Diva Spotlight: Shakira

My introduction to Shakira was at my dance studio when I was in the fifth grade. My jazz teacher choreographed us a dance to Whenever, Wherever and I thought it was so grown up and cool, but then remember for the next two or so years being a little bummed that I didn't hear more of that Shakira girl's songs on the radio (to be fair, we listened exclusively to country radio at my house so that may be why). Then middle school and Hips Don't Lie came about and I knew I was correct: Shakira rocked.

Here's our usual crash course about her if you aren't overly familiar (all info current as of August 2021):

-Full legal name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (her mother is Columbian and her father is Lebanese)

-44 years old (she's an Aquarius)

-Born in Barranquilla, Columbia (close to 1,000 miles north of Bogotà)

-In addition to singing, she can play guitar, harmonica, drums, cajòn, sampler, and keyboard

-In a relationship with footballer Gerard Piqué since 2011 (they have two sons together)

-Has won 329 awards, including five American Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Guinness World Records, eleven Latin Grammy Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, and one People's Choice Award

-Received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011

-Has released 11 studio albums (two of which are no longer available) and 1 greatest hits compilation album

Shakira has always fascinated me with her unique vocal style that encompasses her contralto range and her yodeling abilities, but as I've gotten older I've been able to appreciate what a well-rounded musician and entertainer she actually is. Listening to her discography this week has been a lot of fun and introduced me to a lot of music I may not have come across if I only stuck with her American radio hits. For this post, I will only be sharing my Top 3 songs from nine of Shakira's eleven albums; as I stated in the previous paragraph, her first two albums Magia (Magic in English, released in 1991 when she was 14) and Peligro (Danger in English, released in 1993 when she was 16) are not listed on Apple Music due to her decision not to release them with the rest of her earlier discography due to their artistic immaturity and likely their commercial failure. That being said, we still have a lot of music to cover, so let's get started!

Pies Descalzos (1995)

Shakira's third pop rock/Latin rock album, translated to Barefoot in English, was released October 6th, 1995 by Sony Music/Columbia when she was 18 years old. With a run time of 41:06, it produced 7 singles: Estoy Aquí (8/29/95), Donde Estás Corazón (2/2/96), Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos (4/15/96), Un Poco De Amor (5/16/96), Antología (1/8/97), and Se Quiere, Se Mata (3/10/97). The album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 580,000 copies in the US. I wasn't sure what to expect from Pies Descalzos, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening through it. It still retains a comforting Shakira sound while being firmly nostalgic for the mid-90's. Here's my Top 3:

Track 1: Estoy Aquí (written by L. Ochoa, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This album's lead single is a lot of fun right off the bat. Translated to I'm Here in English, it has a super catchy beat and tune and does a great job setting the tone for the rest of the album. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is bellow.

I already know the you will not come, everything that was/Time I left behind, I know you won’t come back/What happened to us will not repeat ever/A thousand years will not reach me/To erase you and forget/And now I am here, waiting to convert/The fields in the city mixing the sky with the sea/I know I let you get away, I know I lost you/And nothing can be the same

Track 3: Un Poco de Amor (written by L. Ochoa, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

Another of this album's singles, I love the Caribbean musical influence on this song mixed in with Shakira's traditional style. Translated to A Little Bit of Love in English and featuring male vocals from Howard Glasford, this song is super chill and would fit in perfectly on a beach or summer playlist. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

Today is one of those days in that I look up to the sky/Trying to figure out which one you are/From time to time far, and from time to time near/Sometimes go up and others fall and I/When you approach me, I do not answer for my actions/I feel like here I go, from hating you to loving you/From start to finish, looking for a little love

Track 6: Vuelve (written by L. Ochoa, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

I really like the guitar track on this song, translated to Return in English. It gives it a little more of a 90's rock type feel than the others and is a lot of fun overall. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

Cold as a statue of salt/In a glass mausoleum/Dry to the bone from crying/And dead as can Tiberio can be in his huacal/All in ruins like the Parthenon/Alone as Columbus ended/Pale as a Mona Lisa/Bitter like a lemon, wrinkled like an accordion/Like the Sphinx when it lost its nose/Like Alexander the Great without his back and without his dart/Like a poor Christian in the Roman Empire

Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998)

Shakira's fourth pop/Latin pop/rock album, translated to Where Are the Thieves in English, was released September 29th, 1998 by Columbia/Sony Latin when she was 21 years old. With a run time of 41:06, it produced 9 singles: Ciega, Sordomuda (9/7/98), Donde Están los Ladrones (10/16/98), Tú (11/2/98), Inevitable (12/18/98), No Creo (2/7/99), Si Te Vas (9/24/99), Ojos Así (10/20/99), Moscas en la Casa (12/10/99), and Octavo Día (11/6/00). The album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 920,000 copies in the US. I got a similar vibe from this album as I did to Pies Descalzos, but it's definitely got its own sound and is a great listen. Here's my Top 3:

Track 3: Moscas en la Casa (written by S. Mebarak Ripoll)

It's a little strange for me to hear Shakira sing slow, emotional ballads, but I really enjoy this one a lot. Translated in English to Flies in the House, this song has a really relaxing pace to it with sad, sentimental lyrics underneath. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

My days without you are so dark/So long, so gray, my days without you/My days without you are so absurd/So sour, so hard, my days without you/My days without you have no nights/If any appear, it is useless to sleep/My days without you are a waste/The hours have no beginning and no end/So short of air, so full of nothing/Useless scrap/Trash on the floor/Flies in the house

Track 7: Que Vuelvas (written by S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This track, translated in English to Come Back, gave me some Sheryl Crow-esque vibes while listening to it which I wouldn't have expected from Shakira but definitely works with her voice. She still takes that stereotypical 90s sound and makes it her own. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

And what am I going to do with my selective absent-mindedness/And with my frustrated dream of learning to cook/And what am I going to do with Sundays and holidays/No plan is appropriate when I try not to think/Tell me, where are you going/Now that I’m not/Tell me where am I going/Now that you are not here/What will I make up to tell the world/If they see me lying on the ground and with no more desire to fly/How I hide this pair of broken wings/And the soles of my boots tired of walking/Tell me, where are you going/Now that I’m not/Tell me, where am I going/Now that you are not here/I want you to come back/That my lips are claiming you that you haven’t kissed for a long time/I want you to come back/You see that even my hands from not touching you hurt me, they hurt me

Track 11: Ojos Así (written by J. Garza, P. Flores, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This song is a straight up banger. Translated in English to Eyes Like Yours, there's a lot of both Latin and Middle Eastern musical influences in this song, reflecting both sides of Shakira's heritage. The lyrics below are from the English version of the song that was included on her 2001 album Laundry Service.

Oh, you know I have seen a sky without sun, a man with no nation/Saints captive in chains, a song with no name for lack of imagination/And I have seen darker than ebony/And now it seems, that I/Without your eyes, could never be my one desire, all I aspire/Is in your eyes forever to live, travel all over the seven oceans/There is nothing that I wouldn’t give/Came from Bahrain, got to Beirut, looking for someone comparing to you/Tearing down windows and doors and I could not find eyes like yours

Laundry Service (2001)

Shakira's fifth pop rock and first English language album was released November 13th, 2001 by Epic when she was 24 years old. With a run time of 49:14, it produced 8 singles: Whenever, Wherever (8/27/01), Underneath Your Clothes (3/18/02), Objection (Tango) (7/6/02), Te Dejo Madrid (8/15/02), Que Me Quedes Tú (12/1/02), Fool (5/25/03), The One (6/12/03), and Poem to a Horse (2/13/04). The album has been certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 3.7 million copies in the US. This album has my favorite Shakira song on it so I love it for that, but my Top 3 overall I feel like are pretty strong.

Track 1: Objection (Tango) (written by S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This album starts really strong right off the back with this opener. This is one of those songs you kind of have to dance at least a little bit to whenever it's on. It also has a Spanish version later in the album with Track 13, Te Aviso, Te Anuncio (Tango).

