Ritmo (song)

"Ritmo" (also known as "Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)") is a song by American group Black Eyed Peas and Colombian singer J Balvin, released by Epic Records on October 11, 2019, as the first single from the soundtrack of the 2020 film Bad Boys for Life. It is also included on the group's eighth studio album Translation.

Background and composition
The song features a prominent, slowed down sample of the 1993 song "The Rhythm of the Night" by the Italian group Corona (the song is performed by Italian singer Jenny B, the ghost-voice involved in the project).

Jennifer Lopez was originally intended to appear on the remix version, but Jaden Smith, whose father starred in the third film, appeared on the remix instead which was released on the film's soundtrack.

Live performance
The song was performed live at the closing ceremony of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines.

Critics reception
Billboard's writer Jessica Roiz compared "Ritmo" to "The Rhythm of the Night", writing that the first one "fuses Hip-Hop, EDM, and reggaeton, has Spanish and English verses without interrupting the original chorus from "The Rhythm of the Night"". In a less enthusiastic review, Gary Suarez of Rolling Stone wrote that "the overextended J Balvin atop a convenient confluence of virally primed factors" which "proved irresistible to radio programmers and streaming playlisters", but he defined the use of Corona's semple a "plunder".

Music video
The official video of the song, directed by Colin Tilley, was released on YouTube on October 11, 2019, on the official YouTube's Black Eyed Peas channel.

Commercial performance
The song debuted at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 26, staying on the chart for 27 weeks. It became the Black Eyed Peas' 17th Hot 100 entry and their first since "Don't Stop the Party" peaked at number 86 in 2011, as well as their first top 40 entry since "Just Can't Get Enough" peaked at number 3 in 2011. On Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart, the song peaked at number 8. The song spent 24 weeks at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Easter Eggs
The first line of the song's rap, "No son ni Reebok ni son Nike" (translates to "They are neither Reebok or Nike"), references a viral clip in which a Dominican radio caller requests Corona's "The Rhythm of the Night" by asking the host to play the song that goes "esos son Reebok o son Nike" (translates to "are those Reebok or Nike"). The moment went viral after the host impressively retrieved the requested song based on that clue alone.