 101. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
20. "2000: The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. Prometheus Global Media. 20 December 2000. pp. YE–76. Retrieved 20 October 2013.