Shakira. You've no doubt heard of this Latin sensation by now, unless you're living in a cave. And if you have Internet access, I'm still unsure as to why you haven't heard of her. I've liked Shakira's songs ever since her debut English album "Laundry Service." I listened to her singles occasionally and was always very impressed that she wrote her own lyrics even though English isn't her first language. In a day and age where we can't get anyone to write their own lyrics (Madonna and Britney Spears come to mind), it's refreshing to see someone who is creative, has an extensive vocabulary in the English language, and who has a very new way of singing, putting her talent where it belongs: in the mainstream.
This is the first Shakira album I've ever bought, and I loved it. Here's a track-by-track album review:
1. How Do You Do — This song is absolutely fantastic. It begins with a mock Greek choir singing the Lord's Prayer, a church bell, and quite the interlude. The song begins with Shakira asking God what language he speaks, a series of questions that I've often wondered myself, and some I never even thought to ask. She also asks him if ever cries (with quite a catchy sped-up chorus telling him that she sometimes cries). She also asks if he feels pride, or shame, when people kill and hurt in his name. It's an extremely powerful song, and I can't think of a single pop song that was more meaningful than this.
10/10
2. Don't Bother — This song is also very interesting. Shakira is (presumably) talking about a woman her previous boyfriend moved onto. This song mainly talks about how much better the girl mentioned before is "far better" than Shakira herself. Shakira sounds very bitter in this song. She's either a very good storyteller or the guy she's talking about was an idiot. Sorry, but I could never dump Shakira.
8/10
3. Illegal In "Illegal" — This is a song with the very talented Carlos Santana playing guitar. It is a slow ballad with Shakira talking to an ex-boyfriend. I didn't really care for this song, but it's pretty different (something you can always count on from Shakira).
6/10
4. The Day and Time — This one's another love ballad from Shakira. I'm a little biased with love songs. They're just not for me, especially the sad ones that make you think. It's a good chorus, good songwriting (as usual), and good singing. Not my favorite, though.
7/10
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sarah Ure
ERM, check the credits for Madonna's albums. She writes and co-writes nearly all of her songs. In interviews all of her producers over the past few decades all say she plays a heavy creative role in the writing AND production of the songs. By the way, Shakira's English albums are mediocre tripe compared to her Spanish albums. Check out "Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1" and "Dónde Están los Ladrones?"
2 - Casey
Heh!
"Co-writes" is hardly "writing" her own songs. Her producers were talking about her music video concepts. Madonna may tell the writers what she wants them to write about, but as far as the actual rhyming...no.
"By the way, Shakira's English albums are mediocre tripe compared to her Spanish albums. Check out "Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1" and "Dónde Están los Ladrones?""
Yes, I've heard a few songs from both albums. They're good, but Shakira's more social in her English albums, though she lacks the same amount of confidence as she displays in her Spanish albums.
3 - Nancy El Khoury
I personally think Shakira is overrated and overestimated. She doesn't know half of what God is, so she shouldn't go writing songs thinking she is better than Him.
4 - beautifulatrocities
I thought this CD was terrible, especially since she took 4 years to follow up her last English CD. In fact, it sucked so bad that Sony made her record Hips Don't Lie - written by Anyone But Shakira - to salvage it.
Like Thalia, Shakira's Spanish music is much more interesting than her 'crossover' stuff. It's not just a matter of changing the lyrics. In Shakira's case, she completely changed her personality & look (she was the Alannis of Latin America), & Thalia has yet to find a way to translate her exuberant personality to an English-speaking audience.
5 - Casey
Thanks for the comments everybody.
Nancy, I'm genuinely curious as to why you think Shakira assumes she's better than God.
6 - jammin
LOL! Madonna writes lyrics AND melodies. Everybody is so jealous of her just because she's still one of the most successful entertainers after three decades. EVERY producer says she has a major creative roll. They come up with the music, she comes up with the melody and lyrics. Shakira, by the way, is a no-talent goat. She can't dance, can't sing, and is an insult to talented latinas out there.
7 - ihateoreilly
Casey:
Hate to inform you, but Madonna writes most of her lyrics and melodies: every producer she works with notes this. She doesn't write the music, but I'm sure she has say in what goes along. Shakira, on the other hand, is a no-talent, washed-up, has-been performer. It's sort of interesting. I was at Coachella this weekend. Usually, 40,000 tickets are sold for the show. When Madonna appeared, 68,000 showed up. Now, lets move onto Madonna's tour. The initial dates in mid size venues (15,000 seating) sold out INSTANTLY at 350.00 a ticket. There are still some tickets left for additional dates, but those will sell out soon. Will Shakira ever earn that success? I love how she has to hire rent-a-rapper in order to get a hit. "Hips Don't Lie" sounds like a goat being raped.
8 - Christopher Rose
I love Shakira's work in both Spanish and English. She's a great singer but also writes great songs.
9 - TomUk
Well you can hardly say that Madonna is not talented in writing good pop songs, but as for Shakira's rent-a-rapper, I don't think Madonna is a stranger to going to tackier methods when her career is not going so well.
Reverting to dancing around in pink underwear to an ABBA sample song springs to mind, (let alone the whole sex book nonsense) after her personal and political 'American Life' album failed to ignite the charts. At least Shakira still sticks to her guns and would include songs provoking arguments on her album, as well as filling the dance floor.
