Mi PC
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Mi PC
| cover = Mi pc juan luis guerra.jpg
| alt = Vector art of a computer with an eye and right hand. Program applications are shown on the top right.
| type = single
| artist = Juan Luis Guerra & 4-40
| album = Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual
| released = {{Start date|1998|11}}
| genre =
| length = {{duration|m=3|s=16}}
| label = Karen
| writer = Juan Luis Guerra
| producer = Juan Luis Guerra
| prev_title = El Beso de la Ciguatera
| prev_year = 1995
| next_title = Palomita Blanca
| next_year = 1998
}}
"Mi PC" ({{Translation|"My PC"}}) is a song by Dominican Republic singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra and his band 4-40 from his eighth studio album, Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual (1998). The song was released as the lead single from the album in November 1998 by Karen Records. The song was written and produced by Guerra. It is a pop merengue track in which Guerra uses computer terminology to narrate a love story. "Mi PC" was met with positive reactions from music critics who found the lyrics to be clever and its music catchy.
Commercially, it topped both the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States. Guerra performed the track live at the Altos de Chavón amphitheater in the Dominican Republic in 1999 and the 2000 Viña del Mar Festival in Chile. The song was a recipient of a Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) Latin Award in 2001.
Background and composition
In 1994, Juan Luis Guerra released his seventh studio album, Fogaraté, a record consisting of soukous-influenced merengue and merengue típico.{{cite web |last1=Roberts |first1=John Storm |title=Juan Luis Guerra y 440 – Fogaraté Album Reviews, Songs & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/fogarat%C3%A9-mw0000116175 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=20 June 2022 |archive-date=29 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229161637/https://www.allmusic.com/album/fogarat%C3%A9-mw0000116175 |url-status=live }} Following its release, he took a three-year hiatus from recording, citing the need to take a break. "If artists lack something, it is peace. I needed to rest to find it and I found it in the figure of Jesus Christ. I called him through prayer and received his answer", Guerra states.{{cite news |title=Ni es el mismo, ni es igual |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/310129603 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=Reforma |date=6 December 1998 |page=17 |language=es |url-access=subscription | id={{ProQuest|310129603}} }} During the singer's hiatus, Guerra launched his own business as a director in the Dominican Republic for Mango TV and Viva FM station. On 29 October 1997, an editor for La Opinión reported that the artist had started working on a new album in Miami. "I'm making a decent album, that people like. I know the wait has been a bit long, but I'm almost sure that when the public has my new production in their hands, they will better understand why I've lasted that long without recording."{{cite news |title=En breve |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/368229445 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=La Opinión |date=29 October 1997 |page=2D |language=es |url-access=subscription | id={{ProQuest|368229445}} }} On February the following year, the singer gave an update on the progress, stating the disc would have 10 to 12 tracks including merengues, bachata, ballads, and a salsa, and that would be released in middle of the year.{{cite news |title=Vuelve a dar 'guerra' |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/311604784 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=Reforma |date=8 February 1998 |page=4 |language=es | id={{ProQuest|311604784}} }}
However, in June 1998, Guerra was not satisfied with the material he recorded and decided to further record.{{cite news |title=Juan Luis Guerra cumple 41 años |url=http://h.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_ELSIGLO&Type=text/html&Locale=spanish-skin-custom&Path=EDT/1998/06/07&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar05909&PageLabel=59 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=El Siglo de Torreón |date=7 June 1998 |page=59 |language=es |archive-date=20 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620215348/http://h.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3ALowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_ELSIGLO&Type=text%2Fhtml&Locale=spanish-skin-custom&Path=EDT%2F1998%2F06%2F07&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar05909&PageLabel=59 |url-status=live }} Five months later, Bienvenido Rodríguez, president of Guerra's label, Karen Records, revealed that the singer had wrapped up the album's productions and that it would still contain the aforementioned musical genres.{{cite news |title=Regresará Juan Luis Guerra y su 4-40 |url=http://h.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_ELSIGLO&Type=text/html&Locale=spanish-skin-custom&Path=EDT/1998/11/03&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar02900&PageLabel=29 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=El Siglo del Torreón |date=3 November 1998 |page=29 |language=es |archive-date=20 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620215348/http://h.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3ALowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_ELSIGLO&Type=text%2Fhtml&Locale=spanish-skin-custom&Path=EDT%2F1998%2F11%2F03&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar02900&PageLabel=29 |url-status=live }} The record's name, Ni Es Lo Mismo, Ni Es Igual, was announced on 14 November 1998, and released on 15 December of the same year.{{cite news |title=De Aqui y De Alla |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/316130357 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=El Norte |date=14 November 1998 |page=8 |language=es |url-access=subscription | id={{ProQuest|316130357}} }} Guerra wrote and produced all the tracks in the album including the opening song "Mi PC".{{cite magazine |last1=Lannert |first1=John |title=Reviews & Previews |magazine=Billboard |date=9 January 1999 |volume=111 |issue=2 |page=14 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fw0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14 |access-date=20 June 2022 |issn=0006-2510 |archive-date=20 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620215349/https://books.google.com/books?id=Fw0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA1&pg=PA14 |url-status=live }} "Mi PC" is a pop merengue song in which Guerra "harmonizes the modern language of computers with the language of feelings." Lyrically, the singer utilizes the "jargon of computers and cybernetics to narrate a beautiful love story."{{cite book |last1=Cabral |first1=Euri |title=Juan Luis Guerra y 4-40 : merengue y bachata a ritmo de poesía y compromiso |date=2008 |publisher=Editora Búho |location=Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |isbn=9789945408171 |page=263|quote=Se llama 'Mi PC' y en él Juan Luis utiliza todo el argot de las computadoras y la cibernética para narrar una bonita historia de amor.}} According to Guerra, he had to learn about computer terminologies from his nephews.
