Music Review: Ricky Martin "Shake Your Bon-Bon"

Ricky Martin

Shake Your Bon-Bon

Album: Ricky Martin

Year: 1999

               Ricky Martin is crazy about a girl he just met in the  hot-blooded “Shake Your Bon-Bon.”

             A mirthful guitar opens the single, setting an exhilarated tone. He adjusts his leather pants and finds a tiny stone. He throws it at her window, hoping to get her attention. From outside, he can see she has turned on the light and is now rubbing her eyes. He throws another stone. When she opens her window, he declares his love for her. She blows him a kiss and then races downstairs. She runs into his arms. He whispers to her that he wants to be one she’s with every night in bed. (“I'm a desperado/Underneath your window/I see your silhouette/Are you my Juliet/I feel a mad connection/With your body/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon/I wanna be your lover/Your only latin lover/We'll go around the world in a day/Don't say no, no/Shake it my way, oh/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon.”)

                       He’s entranced by her and wants to learn everything about her: where she grow up, how she ended up in Miami. They could stay a resort, ski, make love do it all over again for however long they like. (“You're Mata Hari/I wanna know your story/In the Sahara sun/I wanna be the one/That's gonna come and take you/Make you/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon/Up in the Himalayas/C'mon I wanna lay ya/We'll go around the world in a day/Don't say no, no/Shake it my way, oh/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon.”)

                In the chorus, he invites her to travel with him. He’s devoted her. (“Hola amiga, Hola amiga/You're my temple of desire/Hola amiga, Hola amiga/Let me take your spirit higher/We'll go around the world in a day/Don't say no, no/Shake it my way, oh/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon.”)

                A group of lustful background singers purr “shake your bon-bon, baby” three times accompanied by a saxophone, straight out of a burlesque bar.

               He repeats part of the first verse again. (“We’ll go around in a day/Don’t say no/Shake it my way.oh/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon/Shake your bon-bon.”)

              The first verse is sung again.          

            The lustful background purr again.

              Martin’s amatory vocals play up every bit of his sexual magnetism. Although he is very pretty, he doesn’t say much, relying on his good looks to sell her on the idea. He’s unafraid to show himself off. His soft-spokenness, however, makes him nonthreatening and approachable.

           The boisterous  “Shake Your Bon-Bon” is shamelessy ridiculos, owning every bit of its campiness.