# El Problema

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This article is about the Ricardo Arjona song. For the Morgenshtern and Timati song, see [Morgenshtern](/source/Morgenshtern). For the Alfredo Olivas song, see [Alfredo Olivas](/source/Alfredo_Olivas).

"**El Problema**" ("The Problem") is a [Latin pop](/source/Latin_pop) song written, produced and performed by Guatemalan [Grammy Award](/source/Grammy_Award) winning singer-songwriter [Ricardo Arjona](/source/Ricardo_Arjona). It was released as the [lead single](/source/Lead_single) from his ninth studio album, *[Santo Pecado](/source/Santo_Pecado)* (2002). It is also recognized as one of Ricardo Arjona's [signature songs](/source/Signature_song).

Critically and commercially successful, the song became a hit by the singer, staying at No.1 for eight consecutive weeks at the *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Hot Latin Songs](/source/Hot_Latin_Songs) and twelve weeks at No.1 on the [Latin Pop Songs](/source/Latin_Pop_Songs) chart, both being the most by any of his singles to date.

## Reception

On the success of the song, Arjona commented that "it is an accident that happens, and you doesn't now how it is about. I thought 'El Problema' wasn't a song that could sound on radio and it happened."[2] Mario Tarradell from *[The Dallas Morning News](/source/The_Dallas_Morning_News)* commented that "filled with lengthy verses and a gospellike chorus, the cut hardly sounds like your usual drive-time fodder."[3]

## Music video

The music video for "El Problema" was filmed between November 16 and 18, 2002 in [Barcelona](/source/Barcelona), Spain. The video features the singer chasing a woman throughout the city to finally find her at the [La Sagrada Familia](/source/La_Sagrada_Familia), Barcelona's biggest church, in which he is arrested by the police and sent to prison.

## Chart performance

"El Problema" became a huge commercial success for Arjona. The song debuted at No.27 on the *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* [Latin Songs](/source/Latin_Songs) chart the week ending November 2, 2002.[4] The following week it jumped to No.11, receiving the "Greatest Gainer" honor for that week.[5] On the week ending November 16, "El Problema" jumped to No.9,[6] thus becoming Arjona's third song to reach the top 10, after "Desnuda" and "Cuando", both of which reached No.1 in 2000.[7] The week ending December 7, 2002, "El Problema" reached No.1 on the chart, and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks. On the [Latin Pop Songs](/source/Latin_Pop_Songs) chart, it debuted at No.17 on the week ending November 2, 2002,[8] and reached No.1 on the week ending November 30.[9] The song stayed at No.1 for nine consecutive weeks. It is, to date, the longest-running number-one single by the Guatemalan singer on both charts.

### Weekly charts

Chart (2002–03) Peak position

### Yearly charts

Chart (2003) Peak position US Billboard Latin Songs[10] 4 US Billboard Latin Pop Songs[11] 3

### Decade-End charts

Chart (2000–2009) Peak position US Billboard Latin Songs[12] 89 US Billboard Latin Pop Songs[13] 33

## Release history

Country Date Format Label United Kingdom[14] October 2002 CD single Sony Music United States[15] January 19, 2010 Digital download (re-release)

## References

1. "Empieza su 'problema' en la radio" (in Spanish). *[El Norte](/source/El_Norte_(Monterrey))*. 15 October 2002. p. 2.

1. [Ricardo Arjona, El Problema](http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32427661_ITM?email=hahc21@hotmail.com&library=). AccesMyLibrary.com. Retrieved April 1, 2012.

1. ["Ricardo Arjona continues to make well-crafted music without worrying about sales or awards"](http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0FD1F5AA9EFEE515&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM). *[The Dallas Morning News](/source/The_Dallas_Morning_News)*. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.

1. ["Top Latin Songs of the week"](http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-11-02/latin-songs?order=gainer). Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.

1. ["Top Latin Songs of the week"](http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-11-09/latin-songs?order=gainer). Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.

1. ["Top Latin Songs of the week"](http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-11-16/latin-songs?order=gainer). Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.

1. [ "Ricardo Arjona Album & Chart History"]. Billboard. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.

1. ["Latin Pop Songs of the week"](http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-11-02/latin-pop-songs?order=gainer). Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.

1. ["Latin Pop Songs of the week"](http://www.billboard.com/charts/2002-11-30/latin-pop-songs?order=gainer). Billboard. Nielsen Soundscan. Retrieved on April 30, 2012.

1. ["The Year in Music 2003: Latin"](https://books.google.com/books?id=bA8EAAAAMBAJ&q=latin). *Billboard*. Vol. 115, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 27, 2003. p. YE-67. Retrieved March 10, 2010.

1. ["2003 Year End Charts"](https://archive.today/20120724191708/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2003/lpotitl.jsp). *Billboard*. December 27, 2003. Archived from [the original](http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/yearendcharts/2003/lpotitl.jsp) on July 24, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.

1. ["2009 Decade End Charts"](https://archive.today/20120719174423/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/decadeendcharts/2009/latin-songs). *Billboard*. December 27, 2009. Archived from [the original](http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/decadeendcharts/2009/latin-songs) on July 19, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.

1. ["2009 Decade End Charts"](https://archive.today/20120723030433/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/decadeendcharts/2009/latin-pop-songs). *Billboard*. December 27, 2009. Archived from [the original](http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/decadeendcharts/2009/latin-pop-songs) on July 23, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2011.

1. ["El Problema (US Import): Ricardo Arjona"](https://www.amazon.co.uk/El-Problema-Import-Ricardo-Arjona/dp/B00008VA1A/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1335924987&sr=8-17). Amazon.com. Retrieved on May 1, 2012.

1. ["El Problema: Ricardo Arjona"](https://www.amazon.com/El-Problema/dp/B003BMWTM6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335924761&sr=8-1). Amazon.com. Retrieved on May 1, 2012.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [El Problema](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Problema) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Problema?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.