Abrázame Muy Fuerte (song)

"Abrázame Muy Fuerte" is a song written and performed by Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel. The song was produced by Bebu Silvetti and was composed for the Mexican telenovela of the same name (2000). It was released as the lead single on June 2000 for the compilation album El Alma de Divo (2000) and later included on his 25th studio also titled Abrázame Muy Fuerte (2000). A romantic ballad with Latin and pop sounds and backed by an orchestra, it is a confession of love. Gabriel was inspired to write the song due to his sister's coma.

"Abrázame Muy Fuerte" has been ranked among Gabriel's best songs by several music critics. The track received several accolades including Hot Latin Song of the Year at the 2002 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Commercially, the track became Gabriel's seventh number-one single in the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart and was the best-performing Latin single of 2001. In 2015 Gabriel re-recorded the song with Italian singer Laura Pausini on his 28th studio album Los Dúo. It has been covered by several artists including Marc Anthony, Isabel Pantoja, and Cristian Castro. Anthony's version peaked at numbers 21 and four on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Latin Pop Airplay charts, respectively.

Background and composition
Since the 1970s, Juan Gabriel, one of the best-selling Latin music artists, has sold over 40 million copies and with more than 300 artists who have recorded one or more of his 900 compositions in a career spanning over 25 years. In 1999, he released Todo Está Bien, which was met with mixed reviews. On 29 March 2000, El Siglo de Torreon reported that a telenovela, then titled Pecado mortal, was being released later in the year and that Gabriel would compose its main theme song. This was corroborated by Billboard editor John Lannert on 6 May and stated that Gabriel was set to release the song Mexican radio stations titled "Abrázame" in the upcoming weeks. The telenovela's name was changed to Abrázame muy fuerte on the insistence of the singer that it matches the name of the song. The telenovela, which stars Victoria Ruffo, Aracely Arámbula, Fernando Colunga and Pablo Montero began broadcasting in Mexico on 31 July 2000. It became very successful and ended winning eight TVyNovelas Awards in 2001, including Best Telenovela, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor.

"Abrázame Muy Fuerte" is a romantic ballad with a Latin and pop sound. It was produced by Argentine musician Bebu Silvetti. The song is backed by a full orchestra, beginning softly with a piano and violins. The melody builds as the song progresses to a "powerful orchestral event" until it reaches to a "climatic crescendo". Lyrically, it is an "emotional confession of love". In the song, he chants: "Embrace me, for time passes and never forgives" and "[h]ug me, because time is evil and a cruel friend". Gabriel was inspired to compose the track after his sister Virginia Aguilera Valadez, who took care of him after their mother died, fell into a coma for seven years.

Promotion and covers
"Abrázame Muy Fuerte" was released as the lead single for his greatest hits album, El Alma Musical de Juan Gabriel (2000), on late June 2000 to radio stations. The compilation album commemorates the artist's 50 years of living. It was later included on his 25th studio album of the same name also released later in the year. In addition, it is featured on the telenovela's soundtrack released a year later. A dance remix was included on his greatest hits album Mis Favoritas (2010). In 2013, Gabriel performed the song live at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City during he was celebrating his 40th anniversary of his music trajectory. Juan Gabriel's presentation was later released as a live album titled Mis 40 en Bellas Artes (2014). Gabriel re-recorded "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" as a duet with Italian songstress Laura Pausini on his 28th studio album Los Dúo (2015). A music video for the duet was included on the DVD deluxe edition of Los Dúo, Vol. 2 (2015).

The song has been covered by several artists including Marc Anthony, Isabel Pantoja, and Cristian Castro. Anthony released it as the second single on 2 August 2010 from his tenth studio album Iconos (2010). Anthony bought six hundred records to listen and select the songs that would be included on the album. Anthony covered three of Gabriel's songs "Abrázame Muy Fuerte", "Ya lo Sé Que Tu Te Vas", and "Te Lo Pido por Favor" since the songs were "related to his taste in music and who he was." "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" was chosen by the fans of the artist as the second single from the album, after a survey through his official website. Anthony's version peaked at numbers 21 and four on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Latin Pop Airplay charts. Pantoja's rendition produced by Gabriel before she was sentenced to prison in 2014 and was released after Gabriel's death in 2016. Castro included on his tribute album to the artist Mi Tributo a Juan Gabriel (2018). A promotional music video for Castro's cover was released which features people dancing on the disco floor.

Reception
Writing a positive review of the album, Sandra Barrera of the Los Angeles Daily News called the title track a "must listen". "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" has been listed among Gabriel's best songs, placing number eight and seven on Classic Rock History and Singers Room, respectively. Billboard ranked the track number four on the 50 Best Latin Pop Songs From 2000 to 2023 and number 90 on The 100 Greatest Songs of 2001. In 2016, BBC Mundo listed the track as one of the 11 Songs That Led Juan Gabriel to Become a Success in Latin America. Two years later, CNN en Español included "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" on their 10 Most Memorable Songs by Juan Gabriel. On the duet, AllMusic's Thom Jurek felt, with its "shimmering synths, grand piano, and strings", that it was a "fantastic match that juxtaposes" both Gabriel and Pausini.

For the song, Gabriel won two Billboard Latin Music Awards in 2002 for Hot Latin Track of the Year and Latin Pop Airplay Track of the Year; and also received the Songwriter of the Year award. Bebu Silvetti earned the Producer of the Year award for his work on the track, which ranked 7th at the Hot Latin Songs 25th Anniversary chart in 2011. "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" also was awarded for Pop Song of the Year at the 2002 Lo Nuestro Awards. In addition, it awarded Song of the Year at the 2001 El Premio de la Gente. It was nominated "Best Theme Song" at the TVyNovelas Awards in 2001, but ultimately lost to "Enloqueceme" by OV7.

Commercially, the song debuted in the Hot Latin Songs chart at number 38 in the week of 2 December 2000, climbing to the top ten three weeks later, peaking at number-one on 27 January 2001, holding this position for four weeks, being replaced by MDO's "Te Quisé Olvidar". "Abrázame Muy Fuerte" returned to the top of the chart the following week. The track was succeeded at number-one by "Sólo Quiero Amarte" performed by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin five weeks later. The song spent nine non-consecutive weeks at the top spot of the chart, and ended the year as the best performing Latin single of 2001. It also topped the Latin Pop Airplay subchart as well as ranked number one on its year-end chart.