It’s not her fault that she’s so irresistible/But all the damage she’s caused is unfixable/Every twenty seconds, you repeat her name/But when it comes to me, you don’t care if I’m dead or alive/So objection, I don’t wanna be the exception to get a bit of your attention/I love you for free and I’m not your mother, but you don’t even bother/Objection, I’m tired of this triangle, got dizzy dancing tango/I’m falling apart in your hands again, no way, I’ve got to get away

Track 3: Whenever, Wherever (written by G. Estefan, S. Mebarak Ripoll, T. Mitchell)

Yep, Whenever, Wherever is still my favorite Shakira song. The beat slaps, the melody is insanely catchy, and I love the pan flute sound - also, how cool is it that Gloria Estefan has writing credits here? The Spanish version of the song can be found on Track 12, Suerte.

Lucky you were born that far away so we could both make fun of distance/Lucky that I love a foreign land for the lucky fact of your existence/Baby, I would climb the Andes solely to count the freckles on your body/Never could imagine there were only ten million ways to love somebody/Can’t you see, I’m at your feet/Whenever, wherever, we’re meant to be together/I’ll be there and you’ll be near and that’s the deal, my dear/Thereover, hereunder, you’ll never have to wonder/We can always play by ear, but that’s the deal, my dear

Track 7: Fool (written by B. Buckley, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This song sounds a little bit more like the vibe Shakira went for on her previous two albums, so it almost felt a little out of place on this album, but it grew on me by the end of the song for sure. It definitely has that early 00's pop rock feel to it, but I definitely don't hate it.

Tell me lies, slap me on the face/Just improvise, do something really clever/That’ll make me hate your name forever/You might swear you’d never touch a lady/Well, let me say you’re not too far from maybe/Every day you find new ways to hurt/But I can’t help it if I’m just a fool/Always having my heart set on you/‘Til the time you start changing the rules/I’ll keep chasing the soles of your shoes, fool

Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005)

Shakira's sixth Latin pop was released June 3rd, 2005 by Epic when she was 28 years old. With a run time of 43:30, it produced 5 singles: La Tortura (4/12/05), No (7/2/05), Día de Enero (1/19/06), La Pared (10/3/06), and Las de la Intuición (5/14/07). The album has been certified 11x Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1.019 million copies in the US, and it also won Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. This album was good, but it wasn't exactly my favorite. I do like my Top 3 quite a bit though, so here they are.

Track 3: La Tortura ft. Alejandro Sanz (written by A. Sanz, L. Ochoa, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

I ended up liking this song quite a bit after listening to it a couple of times (there are two versions on Vol. 1 & another version on Vol. 2). Translated in English to Torture, Shakira's voice blends really well with the smoky quality of Sanz's vocals, and I do really like the drum beat for the song. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

I do not ask that every day be sunny/I do not ask that every Friday be a party/And I don’t ask you to come back begging for forgiveness/If you cry with dry eyes and talking about her/Oh love, it hurts so much, it hurts so much/That it was without saying where/Oh, my love it was torture to lose you/I know that I have not been a saint, but I can fix it, love/Man does not live on bread alone and I do not live on excuses/You only learn from mistakes and today I know that you are my heart/You better save all that to another dog with that bone and we say goodbye

Track 4: Obtener un Si (written by L. Mendez, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

Translated in English to Get a Yes, this dreamy Bossa Nova-esque track that reminds me a little of Bobby Darin's Somewhere Beyond the Sea took me completely by surprise on this record. Shakira does some really nice stuff vocally here, and it's a nice little break from the other fairly fast paced songs that preceded it on the tracklist. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

I already have dark circles from looking at you so much/And the worst thing is that I still have/So much desire to wait for you/Until you know that/I love you because you are clear, clear/Clear as the soles of my feet/Like love after fact/Like your love and your skin/Oh, how I die for you/How can I forget/Just send flowers/So that you make me fall in love/To get a yes

Track 7: No ft. Gustavo Cerati (written by L. Mendez, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This is the second of two tracks on this album that feature the late Gustavo Cerati, who I discussed on my Argentina post. His backing vocals and guitar playing really make this song in my opinion, although it would still probably be pretty good on its own. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

