Museic: Shakira

I remember when my sister let me borrow Shakira’s English break-out CD, Laundry Service. I listened to it so much I wore it out and my sister almost killed me when I returned it skipping. Although this was the first album many Americans heard of this Columbian virtuoso, she had been in the music biz a full ten years before. Laundry Service was released in 2001 but her first step into music was in 1991 with Magia. At this time she was only 13! Her first two records were pop-rock ballads that although pretty popular didn’t really sell well. She began producing her own music with her third album, deciding to further work on her sound. Obviously she did well as she reached #1 on the billboards of 8 countries. Her fourth album was even more successful, as she won a Grammy for each single. Of course I can’t really critique these songs as I can’t speak Spanish and translators are pretty unreliable when it comes to song lyrics.
As far as Laundry Service goes, every song on it makes me want to dance. I have never heard an artist quite like Shakira. Her voice is so singular and she does some great tricks with it. All of her songs center on love or a man. I am very picky when it comes to love songs. I like them with fire and some irony in it. I loved “Objection”’s punky attitude and brilliant sound, and “Whenever, Wherever”’s honesty astounded me. “Underneath your Clothes” is really the only tender love song I like. The only song that sometimes gets on my nerves is “Rules” because I personally think it’s asking too much for a person to only be for another person. I love to sing out to “Fool”, it’s just so emotional and heartbreaking. My favourite songs from this album are probably “Poems to a Horse” and “Eyes like Yours”. “Poems to a Horse” not only because I love the way she sings it but because it’s a very empowering song any woman can identify with. All of us know a guy that needs a good slap to the face. I love the Indian influence in “Eyes like Yours”; it makes me want to take up belly dancing. All of her songs make me sing them, even when it’s the Spanish versions.
I was very excited when my sister bought me Oral Fixation in 2005. Unlike most second American pop albums, I don’t think Shakira lost her vision at all. Even more amazing, not all of her songs were about relationships! Many of her songs in fact were about god and politics, two subjects I think make amazing songs. “How do You Do” is asking God why, a question I’m sure all of us would like answered. It is definitely a song I myself would write. “Hips don’t Lie” is probably the most well known songs from this album, sung with another one of my idols Wyclef Jean. It’s a dance club song, meant to make people want to shake their hips. It definitely succeeds! “Animal City” is about the dangerous life of the rich and famous; it’s definitely catchy and has some great lyrics. I love “Don’t Bother”’s cynical view of love after it’s been lost. Hey you, much like “Rules” from her previous album, speaks of being someone’s everything. I like this one better though, mostly because the way it’s sung is very fun and cute and it’s a lot more ‘I want to be your everything’ and less ‘I have to be your everything’. “Costume Makes the Clown” is one of my favourite songs on this CD. It’s kind of a sequel to all her previous songs and is very reminiscent of No Doubts “Magic in the Make-up” in that it’s confessing that you haven’t been true to your significant other. The lyrics are just really clever and put together well. I have to like “Something”, if for no other reason than it has French in it. French my second language, and I tend to like music that includes it, but other than that it’s just another love song. “Timor” is amazing, definitely my favourite. It refers to the corrupt way our country is and how the majority of us don’t care as long as we get what we want. We don’t care about anyone, least of all a poor Asian country that was attacked by Indonesia with weapons provided by the United States. Unlike Laundry Service which had four songs translated into Spanish this album only has one song in Spanish, “La Tortura”.
Her next album is to be released this month if it hasn’t been released already. It is titled She Wolf, from the title song. I am looking forward to listening to more brilliant music from a brilliant artist.

-Polyhymnia