Shakira (album)
Shakira (stylized Shakira.) is the tenth studio album and fourth English-language album overall by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 21 March 2014 by RCA Records in partnership with Sony Music Latin. It is her first English-language album since her eighth studio album, She Wolf (2009). Shakira revealed in November 2011 that she had begun work on the album, which continued into 2013. The album was initially set to be released in 2012, but was delayed because of Shakira's pregnancy, which caused her to scrap most of the recorded songs and start making new ones. Since starting the album, Shakira departed Epic Records, signed a new management deal with Roc Nation and subsequently signed to Epic's sister label, RCA Records.
Shakira
21 March 2014
2012–2013
41:45
- English
- Spanish
- Roy "Battleroy" Battle
- Billboard
- Busbee
- Cirkut
- Fernando Garibay
- Dr. Luke
- John Hill
- J2
- Kid Harpoon
- Kosakovsky
- Greg Kurstin
- Steve Mac
- Adam Messinger
- Nasri
- Luis Fernando Ochoa
- Shakira
A pop album, Shakira has a diverse musical style that incorporates a range of genres such as reggae and rock, as well as dance and country elements.[1] Its production is characterized by lean, tender verses and muscular, ecstatic choruses, that incorporate swirling, crashing sounds. The album's lyrics explore motherhood, the complexities of romantic relationships, stages of love and the search for personal happiness. Most of the album was written by Shakira, along with Nasri and Adam Messinger, with all the previous predominantly producing the album.
Upon release Shakira was met with positive reviews from music critics, praising its lyrical content, while others stated that Shakira was trying to "Americanize her sound". Commercially, the album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart with first week sales of 85,000 copies. By doing so, Shakira became the singer's highest-charting album on the chart, although it also achieved her lowest first-week sales figure (for an English-language album). The album campaign started in 2014, with the release of its first single, "Can't Remember to Forget You", followed by the singles "Empire" and "Dare (La La La)". The album has sold 900,000 copies worldwide in the year of 2014 according to PROMUSICAE, the organisation responsible for the Spanish Albums Chart.[2]
Background[edit]
In October 2010, Shakira released her ninth studio album, Sale el Sol. The record marked a return to her musical roots after her experimentation with electronic music and was primarily a Latin pop album with influences of rock and merengue music.[3][4] It garnered critical acclaim[5] and was a commercial success internationally.[6] A year later in November, Shakira revealed in an interview with Billboard magazine that she had begun writing new material and working with various producers for a new record.[7] The following year, she ended her recording contract with Epic Records and signed under Roc Nation for management purposes.[8] In December 2013, it was announced that Shakira had signed a recording contract with RCA Records, under which the record would be released.[9]
Songs[edit]
The album opens with "Dare (La La La)", the song an uptempo dance track that contains Brazilian beats and takes influence from electronica, with a Spanish version of the song also recorded for the album.[25][28]
The following track, "Can't Remember to Forget You", is an uptempo new wave and reggae rock[29] track that incorporates elements of ska.[30] The song opens with a "low-slung, reggae-tinged verse" before moving into a "guitar-heavy" chorus which contains "ska guitars and horns" and a "chunky rock arrangement".[31][32][33] Lyrically, the song concerns a man that Shakira can not get off her mind, discussing how easy it is to forget how bad someone is for you when you still love them.[30][31]
"Empire" is a mid-tempo rock-influenced song, described as being Shakira's biggest rock transition in a long time since her earlier music.[34] The song begins with an acoustic "sparse" intro and builds up to an anthemic rock tune.[34] Lyrically, the track talks about a bursting passion that the singer simply cannot express in words.[35]
The track "You Don't Care About Me" is a bruised and moody midtempo Latin pop song.[20][36]
The song contains "syncopated beats" and a "slightly retro 60s sound", that lyrically discusses "spite".[25]
"Cut Me Deep", a collaboration between Shakira and MAGIC!, is a reggae-pop song.[36] The song is built over a reggae beat, steel drums and horns pick and contain a mixture of ska and rock.[25]
The following track "Spotlight" is a pop rock song that and has been compared to the work of Katy Perry and Carly Rae Jepsen.[36][37]
"Spotlight" takes influence from heavy rock tracks, with power guitars that lyrically delivers a "crushing message".[25]
"Broken Record" is a love song that follows in the vein as "Empire", the song contains a guitar, before breaking into a power ballad with "grandiose strings".[25]
"Medicine" that features Blake Shelton is a country pop ballad, with lyrics such as: "I won't reach for the bottle of whisky/ You won't see me popping the pills.[36]
The song "23", is heavily inspired by her boyfriend Gerard Piqué, is a melodic pop rock song with lyrics as; "Hey, do you believe in destiny? 'Cause I do as I did then, when you were only 23."[28]
"The One Thing" is a guitar based pop song that features hand-claps and foot-stomps and takes influence from Shakira's son and motherhood.[28][37]
"Loca por Ti" is a Catalan song (originally by Sau) that pays "homage" to Pique. The Catalan version "Boig per Tu" is available on the Spanish deluxe edition of the album.[28]