No, do not try to apologize, insisting not play/Excuses already existed before you/No, don’t look at me like before, don’t speak in the plural/Rhetoric is your most lethal weapon/I’m going to ask you not to come back/I feel that you hurt me still here/And that at your age you know well what it is/Break someone’s heart like that/You can’t live with so much poison/The hope that your love gives me was not given to me anymore, I swear to you I am not lying/You can’t live with so much poison/You cannot dedicate your soul to accumulate attempts, anger weighs more than cement

Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005)

Shakira's seventh Latin pop was released November 28th, 2005 by Epic as the sister album to Fijación Oral, Vol. 1. With a run time of 42:36, it produced 3 singles: Don't Bother (10/11/05), Hips Don't Lie (2/28/06), and Illegal (11/14/06). The album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over 1.7 million copies in the US. This album has some of the most iconic album art of the mid-00s in addition to one of the most iconic songs of the mid-00s. The sound on this album is different enough from Vol. 1 to almost be distracting, but put together (which she did in a box set in 2006) they go together very well. Here's my Top 3, and one of them for sure won't be a surprise.

Track 3: Hips Don't Lie ft. Wyclef Jean (written by J. Duplessis, L. Parker, L. Diaz, O. Alfanno, S. Mebarak Ripoll, W. Jean)

SHAKIRA, SHAKIRA. Yes, obviously this is the one that shouldn't surprise anyone. Who DOESN'T know this song at this point? It can come on in any department store, restaurant, night club, or private residence in America and everyone will at least know all the words to the chorus.

Ey girl, I can see your body moving and it’s driving me crazy/And I didn’t have the slightest idea until I saw you dancing/And when you walk up on the dance floor, nobody cannot ignore the way you move your body, girl/And everything’s so unexpected, the way you right and left it, so you can keep on shaking it/Never really knew that she could dance like this, she make a man wanna speak Spanish/Cómo se llama, bonita, mi casa, su casa/Oh baby, when you talk like that, you make a woman go mad/So be wise, and keep on reading the signs of my body/I’m on tonight, you know my hips don’t lie and I’m starting to feel you, boy/Come on, let’s go, real slow, don’t you see, baby, así es perfecto/Babe, I know I’m on tonight, see my hips don’t lie and I’m starting to feel it’s right/All the attraction, the tension, don’t you see, baby, this is perfection

Track 5: Don't Bother (written by G. Edwards, H. Reid, L. Christy, L. Hailey, S. Spock, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

Not as much of a banger dance track as Hips Don't Lie, obviously, but still a fun track over all. This is a fun sort of girl-power anthem that was fairly popular in the mid-00s as Shakira sings about how her man can go on ahead and be with this other woman who's so much better, it's not going to kill her because she knows she's better off.

She’s got the kind of look that defies gravity/She’s the greatest cook and she’s fat-free/She’s been to private school and she speaks perfect French/She’s got her perfect friends, oh, isn’t she cool/She practices Tai Chi, she’d never lose her nerve/She’s more than you deserve, she’s just far better than me/So don’t bother, I won’t die of deception/I promise you won’t ever see me cry, don’t feel sorry/And don’t bother, I’ll be fine, but she’s waiting/And the ring you gave to her will lose its shine, so don’t bother, be unkind

Track 8: Hey You (written by S. Mebarak Ripoll, T. Mitchell)

I instantly loved this bubbly, poppy song the minute it came on. It's got such fun energy and is an absolute bop.

I’d like to be the kind of dream you’d never share, to be your boss and to be your maid/Your shaving cream, your razor blade, the buttons of your shirt, your favorite underwear/I’d like to be the only thing on Earth that makes you cry, the only thing that makes you happy/Soon you will see that no one else but me can take you this high, and soon you’ll make your last name mine/Hey, you, making an offer that no one could ever refuse/Don’t play the adamant, don’t be so arrogant, can’t you see I’ve fallen for you/Hey, you, making an offer that no one would dare to refuse/Don’t play the adamant, don’t be so arrogant, let me in, let me be your muse tonight, tonight, tonight

She Wolf (2009)

Shakira's eighth electropop was released October 9th, 2009 by Epic/Sony Latin when she was 32 years old. With a run time of 40:50, it produced 4 singles: She Wolf (7/10/09), Did It Again (10/16/09), Give It Up to Me (10/26/09) and Gypsy (3/26/10). This album is definitely more pop than her previous works in my opinion, but it's definitely not bad. She plays around with some folksy, almost country sounds on this album as well which I really like. Here's my Top 3:

Track 1: She Wolf (written by J. Hill, S. Endicott, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

I thought this song was so insanely cheesy when it first came out, but damn if I don't love it now. Its great beat and fun to attempt super fast lyrics definitely outweigh that cringy howl that she does in the chorus. The Spanish version of the song can be found on Track 12, Loba.