As for Shakira's success, there can be no doubt of that. She has sold a phenomenal amount of records, also being a lot younger than Madonna, and does not rely on pre recorded vocals for some songs in her tour, after charging £160 per ticket. Is that success or fraud?
10 - Phillip Winn
Shakira's voice is amazing, whether she writes her own songs or not. The bizarre attempt by commenters to create some sort of bizarre competition between an old-timer and a newcomer is pointless.
11 - Casey Lunkley
"Will Shakira ever earn that success? I love how she has to hire rent-a-rapper in order to get a hit."
If we based talent on success, the world would be fucked. Aretha Franklin never made it up to the "success" Madonna has. Are you saying Aretha is less talented than Madonna?
"Rent-a-rapper"? Do you know what "rent-a-rapper" she was using? Wyclef Jean from one of the greatest rap groups of all time.
Do some research.
12 - ihateoreilly
Sorry, Shakira is a goat, period. No Talent at all. She's the latina Britney Spears.
13 - Casey Lunkley
lol. Since when does Britney Spears write her own albums (and some of the actual music), have a genius IQ, and get active in charity work?
Delusional much?
14 - omar
I love Shakira, she is a phenomenal singer, looks like a supermodel-even without makeup-, and has a great mind to go with it all. And to top it all off, she can bellydance like no other person I've seen, and I love it. Her voice is so interesting and just takes command of any song and makes it great. I love all her work!
15 - Nick Rhall
Shakira's music is great. She's now between the most important females artist in the world, and her music is going to live on.
16 - fiaxtion
shakira rocks, she is the best, very talented girl, I love it, nobody can`t deny that. oral fixation is a master piece!. visit www.shakiramedia.com, is the more complete site in the web about her, you can download many videos and get the latest news. go.
17 - disturbed666
lol.
shakira is the only that
sing
write
produce
dance
play
create
her own music
tell the other that can do this??
also she speak 4 lenguage
help her own country
18 - Lola
I used to like Shakira, but lately, her voice has become soooo boring and it seems the only way she became popular was because of her dancing. Her voice is so annoying that now I can't stand listening to her. She sounds like a goat baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
19 - Marc
Ok, Is it just me or Shakira is becoming a copycat.
When I heard "Hips don't lie" it reminded me of "Amores como el nuestro" by Jerry Rivera, a salsa singer.
She has other songs that remind me of the Cranberries, The Cure, and Diego Torres (another latinamerican singer).
I hate copycats!
20 - TomUk
It's you.
21 - ronrique
Omar Alfano is the producer of Amores Como El Nuestro which Shakira (and whoever produced Hips Don't Lie) obviously stole from to form that great beat. The Wyclef Jean addition is brilliant (bias... I'm a Fugee fan).
There are samples from various other artists in her music, but she always makes each song her own due to her exceptional lyrics. I do listen to hip hop where music from other artist is sampled like it was going out of style.
English Shakira is no comparison to Spanish Shakira, in english it seems she is out for the $$$ (you go girl!!!).
22 - redredpr
Well I only liked one Shakira's song, she do not have a great voice, some times she souds like a goat, i agree that her first albums were better, and of course were in spanish. I dont like the fact that she used lines from Jerry Rivera, Amores como el nuestro wihtout permition, and the other dominican artist, she should try to be original, and she is not being original, specially when you dont ask permission to use something that is not yours. Another thing she is pretty but she dresses horribly.
red
23 - TomUk
Well Hips Don't Lie is not an original song, it is a reworking of a Wyclef Jean song appearing on the Dirty Dancing II soundtrack called "Dance Like This". The song contains samples as well. Perhaps these accusing artists should take the issue up with Wyclef, as it was originally his song...
It is just a fun song that Shakira and her record company have released to get attention for her original English album "Oral Fixation Vol. 2", seeing as 'Don't Bother' failed to do so. It is a business venture, which will work. I don't take the song that seriously as it isn't an original Shakira song, but it's great on the dance floor!
Shakira will always make her albums her own and they will always contain more intelligent songs like Timor, Octavo Dia and How do you do. This is unlike Madonna or Kylie who have both released albums that are pure no-brainer pop in their entirety and aimed at surefire 'appealing to the masses' albums, so therefore Shakira is seen by millions as something completely different to these artists as she will always have songs with an edge.
Her voice? You either like it or you don't, but she's not going to change it :)
24 - Georgette Wilson
I think Shakira is a copy cat and I enjoy observing the transformations she has made while seeking fame and fortune. Like Madonna, I feel Shakira is one of the most overrated performers out there. I especially laugh at the gypsy/rocker/bellydancer sex pot fashion statements with the leather,lace, bare midriff and bare feet- also the blond Pepsi Britney phase was ugly as well (Estafan what were you thinking?). Let's face it folks, she is no rocker even with the T-shirts and Rick Ruben. I would say she is trying to improve, but still missing the mark on the whole. Even her song titled "Timor" seems hollow and shallow to me within the context of the messenger. I am thankful for her humanitarian work in Colombia- it is the least she can do after moving to her mansion in Miami and making millions. Hip's don't lie is a very cheesy number but I'm glad Wyclef can boost her sales and remind us of how sexy Shaki is. I don't know why Madonna bothers calling herself an artist and I don't know why Shakira bothers either and yet they insist upon their greatness- Don't Bother- we'll be fine without listening to their oral fixations.
25 - lestat
umm well
shakira is the only pop singer with brain