| | Shakira was born in Columbia on 2 Feb, 1977 |
Shakira is one of several Latino stars who has made it big internationally. However, unlike most, she shows signs of longevity. While Enrique Iglesias’s albums now debut out of the Top 10 almost the world over, Shakira is still increasingly viable both commercially and critically.
It isn’t foolish to say that mainstream artists are best judged in retrospect. Where is Ricky Martin? And what about Marc Anthony? Their falling out with their audiences is indicative of their artistic abilities. Shakira, of course, shows no signs of ending her reign as queen of Latino pop.
She Wolf, her latest effort, has already been certified Platinum and several of its singles have peaked at #1 on the Latino charts, if not the Billboard 200. We can’t say this is hype or beginner’s luck, since this is her sixth album overall. Apart from this, she also wrote and composed the soundtrack of Love In The Time Of Cholera. So while Ricky Martin’s albums languish without even reaching Gold, Shakira keeps going from strength to strength.
Presumably, this is because Shakira has all areas covered. She switches timbres as easily as the Sugababes change members, shakes her hips as she promised to the millions who bought her single, and most importantly, she’s very involved in the writing of her music. Jennifer Lopez said, of her last album Brave: “(it’s) dance, funk, R&B, hip-hop, all that stuff, all mixed up together to make some great pop music.” But since J Lo doesn’t write any of her music, we’re less likely to believe it, because she’s merely a representative of the numerous songwriters who contribute to her album.
Shakira, on the other hand, makes her own music. So when she says “my music, to a certain extent, is very complex – because I always try to experiment with sounds from other parts of the world,” you have to believe her. How many mainstream artists can say this and still sound sane?
When she talks about including world music, she actually means it. NME, a British magazine known for its allegiance to the punk movement, said, “We’re pleased to report that her third English-sung studio effort is as nutty as ever, combining Neptunes-esque beats with flamenco, post-punk riffs, synths, Arabian strings, gongs and disco.”
More evidence of her artistry is her need to write her own lyrics, no matter how insane they may sound. In ‘Mon Amour’, she sings to her cheating partner, ‘And every night I pray that you don't knock her up / 'Cause I still want to be the mother of your child.’ While it’s very apparent that she’s not a good lyricist, it’s her determination to make the music herself that’s commendable. And while it’s hard to imagine that she’ll ever get better at writing lyrics, maybe dedication is all she needs. |
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