A Ricky Martin Valentine

MARTIN. Has learned to take everything in stride

Nope, it isn’t true—Ricky Martin didn’t die in a car accident last month, as a video posted on YouTube recently claimed. What is true is that the 43-year-old singer has ended his long-term relationship with his economist boyfriend—a romantic upheaval that inspired the love songs in “A Quien Quiera Escuchar (To Those Who Want To Listen),” his 10th solo album of steamy dance tunes (the lead single, “Adios”) and ballads that are easy on the ear (“Perdóname,” “Disparo al Corazón”).

Martin’s latest effort is an all-Spanish confection that demonstrates how good music transcends language barriers—we hum along with “Besame Mucho,” “La Vie En Rose” and “O Sole Mio” regardless of whether or not we understand what they’re about.

Ricky delivers his best vocals in “Mátame Otra Vez,” a moody tune that allows him to scale its stratospheric notes without shouting.

When you’re done grooving to “Mordidita,” you can simmer down with the scintillating hooks and jazzy flourishes of “Náufrago.”

“Cuanto Me Acuerdo de Ti” draws attention for its noirish groove, while “Nada” showcases the singer’s “power” pipes.

As the 10-track collection affirms, Martin has learned to take even his harshest critics in stride, especially after he came out of the closet in 2010. As he candidly disclosed to Yahoo, “The day I came out, I got 10,000 followers on Twitter in one day. I did it because I was finally relieved from that obsession we all have—to be liked and accepted by others!”