Sequía literally translates to "drought," a long period with little or no rain. It's a word you might associate with weather, not romance, which makes its use here so unique.
In the song, Ricky Martin sings of "besos en sequía" (kisses in drought). He uses this powerful metaphor to describe a lack of affection and intimacy, painting a vivid picture of emotional thirst and longing for his lover's return.
Have you ever been so sure someone is coming back to you, even after they've left? That's the whole mood of this classic Ricky Martin track. He's singing to a lost love, someone he was completely devoted to: "Yo que te amé / Que jamás te mentí / Me entregué sólo a ti / Y te perdí" (I who loved you / Who never lied to you / I gave myself only to you / And I lost you). He admits he gambled everything on this person and lost.
But he's not giving up hope. In fact, he's not hopeful, he's certain. The entire chorus is a powerful declaration: "Volverás, volverás / Seguro que pronto vuelves a mi vida" (You will return, you will return / I'm sure you'll soon come back to my life). He imagines that when they do come back, things will be different. There will be no more "Besos en sequía" (Kisses in drought), and his lover will get to "beberás / Toda mi energía" (drink / All my energy). It's a song full of confidence and intense longing.
Ricky Martin was turned down by Menudo twice for being too short. The third audition worked, and in 1984 Enrique Martín Morales joined the Puerto Rican boy band at twelve, staying past his age-mandated retirement until July 1989. Two solo ballad albums followed, Ricky Martin (1991) and Me Amarás (1993), before he changed direction.
A Medio Vivir (1995) carried "María", his first hit well beyond Latin America, and Vuelve (1998) carried "La Copa de la Vida", the official song of that year's World Cup in France. He sang it at the 1999 Grammy Awards, where Vuelve took Best Latin Pop Performance, and that spring "Livin' la Vida Loca" spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 as the lead single from his first English-language album. He has gone on recording in Spanish throughout: Almas del Silencio (2003), and A Quien Quiera Escuchar (2015), which won Best Latin Pop Album. He came out publicly in 2010, and his foundation campaigns against human trafficking.