A domesticated girl, that’s all you ask of me/Darling, it is no joke, this is lycanthropy/The moon’s awake now with eyes wide open/My body’s craving, so feed the hungry/I’ve been devoting myself to you Monday to Monday and Friday to Friday/Not getting enough retribution or decent incentives to keep me at it/I’m starting to feel just a little abused like a coffee machine in an office/So I’m gonna go somewhere cozy to get me a lover and tell you about it/There’s a she wolf in the closet/Open up and set it free/There’s a she wolf in the closet/Let it out so it can breathe

Track 5: Good Stuff (written by P. Williams, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This song, co-written by Pharrell Williams, sounds like an interesting crossover between Shakira's Latin Pop sound and an early-00's Christina Aguilera type song. It's an interesting smorgasbord of sounds and styles, but I dig it.

Tell me all your wishes, I am here to make them come true, don’t wander/You don’t have to rub a lamp, 'cause I’ll take care of you/Nobody knows, nobody knows, nobody knows, nobody knows/Tell me what you think, I’m one of your kind, you know a girl like me is difficult to find/I bet you’ve never seen nothing like this before/I bet you’ve never met someone who loved you more/You know that I’m a witch and I can read your mind, boy/Where do I have to sign, I’m on board/My new resolution is to trust you/My business to love you until yo’ve had it/I’m not gonna miss out on the good stuff/The grass is much greener with us on it

Track 7: Gypsy (written by A. Gosein-Cameron, C. Sturken, E. Rogers, I. Dench, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This is my top song from She Wolf and one of my Top 3 Shakira songs ever. The folksy, world music type style is super uplifting and makes this song such a bop.

Broke my heart on the road/Spent the weekend sewing the pieces back on/Crayons and dolls pass me by/Walking gets too boring when you learn how to fly/Not the homecoming kind/Take the top off and who knows what you might find/Won’t confess all my sins/You can bet all trying, but you can’t always win/‘Cause I’m a gypsy, are you coming with me/I might steal your clothes and wear them if they fit me/Never made agreements, just like a gypsy/And I won’t back down ‘cause life’s already bit me/And I won’t cry, I’m too young to die if you’re going to quit me/‘Cause I’m a gypsy

Sale el Sol (2010)

Shakira's ninth Latin pop/merengue/rock/world album was released October 19th, 2010 by Epic/Sony Latin when she was 33 years old. Translated in English to The Sun Comes Out, it has a run time of 46:04, it produced 6 singles: Waka Waka (This Time For Africa) (5/7/10), Loca (9/10/10), Sale el Sol (1/3/11), Rabiosa (4/8/11), Antes de las Seis (10/21/11) and Addicted to You (3/13/12). The album has been certified Diamond by the RIAA for selling over 600,000 copies in the US. Honestly, if I had to pick a least favorite Shakira album, this would be it. It just didn't grab me like the others, but here are my Top 3.

Track 4: Gordita ft. Residente Calle 13 (written by E. Cabra, L. Ochoa, R. Pérez, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

I had to listen to this song twice to figure out if I liked it or not - it's got a darker, grungier sound to it than Shakira's other music and it's overall just...interesting. Translated in English to Chubby Girl, the song features vocals by René Pérez, aka Residente, of Puerto Rican rap group Calle 13 as well as an admittedly catchy beat and some cool trumpets. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