"Chasing Shadows" is the second of three bonus tracks, an electropop song built over "soaring synths".[1] Lyrically, the song is a "musical love letter:" "It's just you and me and we chase our shadows, just waiting for the sun to go down."[1] "La La La (Brazil 2014)" is included on the Latin American and Spanish deluxe edition of the album; it is a re-worked version of the song "Dare (La La La)" with new lyrics for the 2014 World Cup.[38]
Singles[edit]
"Can't Remember to Forget You" served as the lead single from Shakira. The song was released on 13 January 2014, and features Barbadian recording artist Rihanna.[39] The song was met with positive reviews from critics who praised the singers' chemistry.[40] It entered at number 28 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming her highest-debuting track in the United States.[41] Its highest Billboard Hot 100 chart position so far is at number 15. As of March 2014, the song has sold 376,000 digital copies in the US.[42] Its accompanying music video was directed by Joseph Kahn,[43] and was premiered through Vevo on 30 January.[44] A solo Spanish-language version of the song, titled "Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte", was released on 21 January.[45]
"Empire", which was released on 22 February 2014 alongside the album's iTunes pre-order, and served as the album's second Top 40/mainstream single in the US and the UK. It officially impacted Hot Adult Contemporary radio in the U.S. on 22 April 2014.[46] Additionally, it was released in the UK on 5 May 2014.[47][48][49] "Empire" was critically acclaimed, with most critics praising the singer for returning to her rock roots.[50] Commercially "Empire" debuted at number 29 on the PROMUSICAE chart, while in France, the song managed to debut at number 82.[51][52]
"Dare (La La La)" serves as the third single. The song was first released to contemporary hit radio in Italy on 24 April 2014.[53][54] On 12 May 2014 a remix EP including mixes by Chuckie and Chus & Ceballos was released worldwide.[55]
Release and promotion[edit]
In December 2012, it was reported that Shakira would release a track, named "Truth or Dare" by fans, as the lead single from her record; an accompanying music video was reportedly filmed in Lisbon earlier that year.[56] However, after becoming pregnant by footballer Gerard Piqué, said plans were indefinitely postponed, and never came to fruition. The song was later included on the final track listing of the album, the real name being "Dare (La La La)". In October 2013, Peter Edge from RCA Records announced intentions to premiere an "event single" by Shakira by the end of the year, although this release never occurred.[57]
On 6 December 2013, a Twitter page named @ShakiraSpace announced the duet between Shakira and Rihanna. Then, on 8 December 2013, Shakira's body double Alexita Ortiz wrote on social networking site Twitter that she had been working with her on the set for a music video, and mentioned that Rihanna was also involved.[58] The tweet was subsequently removed.[58] Later, Sony Music Entertainment announced that the first single would be released in early 2014.[59]
On 22 January 2014, Shakira announced that the album would be titled Shakira. She elaborated that during the recording process she realized that it was neither "thematic" or "conceptual" as she felt her earlier projects were, instead opining that its production "[helped] to pave a path for me of rediscovery." It was additionally announced that the record would be released on 25 March 2014 in the United States.[22] Shakira later revealed that a Target-exclusive deluxe version of the record would be made available for pre-order on 26 January. Its cover artwork shows Shakira dressed in a sheer cardigan and bra while holding a red guitar. The cover for the standard version features the same image, although the guitar is brown instead of red.[60]
On 25 March 2014, Shakira held an iHeartRadio album release party which was presented by Target and hosted by Ryan Seacrest, live from the iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles. During the release party Shakira performed four songs from the album; "Empire", "Can't Remember to Forget You", "You Don't Care About Me" and "23".[61] The following day Shakira performed the song "Empire", during a promotional interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The same day Shakira performed "Hips Don't Lie", "Empire" and "Can't Remember to Forget You" during a live set on The Today Show at the Rockerfella stadium.[62]
On 28 March 2014, Shakira performed the album's lead single "Can't Remember to Forget You" at the German music award show Echo.[63] On 29 March 2014, Shakira performed "Empire" on the British version of The Voice. On 18 May 2014, Shakira performed "Empire" once again at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.
Commercial performance[edit]
Shakira entered the UK Albums Chart at number 14,[64] while the album entered the Argentine's weekly chart at number 6.[65] Upon release in the United States, the album debuted at number 2 on the US Billboard 200, with first week sales of 85,000 copies, and in doing so became the singer's highest-charting album on the chart, surpassing the number three peak of Laundry Service (2001), but her lowest first-week sales of her English albums. This sales figure was slightly better than initially predicted in the US for Shakira, which was initially expected to sell 75,000 to 80,000 copies in its first week.[66] It dropped 66% to 29,000 in sales in the second week in the United States, falling from the second place to the fifth place.[67]