Shakira, Shakira; A Woman of Many Talents
By K. LO Oct. 6, 2016
"Shakira, Shakira," a woman who is regarded as one of the most beautiful and talented in the world, was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Columbia. Since she was a little girl, Shakira Isabel Mebarak loved to sing and dreamt of becoming an international Pop star. By age 14, Shakira had released Magia and Peligro under Sony Music Colombia, which were somewhat successful. However, it was Pies Descalzos, the singer's third album, which introduced her to the Latin American market outside Columbia.
1995 saw the phenomenon that was Shakira; a Columbian performer who wrote her own songs and had a very Rock-driven sound. Singles like "Estoy Aqui" and "Un Poco de Amor" were largely successful in more than eight Latin American countries. Pies Descalzos also exceeded Sony's expectations after they predicted the album would not sell more than 100,000 copies. 5 million copies later, Pies Descalzos is considered Shakira's official debut album, with the first two regarded as promotional-only material because of their moderate success in Colombia alone.
Copyright: Shakira.com
Three years later, in 1998, Shakira topped the large success she had achieved with Pies Descalzos after hiring Emilio Estefan as her manager. Donde Estan Los Ladrones (Where Are The Thieves), established Shakira as one of the most successful Latin American artists in the world after the album sold well over 5 million copies (with an estimated 1.5 million in Brazil alone!). Her sophomore album remained atop Billboard's Top Latin Chart for about 11 weeks and songs like "Ojos Asi" and "Ciega, Sordomuda" were top 10 hits in more than 30 countries.
Shakira's success did not stop with her sophomore album however, and after dyeing her hair blonde, Laundry Service was released. To date, her third album is her most successful, selling well over 20 million copies and introducing her to the American market. The first single, "Whenever, Wherever," reached the No. 6 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album debuted at No. 3 with sales of 200,000 in the first week. Laundry Service included a bilingual track list, ordered differently depending on country of release.
Copyright: Shakira.com
Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation Vol. 2 continued the tradition of simultaneous Spanish and English Shakira tracks. This time around, the lead singles ("La Tortura" / "Don't Bother") from the two albums were not just translated versions of the same song. Instead, Shakira opted for separate tracks with distinct sounds. "La Tortura" became a massive worldwide hit, spending 25 nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the Hot Latin Tracks chart. The accompanying music video also became the first Spanish-language video to be nominated for an MTV Video Music Award. Following the minor success of "Don't Bother," Shakira released "Hips Don't Lie," which became her first number one song in the United States.
Shakira's repertoire is very diverse, ranging from Latin beats to Rock and even Hip-Hop. She Wolf demonstrated that she was not afraid to explore new music genres and was mostly Dance Music-influenced. She later focused on a more Merengue / Rock sound with her Spanish release, Sale el Sol.
A pregnancy delayed production of her most recent album, but eventually, Shakira saw the light of day. Preceded by "Can't Remember to Forget You" with Rihanna and in the midst of her stints on The Voice, Shakira continued experimenting with various musical sounds. Perhaps her most mainstream attempt yet, this album was also the first time Shakira was not credited as sole or co-writer for all of the songs on the track list. Her "Dare (La, La, La)" received a FIFA World Cup remix which became more popular than the official Pitbull-led track and resulted in her
performing at the closing ceremony after the critically bashed Pitbull show earlier on in the tournament.
Shakira has recently released "Mi Verdad" with Mana and "La Bicicleta" with Carlos Vives and is expected to release her ninth studio album at some point in 2017. She has received various world records, including most followed celebrity on FaceBook, given birth to her second child, and became a Gazelle in Disney's Zootopia. Some of her best tracks, apart from her released singles, include: "23," "Gordita," "Loca Por ti," "Mon Amour," and "Men in This Town." She also continues to promote the importance of education through her Pies Descalzos Foundation, building schools for impoverished youth. Needless to say, Shakira is a woman of many talents who does not let anyone-not even a choir teacher criticizing her "goat-like" voice-stop her from pursuing greatness. For these, and many more reasons, Shakira is one of our favorite artists and best performers of our generation!
Follow Us!
Our Top 10 Songs
1. Closer - The Chainsmokers
2. Perfect Illusion - Lady GaGa
3. Cheap Thrills - Sia
4. This is What You Came For - Calvin Harris
5. Side to Side - Ariana Grande
6. Make Me - Britney Spears
7. Can't Stop This Feeling - Justin Timberlake
8. I Hate U I Love U - Gnash
9. I Took a Pill in Ibiza - Mike Posner
10. Ultra Light Beam - Kanye West
Our Top 10 Things to Watch
1. American Horror Story
2. The Get Down
3. Stranger Things
4. Don't Breathe
5. Gotham
6. Once Upon a Time
7. Black Mirror
8. Scream Queens
9. Don't Breathe
10. Scream