I do not want a scholar, nor a millionaire/But one like you with that vocabulary/With you, I lose even my good manners/Even though we end up as two animals/Move, move like an invertebrate/I am your hunter and you are my deer/Yes Mommy, I’m like Bambi, your little deer/Go on, shut up and stand on your side/This is going to warm you, what/To warm up, what, to warm up, ah/This is going to warm you, what/To warm up, what, to warm up, ah/What you tell me, that they are dedicated beautiful words full of love for me/You are my chubby girl/What you say to me, that are dedicated beautiful words full of love for me

Track 5: Addicted to You (written by E. Bello, J. Hill, L. Ochoa, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This is my top song from this album, and it gets stuck in my head at least once a week which is pretty entertaining because I don't have the Spanish parts down yet. It's a high energy, fun song that's super easy to dance to. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

It must be the perfume you wear or the water you bathe with/But every little thing you do seems like a feat to me/You kissed me that night as if it were the only day of your mouth/Every time I remember, I feel the weight of a rock on my chest/They are your brown eyes with that greenish streak/It’s your care as a child and that nervous laugh/I’m addicted to you because your skin is a vice/Baby, I’m addicted to you, I want you to let yourself be loved/I’m addicted to you because your skin is a vice/Baby, I’m addicted to you, I want you to let yourself be loved

Track 12: Waka Waka (Esto Es Africa) (written by E. Kojide, E. Belley, J. Ze Bella, J. Hill, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

Waka Waka isn't Shakira's strongest single in my opinion, but it's still fun to listen to. The English Version, Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), features South African group Freshlyground and was the official theme of the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

You’re a good soldier, choosing your battles/Pick yourself up and dust yourself off and back in the saddle/You’re on the front line, everyone’s watching/You know it’s serious, we’re getting closer, this isn’t over/The pressure’s on, you feel it/But you got it all, believe it/When you fall, get up, oh, oh, and if you fall, get up, oh, oh/Tsamina mina zangalewa, ‘cause this is Africa/Tsamina mania, eh, eh, waka, waka, eh, eh/Tsamina mina zangalewa, this time for Africa

Shakira. (2014)

Shakira's tenth pop album was released March 21st, 2014 by RCA/Sony Latin when she was 37 years old. With a run time of 41:45, it produced 3 singles: Can't Remember To Forget You (1/13/14), Empire (2/22/14), and Dare (La La La) (4/24/14). If Sale el Sol is my least favorite Shakira album, this self-titled work is my favorite. This pop direction sounded great on her, and it was fun to listen to her experiment with reggae and country sounds as well. I really loved all but like 3 songs on this album so it was hard to choose, but here are my Top 3.

Track 2: Can't Remember to Forget You ft. Rihanna (written by D. Ledinsky, E. Hassle, J. Hill, K. Harpoon, R. Fenty, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

This duet between these two pop music icon queens SLAPS. Shakira and Rihanna's voices go together so well, and this song is just so much fun musically, vocally, and emotionally. A Spanish version of this song (minus Rihanna, sadly) can be found on Track 11, Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte.

I left a note on my bedpost, said not to repeat yesterday's mistakes/What I tend to do when it comes to you, I see only the good, selective memory/The way you make me feel, yeah, you got a hold on me, I never met someone so different, oh here we go/You’re part of me now, you’re part of me, so where you go, I follow, follow, follow/Oh, oh, oh, oh, I can’t remember to forget you/Oh, oh, oh, oh, I keep forgetting I should let you go/But when you look at me, the only memory is us kissing in the moonlight/Oh, oh, oh, oh, I can’t remember to forget you

Track 7: Broken Record (written by S. Mebarak Ripoll, M. Busbee)

I absolutely love this simple little love song. The constant returns back to just acoustic guitar are so great, and Shakira really gets to show off her vocal power in a great way.

I’m older, but you’re wiser than anyone can see/You’re patient like no other has ever been with me/Your eyes take me to places I’ve never dreamt about/Your voice is the only music I can’t do without/There can’t be any doubts now/We’re just too far ahead to look behind/And above the good and the bad/I need you to believe in my word, I feel like a broken record/And I’ve told you seven hundred times, I don’t need to keep looking, my search is done/Can you put your trust in my word, I sound like a broken record/And I’ve said it seven hundred times, I don’t need to keep looking, you are the one

Track 8: Medicine ft. Blake Shelton (written by H. Lindsey, M. Bright, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

Medicine came about thanks to Shakira and Blake Shelton being judges on The Voice together, and thank goodness for that. This isn't a match up I ever would've thought of on my own, but they work really well together and created something super fun with both classic Shakira and modern country feel.

