"El Chico del Apartamento 512" (English: The boy from Apartment 512) is a song recorded by American recording artist

Selena Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...

for her fourth studio album, ''

Amor Prohibido ''Amor Prohibido'' () is the fourth studio album by American singer Selena, released on March 22, 1994, by EMI Latin. Having reached a core fan base, the label aimed to broaden her appeal with the next studio release. Finding it challenging to ...

'' (1994). It was released along with "

Fotos y Recuerdos "Fotos y Recuerdos" () is a song recorded by American recording artist Selena for her fourth studio album, ''Amor Prohibido'' (1994). It was released by EMI Latin in January 1995, as the fourth single. A cover version of the Pretenders' 1983 sing ...

" in January 1995, serving as its

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

track. Written by

Ricky Vela Ricardo Vela is an American musician and songwriter who was the keyboardist for the band Selena y Los Dinos from 1984 to 1995. Works Vela has either written or co-written the following songs that topped on ''Billboard'' 200, ''Billboard'' Latin ...

, "El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a

cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, Europeans, and Africans during colonial times. Cumbia is said to have com ...

song with influences of Colombian and

South American music South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz' ...

. Lyrically, the song describes a female protagonist who knocks on her love interest's apartment door (number 512) and is heartbroken when his sister (who she initially mistakes for his girlfriend) answers it. Justino Aguilar of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' magazine, called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" as one of Selena's "most memorable songs". The track posthumously peaked at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Regional Mexican Digital Songs chart in 2011.

Background and composition

"El Chico del Apartamento 512" was written by

, the

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instru ...

Selena y Los Dinos Selena y Los Dinos () was an American Tejano band formed in 1981 by Tejano singer Selena and her father Abraham Quintanilla. The band remained together until the murder of Selena in 1995, which caused the dissolution of the band in the same ye ...

. The song was co-written by

's brother-producer

A.B. Quintanilla Abraham Isaac Quintanilla III (born December 13, 1963), known professionally as A.B. Quintanilla III or A.B. Quintanilla, is an American record producer, songwriter and musician. Called the " King of Kumbia" (or "King of Cumbia") due to his in ...

who, along with Argentine musician

Bebu Silvetti Juan Fernando Silvetti Adorno (March 27, 1944 – July 5, 2003), professionally known as Bebu Silvetti or simply Silvetti, was an Argentine-Mexican pianist, composer, conductor, arranger, and record producer. In the 1970s he moved to Mexico a ...

, served as producers. Musicologist

Howard Blumenthal Howard Blumenthal is an American television and new media producer, author, educator, and executive. Born and raised in New York City and nearby suburbs, he is the son of author and ''Concentration'' producer Norm Blumenthal, and the grandson of r ...

called the song's production "perfect" in his book ''The World Music CD Listener's Guide'' (1998). "El Chico del Apartamento 512" is a Spanish-language

with influences of Colombian and

. Vela said in a 2002 interview that the track was "the least

Tejano music Tejano music (), also known as Tex-Mex music, is a popular music style fusing Mexican influences. Its evolution began in northern Mexico (a variation of regional Mexican music known as ). It reached a larger audience in the late 20th century ...

song" because of its musically diverse sounds. Musicologists

Ilan Stavans Ilan Stavans (born Ilán Stavchansky, 1961) is a Mexican-born Jewish-American writer and academic. He writes and speaks on American, Hispanic, and Jewish cultures. He is the author of ''Quixote'' (2015) and a contributor to the ''Norton Antholog ...

and

Harold Augenbraum Harold Augenbraum (born March 31, 1953) is an American writer, editor, and translator. He is the former Executive Director of the National Book Foundation, and former member of the Board of Trustees of the Asian American Writers Workshop, and f ...

called the song "brassy" and noticed how the lyrics are constructed in story-song form. The "512" in the song's title is a reference to

Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi ( ; ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, Texas, Nueces County with portions extending into Aransas County, T ...

' former

area code A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunication to assign telephone numbers to subscriber telephones or other telephony endpoints. Telephone numbers are the addresses of participants in a telephone network, rea ...

. The recording is written in the key of

C major C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...

and is played in a moderate groove of 102

beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

. It incorporates music from several musical instruments, including the

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most o ...

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

and

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

. "El Chico del Apartamento 512" is musically similar to Selena's 1994 single "

Bidi Bidi Bom Bom "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is a song recorded by American Tejano singer Selena. It was released as the second single from her fourth studio album, ''Amor Prohibido'' (1994). Originally written about a cheerful fish swimming freely in the ocean, the song ...

"; author James E. Perone called them recurring themes where the protagonist is "attracted to a young man". Lyrically, Selena is heartbroken after knocking on her love interest's apartment door (number 512) and mistaking his sister for his girlfriend, before the sister asks "are you looking for my brother?". Italian essayists Gaetano Prampolini and Annamaria Pinazzi called the song a "funny love reversal".

