All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2

On March 31, 1995, American Tejano music singer Selena was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldívar, her friend and former manager of the singer's boutiques.[3] At the time, the artist was engrossed in the development of a crossover album, designed to propel her into the American pop market.[4][5] Her death yielded adverse consequences for Latin music, as Tejano music—which she had thrust into the mainstream market—experienced a decline in popularity in the wake of her death.[6][7] The envisaged crossover album, Dreaming of You, was posthumously released on July 18, 1995, debuting and peaking atop the United States Billboard 200 albums chart, an unprecedented feat for a predominantly Spanish-language recording in the chart's history.[8][9] This release incited a "buying frenzy" among Hispanic and Latino Americans for any merchandise associated with or featuring Selena.[10] Following her death, Abraham Quintanilla, Selena's father, vowed to keep the singer's presence alive through her works.[11][12][13] Selena's brother and music producer, A. B. Quintanilla, recounted that the singer expressed a wish for her presence to "never go away".[14] In the years since Selena's death, her family has faced censure from fans and the media, who have accused them of exploiting the singer and capitalizing on her murder by commodifying her repertoire.[15][16]

In 1999, Selena remained EMI Latin's top-selling artist, eclipsing the sales of contemporaneous musicians.[17] From 1995 to 1999, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Selena persisted as the record label's most commercially successful performer.[18] EMI Latin's president, José Behar, recognized her contributions that made EMI Latin "the house that Selena built".[17] Concurring on Selena's impact on EMI Latin, industry executives attributed the label's ascension to the apex of the US Latin music market to her influence.[18] In March 1999, to celebrate the label's tenth anniversary, they released All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos. The album debuted atop the Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums charts, while it peaked at number 54 on the Billboard 200 chart.[19] On January 22, 2000, it was divulged that EMI Latin was poised to launch the second volume of All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos.[20] Three weeks later, the company announced that All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 would be released on Leap Day 2000. Accompanying the album is a heart-shaped commemorative pendant adorned with an image of Selena.[21] Behar compared Selena's projects and future album plans to those of a living artist. Despite her repertoire being emptied of unreleased material, Behar emphasized the label's ongoing support of the singer's releases with significant investment.[22]

The compilation encompasses 16 tracks, ranging from compositions present on Selena's Muñequito de Trapo (1987) to the posthumously released 1997 club remix of "Enamorada de Ti" (1990). The record commences with the remix of "Enamorada de Ti", which has been transformed into a techno-dance track.[23] The rendition of "No Quiero Saber" on All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 originates from the official Latin album for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.[24] While recording "Techno Cumbia" for Amor Prohibido (1994), A. B. encouraged Selena to rap with a New York accent evocative of Rosie Perez.[25] The following track, "A Million to One", originally released on Muñequito de Trapo, has been revitalized with the inclusion of saxophone, lending the song a "sensuous flavor" as noted by Mario Taradell of The Dallas Morning News.[26]

The fifth song, "Fotos y Recuerdos" samples the 1983 single "Back on the Chain Gang" by the Pretenders. Despite Chrissie Hynde's initial reluctance to release the song on Amor Prohibido, keyboardist Ricky Vela provided an English-language translation of the lyrics for Hynde's approval.[25] Tarradell characterized the sixth track, "Si Una Vez", as embodying a more traditional Tejano sound, albeit permeated with synthesizers and digital processing.[27] The seventh track, "No Me Queda Más", originates from Selena's live performance at the Houston Astrodome on February 26, 1995.[28] During this live performance, Selena delivers an emotive rendition by infusing "tender moans and soulful wails".[29] The following recording, "Siempre Hace Frío", originally intended for the Don Juan DeMarco (1995) soundtrack, was ultimately shelved by its music producers.[30] The ninth track, "El Chico del Apartamento 512", tells the tale of a romantic pursuit of "the guy in apartment 512".[31] Following this is "Muñequito de Trapo", one of Selena's earliest recordings included in the compilation.[32] In contrast, "Captive Heart", the subsequent track, was recorded weeks before Selena's death.[33]