And I feel like I’m losing my mind/Banging my head up against the wall/Staring at nothing ‘cause I can’t sleep at night/Can’t make it stop, yeah, I think too much/What do I do, falling apart/I need a shock straight to my heart/No one would want to be in my shoes right now, oh/I don’t reach for the bottle of whiskey/No, you won’t see me popping the pills/‘Cause if I want the pain to go away, in a second make it fade/You’re the only thing that will/You’re my medicine, medicine/My, my, my medicine, medicine/My, my, my medicine

El Dorado (2017)

Shakira's eleventh pop/Latin pop/reggaeton album was released May 26th, 2017 by Sony Latin when she was 40 years old. With a run time of 43:57, it produced 8 singles: La Bicicleta (5/27/16), Chantaje (10/28/16), Deja Vu (2/24/17), Comme moi (3/31/17), Me Enamoré (4/7/17), Perro Fiel (9/15/17), Trap (1/26/18), and Nada (11/3/18). The album has been certified Diamond by the RIAA for selling over 600,000 copies in the US, and it also won Best Latin Pop Album at the 2018 Grammy Awards. I don't like El Dorado as much as Shakira, but it's still a really solid album. I'm really glad she overcame her writer's block after the previous album and put this one out there and that she didn't let her self-doubt about her career stop her from creating more good music. I feel really solidly about my Top 3 here, so here they are.

Track 4: When a Woman (written by M. Høibergt, J. Mills, J. Michaels, J. Tranter, K. McKenzie, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

Another Shakira track with a great beat, catchy lyrics, and fun vocals. This is another one that you end up moving to when it's on whether you realize it or not.

Manipulate and cause you pain, but lift you up when you’re hurting/Scream goodbye, laugh when you cry, but cool the tears when they’re burning/I feel it deep inside of me, like an explosion of crazy/All of this fire you give, I feel it deep/‘Cause only a woman can get this dark, only a woman can cause these scars/Only a woman can love this hard, only a woman/And when this woman loves a man/She’ll take you to hell and back, take you to hell and back/When a woman, when a woman loves, when a woman, when a woman loves a man/Only a woman, only a woman knows how a woman is supposed to love a man/When a woman, when a woman loves, when a woman, when a woman loves a man/Only a woman, only a woman knows, oh

Track 5: Amarillo (written by L. Ochoa, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

I loved this song the first time I heard it and fell for it all over again when I did the lyric translation for thhiss post. Translated in English to Yellow, I enjoy the imagery the lyrics create and that it is both appropriately energetic and chill to listen to. An English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.

What is it you are made of, what makes you so special/When I speak or think of you, it is impossible to be impartial/It is not a damage of perception nor lack of common sense/You have become everything and beyond, the world knows, it’s not taboo/It’s so unreal, what makes me miss you like this when you are away/What makes me idolize you like that is all of you, I am lost, I live anchors to you like a bird to its sky, I estimate/Yellow, you got me in your pockets, purple, I already forgot about the past/In red, because my eyes bleed from crying to you when you are not by my side/Light blue, cost me what it costs me, golden, because I don’t intend to lose you/Your love is a rainbow of colors and I’m dying to have you

Track 9: Coconut Tree (written by L. Ochoa, S. Mebarak Ripoll)

Here's another perfect song for a beach/summer playlist. It's so chill and harkens back to an earlier Shakira sound and is overall a very pleasant listening experience.

We head on a plane, flying across the sky/Searching for islands where we could land, too far away to be found/We took off our clothes and danced like if we’d gone mad/Took a dip in the ocean to wash away all the sand/I’m not alone, not anymore this time/I found my love/Under a coconut tree, where we created a universe/Hiding from all of that where nothing mattered but you and me/Make it like it used to be, give me a time machine with you and I riding on a dream/Only you and me under a coconut tree

I hope you found some great new music to listen to this week, whether you've listened to Shakira for years or are just discovering her for the first time. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!