Critical reception and legacy

Justino Aguilar of ''Billboard'' magazine, called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" as one of her "most memorable songs". "El Chico del Apartamento 512" was later reworked and included on Selena's posthumously released remix/duet album '' Enamorada de Ti'' (2012). Writer Joey Guerra of the ''

San Antonio Express-News The ''San Antonio Express-News'' is a daily newspaper in San Antonio, Texas, founded in 1865. It is owned by the Hearst Corporation and has offices in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The ''Express-News'' is the third largest newspaper in the sta ...

'', called it a "bouncy cumbia" that was "taken down a few notches to a chirpy

midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition, and is often also an indication of the composition's character or atmos ...

." and wrote that the new sound is "not bad, but it loses a lot of the

melody A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...

's force." Guerra believed American entertainer

Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...

(who was featured on "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" for the album) should have been used on "El Chico del Apartamento 512" instead. Domingo Banda of the ''Semana News'' called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" a "relaxed reggae" track. Brian Galindo of

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet mass media, media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John Seward Johnson III, John S. Johnson III to ...

called "El Chico del Apartamento 512" danceable and "catchy". Selena performed the song on her final performance on March 19, 1995 during the

Calle Ocho Festival The Calle Ocho Music Festival (''Festival de la Calle Ocho'') is a one-day street festival closing out Carnaval Miami. It takes place in March in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami, Florida, between SW 12th Avenue and 27th Avenue on SW 8th S ...

in Miami, which attracted over 100,000 fans. Selena was shot and killed by

Yolanda Saldívar Yolanda Saldívar () (born September 19, 1960) is an American former nurse who murdered singer Selena in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 31, 1995. Saldívar had been the president of Selena's fan club and the manager of her boutiques, but she lo ...

, her friend and former manager of the singer's Selena Etc. clothing boutiques, on March 31, 1995. The song is still played at events throughout Texas. Since its release, the song has been included on music critics "best of Selena songs" list including

(at number ten), and ''

Latina Latina or Latinas most often refers to: * Latinas, a demographic group in the United States * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America. *Latin Americans Latina and Latinas may also refer ...

'' magazine (at number six). American singer Kris Melody and Mexican group Los Tigrillos recorded the song for the

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...

''Mexico Recuerda a Selena'' (2005). Mexican singer

Graciela Beltrán Graciela Beltrán (born December 29, 1974) is a Mexican-American singer. She began singing in the Los Angeles area at the age of six at restaurants and parties. According to MTV she is "widely known as one of regional Mexican music's most inf ...

performed and recorded "El Chico del Apartamento 512" for the live televised tribute concert ''

Selena ¡VIVE! Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the " Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers ...

'' in April 2005. Dominican

bachata Bachata may refer to: * Bachata (music), a musical genre which originated in the Dominican Republic ** Traditional bachata, a subgenre of bachata music ** Bachata (dance), a dance form * Bachatón, a hybrid bachata/reggaeton music style * "Bach ...

singer

Antony Santos Domingo Antonio Santos Muñoz (born May 5, 1967), known professionally as Antony Santos'','' is a Dominican musician and singer. One of the top-selling bachata artists of all time, he is known as one of the pioneers of modern bachata in the e ...

recorded the song for his album ''Ay! Ven'' (2006).

Track listing

;US Single # "

" – 2:45 # "El Chico del Apartamento 512" – 3:29

Charts

Certifications

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from ''Amor Prohibido''

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...

. *Selena – vocals *Joe Ojeda – keyboards *

– keyboards *

Chris Pérez Christopher Gilbert Pérez (born August 14, 1969) is an American guitarist, best known as lead guitarist for the Tejano band Selena y Los Dinos. He married the frontwoman of the group, Selena, on April 2, 1992. Pérez grew up in San Antonio, T ...

– guitar *

Suzette Quintanilla Suzette Michele Quintanilla-Arriaga (born June 29, 1967) is an American business executive who is the current chief executive officer of Q-Productions. Suzette began her musical career as the drummer for Selena y Los Dinos, a Tejano band that f ...

– drums *

Los Dinos Selena y Los Dinos () was an American Tejano band formed in 1981 by Tejano singer Selena and her father Abraham Quintanilla. The band remained together until the murder of Selena in 1995, which caused the dissolution of the band in the same yea ...

–

bajo sexto The bajo sexto ( Spanish: "sixth bass") is a Mexican string instrument from the guitar family with 12 strings in six double courses. It is played in a similar manner to the guitar, with the left hand changing the pitch with the frets on a ...

– writer *

Pete Astudillo Pedro Astudillo (born on December 1, 1963), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and dancer. Referred to as "the Latino Babyface" by '' The Daily Journal'', he is credited as a key figure behind Selena's signature music style. As ...

– writer *Lisette Lorenzo –

art direction Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to super ...

*A.B. Quintanilla III,

–

producers Producer(s), The Producer(s), or co-producer(s) may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *Producer, a stakeholder of economic production * Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes t ...

References

Notes

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chico Del Apartamento 512, El 1994 songs 1995 singles Dance-pop songs Cumbia songs Selena songs Songs written by A.B. Quintanilla Songs written by Ricky Vela Song recordings produced by Bebu Silvetti Songs in Spanish Song recordings produced by A.B. Quintanilla EMI Latin singles