Shakira (Part 2)

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25 Feb 2024

Shakira

Shakira initially recorded the track for the compilation album Nuestro Rock in 1994, exclusively released in Colombia. The song quickly gained popularity on Colombian radio stations, leading Sony to finance her third record as a last chance following previous commercial setbacks.

Returning to music under Sony Music and Columbia Records in 1995, Shakira collaborated with Luis F. Ochoa. Drawing influences from various countries and adopting an Alanis Morissette-inspired persona, these sessions shaped her next two albums.

These recordings gave rise to her third studio album and international debut, titled Pies Descalzos. Recording commenced in February 1995, fueled by the success of her single.

Pies Descalzos, released in October 1995 across Latin America and in February 1996 in the US, secured the fifth spot on the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The album spawned six hit singles: "Estoy Aquí," reaching number two on the U.S. Latin chart; "Dónde Estás Corazón?," peaking at number five; "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos," at number 11; "Un Poco de Amor," at number six; "Antología," at number 15; and Se Quiere, Se Mata, at number eight. In August 1996, the RIAA certified the album as platinum.

In March 1996, Shakira embarked on her first international tour, the Tour Pies Descalzos, comprising 20 shows and concluding in 1997. That same year, she received three Billboard Latin Music Awards for Album of the Year , Video of the Year , and Best New Artist.

Pies Descalzos later surpassed 5 million copies in sales,leading to the release of a remix album titled The Remixes. This album also featured Portuguese versions of some of her popular songs, a response to her success in the Brazilian market, where Pies Descalzos sold nearly one million copies.

Her fourth studio album, Dónde Están los Ladrones?, produced by Shakira with Emilio Estefan, Jr. as the executive producer, was released in September 1998. Inspired by an incident where a suitcase containing her written lyrics was stolen at an airport, the album surpassed the success of Pies Descalzos.

Reaching number 131 on the U.S. Billboard 200, it dominated the U.S. Latin Albums chart for 11 weeks. With over 7 million copies sold worldwide and 1.5 million in the U.S. alone, it stands as one of the best-selling Spanish albums in the U.S. The album spawned eight singles, including Ciega, Sordomuda, Moscas En La Casa, No Creo, Inevitable, Tú, Si Te Vas, Octavo día, and Ojos As.

In 1999, Shakira earned her first Grammy Award nomination for the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album category. Her initial live album, MTV Unplugged, recorded in New York City on August 12, 1999, received high praise from American critics and is regarded as one of her best-ever live performances.

March 2000 saw Shakira embark on her Tour Anfibio, a two-month tour of Latin America and the United States. She secured an MTV Video Music Award in August 2000 in the category of People's Choice – Favorite International Artist for Ojos Así.

Come September 2000, Shakira performed Ojos Así at the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards ceremony, where she garnered nominations in five categories: Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for MTV Unplugged, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for Octavo Día, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Short Form Music Video for the Ojos Así video.

Shakira's fifth studio album, her first in English titled Laundry Service in English-speaking countries and "Servicio De Lavanderia" in Latin America and Spain, hit the shelves on November 13, 2001.

Debuting at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, the album quickly sold over 200,000 records in its inaugural week and achieved triple platinum status by the RIAA in June 2004.

Not only did it solidify Shakira's presence in the mainstream North American market, but it also produced seven hit singles, including Whenever, Wherever Suerte, Underneath Your Clothes, Objection Te Aviso, Te Anuncio , The One, Te Dejo Madrid Que Me Quedes Tú, and Poem to a Horse.

Primarily crafted for the English-language audience, the rock and Spanish dance-infused album garnered moderate critical success. Some critics argued that her English skills were insufficient for songwriting, with Rolling Stone stating, she sounds downright silly, suggesting that Shakira's magic got lost in translation.

A similar sentiment was echoed by Elizabeth Mendez Berry in Vibe, claiming, While her Spanish-language albums sparkled with elegant wordplay, this record is rife with cliches, both musically and lyrically.

For Anglophone Latin lovers, Shakira's lyrics are best left to the imagination. Despite these criticisms, the album emerged as the best-selling album of 2002, exceeding 13 million copies worldwide, marking it as the most successful album in Shakira's career up to that point.

This achievement earned her the title of the biggest Latin female crossover artist globally. Concurrently, Shakira released four songs for Pepsi in the English markets as part of her promotional campaign: Ask for More, Pide Más, Knock on My Door, and Pídeme el Sol. Journalist Joshua Klein from the Chicago Tribune described her international rise as "multilateral, multicultural, and cooperative as they come.

In 2002, at Aerosmith's MTV Icon event in April, Shakira showcased her versatility by performing She also participated in VH1 Divas Live Las Vegas alongside Cher, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Anastacia, and the Dixie Chicks. The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards saw Shakira performing clinching the International Viewer's Choice Award with Whenever, Wherever.

Additionally, she secured the Latin Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video for the Spanish version of the same song. October brought five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America wins, including Best Female Artist, Best Pop Artist, Best Artist – North (Region), Video of the Year , and Artist of the Year.

Subsequently, in November, she embarked on the Tour of the Mongoose, featuring 61 shows across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Sony BMG, Shakira's label, released her Spanish greatest-hits compilation, Grandes Éxitos. In 2004, a DVD and a 10-track live album titled Live & Off the Record were released to commemorate the Tour of the Mongoose.