Libre cover art

  Studio Album · No. 6

Libre Songwriting Credits by Marc Anthony

2001 Columbia Records 9 tracks 42 min

Produced by Marc Anthony, Juan A. González  ·  Engineered by Héctor Iván Rosa, Peter Wade Keusch, Robb Williams, Bob Ludwig

Columbia Records Salsa
89%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 8 of 9 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 8 / 9 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether Marc Anthony carries a lyricist or composer credit.

89%
8 trackswritten by Marc Anthony 1 trackoutside writers
Marc Anthony's roles on this album

Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist89%
Composer89%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

9
Tracks
14
Lyricists
2
Producers
500,000
Worldwide Copies Sold
2001
Released
Data Insight

Libre is an interpreter's album, not a writer's. Marc Anthony sings every track but wrote none of them outright; the songs come from outside composers including Alejandro Jaén, Gian Marco, Fernando Osorio, César Valle, Daniel Freiberg, and Emilio Estefan Jr. Anthony's name appears as co-writer on all but one song ('Barco a la Deriva'), a credit he earned by composing the soneo vocal-improvisation passages that extend each salsa arrangement, which he argued was genuine songwriting rather than mere arranging. Three writers reportedly declined to grant those co-credits, which is why the finished album carries nine songs instead of a planned twelve. The composer column therefore pairs each song's originating writer with Anthony as soneo co-author, while production stays entirely in-house with Anthony and arranger Juan A. González.

Libre is a studio album by Marc Anthony, released November 20, 2001 on Sony Discos and Columbia Records as his return to full salsa after a run of English-language pop crossover records. Recorded at Lobo Recording Studios on Long Island, it is an all-salsa set sung entirely in Spanish, built around Anthony's voice and produced by Anthony with his longtime keyboardist Juan A. González, credited as Juanito González, who also arranged the album. As a singer rather than a career songwriter, Anthony drew the songs from outside writers such as Alejandro Jaén, Gian Marco, Fernando Osorio, and Emilio Estefan Jr., then took co-writing credit on most tracks for composing the extended soneo improvisation sections. The record topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Tropical Albums charts, spending 14 weeks at number one on the former, and reached number 57 on the Billboard 200. Its lead single 'Celos' and the later single 'Viviendo' became airplay hits, and the album was certified Gold by the RIAA.

Track Listing & Credits 9 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Celos #6
Alejandro JaénMarc Anthony Alejandro JaénMarco Antonio Muñiz Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)
2
Este Loco Que Te Mira
Gian MarcoMarc Anthony Gian MarcoMarco Antonio Muñiz Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)Rebecca Lichtenfeld (Chorus)
3
Viviendo #11
Fernando OsorioJorge VillamizarMarc Anthony Fernando OsorioJorge VillamizarMarco Antonio Muñiz Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)
4
Hasta Que Vuelvas Conmigo
Gian MarcoMarc Anthony Gian MarcoMarco Antonio Muñiz Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)Juan Wust (Guitar)Andy Abad (Requinto Guitar)
5
Barco A La Deriva
César ValleJ.R. Florez César ValleJ.R. Florez Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)David Domínguez (Charango)Walter "El Vate" Peñaranda (Flute)
6
De Qué Depende
Fernando OsorioHenry MartínezMarc Anthony Fernando OsorioHenry MartínezMarco Antonio Muñiz Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)Andrea Mosquera (Chorus)Deborah Aviles (Chorus)
7
Yo Te Quiero
Alejandro JaénMarc AnthonyRafael VergaraWilliam Paz Alejandro JaénMarco Antonio MuñizRafael VergaraWilliam Paz Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)Bobby Allende (Percussion)
8
Amor Aventurero
Daniel FreibergLuis D'Artagnan SarmientoMarc AnthonyVirginia Faiad Daniel FreibergLuis D'Artagnan SarmientoMarco Antonio MuñizVirginia Faiad Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)Bobby Allende (Percussion)
9
Caminaré
Emilio Estefan Jr.Gian MarcoMarc Anthony Emilio Estefan Jr.Gian MarcoMarco Antonio Muñiz Marc AnthonyJuan A. González Marc Anthony (Lead Vocals)Juan Wust (Guitar)David Oquendo (Guitar)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 25 contributors

More from Marc Anthony

Frequently Asked Questions Libre

Did Marc Anthony write the songs on Libre?
No. Marc Anthony is the singer, and the songs were written by outside composers such as Alejandro Jaén, Gian Marco, Fernando Osorio, César Valle, Daniel Freiberg, and Emilio Estefan Jr. He took co-writing credit on all but one track for composing the soneo improvisation sections.
What is a soneo, and why does Marc Anthony have co-writing credits?
The soneo is the improvised vocal section that extends a salsa song. Anthony wrote these passages, which lengthened the songs from roughly two and a half to five minutes, and argued this counted as real songwriting, so he received co-credits on eight of the nine tracks.
Why does Libre have only nine songs?
Per Billboard, three songwriters declined to grant Anthony the soneo co-writing credits, so those songs were dropped and the album shipped with nine tracks instead of a planned twelve.
Who produced Libre?
Marc Anthony produced the album with his longtime keyboardist Juan A. González, credited as Juanito González, who also arranged it. It was mixed by Ronny Torres and mastered by Bob Ludwig.
Is Libre a salsa album?
Yes. Libre is an all-salsa album sung in Spanish, marking Marc Anthony's return to the genre after a period of English-language pop, and it also touches on bolero.
How did Libre perform on the charts?
Libre reached number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Tropical Albums charts, spending 14 weeks atop the former, and peaked at number 57 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the RIAA.
What were the singles from Libre?
The lead single 'Celos' peaked at number six on the US Hot Latin Tracks chart, and 'Viviendo' reached number 11. 'Hasta Que Vuelvas Conmigo,' 'Amor Aventurero,' and 'Barco a la Deriva' were also released.

Sources