"Tú Robaste Mi Corazón", initially recorded as a duet with Emilio Navaira, was re-recorded with Pete Astudillo for Siempre Selena (1996); Astudillo, a former backup dancer and vocalist, was a member of Selena's Los Dinos band.[34] Analogous to the seventh track, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is sourced from the live Houston Astrodome concert and features the singer's husband and guitarist, Chris Pérez's "skittering" guitar lines and Selena's adlibbing.[29] The fourteenth composition, "Aunque No Salga el Sol", showcases the re-recorded rendition included on Ven Conmigo (1990). The track was initially recorded by Selena in 1983 for Bob Grever's Cara Records.[35] Subsequently, "Yo Fui Aquella" was reimagined from its original ranchera style with updated arrangements, ultimately materializing as a sentimental ballad for Anthology (1998).[36] Featuring a revamped bolero arrangement,[37] "Cien Años" from the Preciosa (1988) album serves as the concluding track for the compilation.[21]

All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 received a positive response from music critics, who lauded the compilation for highlighting Selena's versatility and adaptability.[lower-alpha 1] Writing for Newsday, Richard Torres opined that All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 provides a suitable overview of Selena's work,[38] while AllMusic asserts that the singer's talents are discernible by those listening to the album.[39] The musical styles explored in the compilation were lauded by Gerald Martinez of New Straits Times, who compared it to the stylings of Julio Iglesias and Gloria Estefan's Miami Sound Machine.[23]

Some reviews pointed out the assemblage of tracks. Whilst some reviews questioned the inclusion of "Yo Fui Aquella" and "Muñequito de Trapo",[41] critics found the compilation to resonate with completists and hard-core fans, while noting that casuals may discover a paucity of newer material within its contents.[lower-alpha 2] Torres remarked on the exclusion of more adventurous pieces, such as her collaboration with David Byrne on "God's Child (Baila Conmigo)" (1995) or her rendition of the West Side Story track "A Boy Like That" (1996).[38] Selena's streamline transitions between pop and Latin music was lauded by AllMusic, who approved of the additions of pop standards "A Million to One" and "Back on the Chain Gang" ("Fotos y Recuerdos").[39] El Norte's Victor Ronquillo, praised the inclusion of the Houston Astrodome rendition of "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" and extolled "Cien Años" as a "beautiful song".[40]

EMI Latin's promoter John Ortiz declared that All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 would have a limited availability of 90 days and was accompanied by the release of "Cien Años".[42] Ortiz believes that, as Selena's fanbase continues to expand and more people become familiar with her music, this compilation may be the first Selena album purchase for many individuals.[15] All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 sold 400,000 units in advanced copies,[43] and debuted at number three on the US Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, selling 10,500 units in its initial week. The album trailed the debuts of Shakira's MTV Unplugged and Los Temerarios's En la Madrugada Se Fue. The compilation entered the US Billboard 200 at number 157 and the US Regional Mexican Albums chart at number two.[44] Burr noted that Selena's ability to secure the third position on the chart, despite the lack of new material, was a "phenomenal" feat.[15]

During the week commemorating Selena's death, the recording climbed to the number one position on both the Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums charts, selling 8,000 units, which was consistent with the sales figures of the preceding week. John Lannert of Billboard, interpreted the plateaued sales during the singer's anniversary as an indication of the waning retail power of Selena's music. Lannert maintained that All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 served as a testament to Selena's "legendary status" and her enduring capacity to reach the number one position even five years posthumously.[45] All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2, along with recent releases from Shakira and Los Temerarios, contributed to a surge in Latin album sales within the United States during the month of March.[46]

All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 ranked at number 42 on Billboard's quarterly Top Latin Albums chart, which evaluated the highest-selling Latin albums from January through April 2000.[47] In a mid-year recap, the album achieved the second rank on the Regional Mexican Albums list.[48] Based on Nielsen SoundScan music sales, All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 emerged as the 13th top-selling Latin album by September 9, 2000.[49] By the close of 2000, the album concluded as the 13th best-selling Top Latin Album and the second most successful Regional Mexican Album.[50] The recording garnered a nomination for Best Greatest Hits Album of the Year at the 2001 Billboard Latin Music Awards,[51] and Favorite Latino Album at the sixth Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.[52] In January 2003, All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 was certified double Platinum (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting 200,000 shipments in the United States.[53]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2 by EMI Latin.[32]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of All My Hits: Todos Mis Éxitos Vol. 2.[32]

• 2000 in Latin music
• Latin American music in the United States
• List of number-one Billboard Regional Mexican Albums of 2000
• List of number-one Billboard Top Latin Albums of 2000
• Women in Latin music