Ricky Martin’s summer was far from ordinary. Between tropical getaways, a bold haircut, and even an unexpected illness, the 53-year-old singer kept fans updated through Instagram.

The Livin’ la Vida Loca icon traded in his signature brown locks for a sharp buzz cut while enjoying his summer vacation in places such as Malta and Vietnam.

He posted the transformation to his 18 million followers, even sharing the moment his stylist took clippers to his head. The result was a fresh close crop paired with his beard and mustache, a look that quickly earned praise from fans.

While vacationing in Malta, Martin debuted the cut and later showed it off again during his travels through Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, he played tourist, snapping beach photos and visiting landmarks like the massive Guanyin of Son Tra statue in Da Nang.

The trip came with a setback, though. Martin revealed that he came down with influenza A during his vacation. “The flu reminded me I’m human,” he captioned in his photo dump, noting that it forced him to slow down for a bit.

Family milestones were also part of the season. In August, his twin sons, Matteo and Valentino, turned 17. They celebrated with a trip to the Bahamas alongside reggaeton star Wisin’s family, including his daughter Yelena, who is especially close to the boys.

Martin also made a quick trip to Sweden to reunite with his younger 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, Lucía, 6, and Renn, 5, whom he shares with his ex-husband Jwan Yosef. The kids had spent the summer there with Yosef’s family before Ricky brought them back home.