Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Ricky Martin© @ricky_martin

Ricky Martin on his days of anguish during quarantine: ‘I felt paralyzed’

The Puerto Rican singer confesses everything he felt during his 60 days of confinement


UPDATED MAY 15, 2020 9:29 AM EDT

Like millions of people across the world,  Ricky Martin  has been following stay-at-home orders and self-isolating in his Los Angeles home. For many, being home all day comes with anxieties and numerous health obstacles — something Ricky experienced firsthand. In a honest message shared with his 14 million followers on social media, the father-of-four opened up about the emotional and psychological effects triggered by quarantine. The Puerto Rican singer describes how all his torments, fears and anxieties increased during isolation. Through his networks, the Livin’ La Vida Loca singer courageously shared his experience in 60 days of confinement with his mother, his husband and their four children. While the process was difficult, he was able to find some peace with his music.

Ricky Martin© @ricky_martin
Ricky Martin confesses his fears during the first weeks of self isolation

“The first two weeks were incredibly overwhelming for me. I felt paralyzed, the grief was intense. I was going through all the phases: denial, anger, sadness, acceptance and then I returned to denial in an hour. Things were going to be different and there was nothing I could do to avoid it. How arrogant of me,” the singer wrong in his IG stories.

Along with his story, the Menudo alum complemented his reflection with a black and white photo of himself shot by his partner, Jwan Yosef.  The artist has been one of Ricky’s great pillars and support during the pandemic.

Ricky Martin© @ricky_martin
The Puerto Rican singer has put all his emotions into new music during quarantine

“The time we spent creating a strategy for what would be 2020 was collapsing in front of us. Lo que fue nunca sera. For me that was a difficult concept to understand. My terrible and exhausting need to act calm in stressful moments in front of my family so that they were not alarmed (especially the children) did not help either,” he pointed.

And when he felt that the world was falling apart, Martin managed to process the message in his own way and realized that this is a vital time of learning. As always, the music saved him by giving him the opportunity to turn all his emotions into artistic work.

Ricky Martin © @ricky_martin
Ricky Martin talks about his days in quarantine.

“Then, in my mind, things became clear. I began to feel less anxious, I was able to work a little more, little by little. I called my team, I started making music. My producer in Miami, my engineer in New York City and I in Los Angeles, we talked about social distancing,” he said.

And he continued: “Although I thought that the process of recording my album was almost over, I knew that this pandemic and the storm of emotions that we were feeling was going to help me creatively and it was. I felt that what I needed was to wake up. I am working on it, now I am crazy to show you (at any time) what we have been doing in the studio in these extraordinary times.”