Reception and promotion
"Mi PC" was released as the lead single from Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es Igual by Karen Records in November 1998. AllMusic reviewer Evan C. Gutierrez found it to be one of the album's "humorous and rollicking merengues".{{cite web |last1=Gutierrez |first1=Evan C. |title=Juan Luis Guerra y 440 - Ni Es Lo Mismo Ni Es Igual Album Reviews, Songs & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ni-es-lo-mismo-ni-es-igual-mw0000047424 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=20 June 2022 |archive-date=29 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211229161645/https://www.allmusic.com/album/ni-es-lo-mismo-ni-es-igual-mw0000047424 |url-status=live }} Billboard{{'}}s John Lannert described it as a "cute, chart-topping pop/merengue hit". Cary Darling of the Orange County Register regarded the track to be a "likable merengue fluff" with an "ode to the modern computer age".{{cite news |last1=Darling |first1=Cary |title=End of Year Goes Latin |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/279287424 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=Orange County Register |date=8 January 1999 |page=8|id={{ProQuest|279287424}} |url-access=subscription}} The Hispanic magazine contributor Mark Holston lauded "Mi PC" as a "merengue elevated above its dance track pretensions by coy lyrics based on computer-dominated contemporary life."{{cite magazine |last1=Holston |first1=Mark |title=Ni es lo mismo, ni es igual |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/237007796 |access-date=20 June 2022 |magazine=Hispanic |volume=12 |issue=6 |date=June 1999 |issn=0898-3097 |page=74 |id={{ProQuest|237007796}} }} Ramiro Burr of the San Antonio Express-News praised the track as a "feverish merengue about an Internet romance."{{cite news |last1=Burr |first1=Ramiro |title=Guerra No Longer Absent from Charts |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/261982501 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=San Antonio Express-News |date=25 April 1999 |page=4G |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|261982501}} }}
In a mixed review of Ni Es lo Mismo Ni Es, El Norte{{'}}s Deborah Davis cited "Mi PC" as one of songs from the album that is "moving and intelligent".{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Deborah |title=Juan Luis Guerra 440 : En verdad que no es lo mismo |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/316077744 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=El Norte |date=24 January 1999 |page=35 |language=es |url-access=subscription |id={{ProQuest|316077744}} }} Jacob Edgar of The Beat magazine called the single a "Juan Luis Guerra classic" and felt it "rivals" "A Pedir Su Mano" from Bachata Rosa (1990).{{cite journal |last1=Edgar |first1=Joel |title=The Boss of Bachata |journal=The Beat |date=1999 |volume=18 |page=38}} The Knight Ridder critic Fernando Gonzalez admired the track as a "catchy merengue that plays on the imagery and language of our computer-enhanced lives".{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Fernando |title=Dominican Singer Back in Spotlight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104116763/the-gazette/ |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=The Gazette |date=4 January 1999 |page=3C |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=20 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620215456/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104116763/the-gazette/ |url-status=live }}
Commercially, "Mi PC" topped the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Tropical Airplay charts in the United States; the single spent five weeks at this position on the latter chart. It was acknowledged as an award-winning song at the 2001 BMI Latin Awards.{{cite web |title=BMI Honors Top Latin Songwriters and Publishers at 8th Annual Awards Ceremony |url=https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/20010421_bmi_honors_top_latin_songwriters_and_publishers_at_8th_annual |publisher=Broadcast Music, Inc. |access-date=20 June 2022 |date=20 April 2001 |archive-date=30 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211030055433/https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/20010421_bmi_honors_top_latin_songwriters_and_publishers_at_8th_annual |url-status=live }} Guerra performed the song live at the Altos de Chavón amphitheater in La Romana, Dominican Republic on 18 December 1999, and at the 2000 Viña del Mar Festival.{{cite news |title=Guerra despide al Siglo 20 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/310394271 |access-date=20 June 2022 |work=Reforma |date=19 December 1999 |page=20 |language=es | id={{ProQuest|310394271}} }}{{cite video| people = Guerra, Juan Luis (performer)| title = Mi PC, Festiva de Viña 2000| medium = Television| publisher = Festiva de Viña Chile| date = 2000| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiPqkrg0Um4| access-date = 20 June 2022| url-status = live| archive-date = 19 May 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220519140902/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiPqkrg0Um4}}
Charts
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+1999 year-end chart performance for "Mi PC" |
| scope="col"|Chart (1999)
!scope="col"|Position |
|---|
| scope="row"|US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=1999: The Year in Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=SL680-PA76|volume=111|issue=52|pages=76, 78|magazine=Billboard|date=25 December 1999|access-date=10 December 2011|archive-date=15 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515191717/https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22no+me+ames%22|url-status=live}}
|28 |
| scope="row"|US Tropical Airplay (Billboard)
|9 |
{{col-end}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Juan Luis Guerra}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Juan Luis Guerra songs