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Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Co ...
, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is noted for her musical versatility. She made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. Following the commercial failure of her first two albums, '' Magia'' (1991) and '' Peligro'' (1993), she rose to prominence in
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
countries with her next albums, ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'' (1995) and ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' (1998). She entered the English-language market with her fifth album, ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' (2001), which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Buoyed by the international success of her singles "
Whenever, Wherever "Whenever, Wherever" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Laundry Service'' (2001). It was released on 2 October 2001 by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. The son ...
" and " Underneath Your Clothes", the album propelled her reputation as a leading crossover artist. Broadcast Music, Inc., described Shakira as a "pioneer" who extended the global reach of Latino singers. Her success was further solidified with the Spanish albums ''
Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (English: ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 1'') is the sixth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira. It was released on 3 June 2005 by Epic Records. After attaining international success in 2001 with her fifth st ...
'' (2005), '' Sale el Sol'' (2010), and ''
El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king ...
'' (2017), all of which topped the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart and were certified
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(Latin) by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
. Meanwhile, her English albums ''
Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2'' (Spanish: ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 2'') is the seventh studio album and second English-language album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 28 November 2005, by Epic Records. After attaining international ...
'' (2005), ''
She Wolf ''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'' (2009) and ''
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular ...
'' (2014) were all certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum in various countries worldwide. Some of her songs have charted at number one in multiple countries, including " La Tortura", "
Hips Don't Lie "Hips Don't Lie" is a Latin pop and reggaeton song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released by Epic Records in 2006 as the second single from the reissue of Shakira's seventh studio album, ''Oral Fixa ...
", "
Beautiful Liar "Beautiful Liar" is a song by American singer Beyoncé and Colombian singer Shakira. It was written by Beyoncé, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Beyoncé for th ...
", " Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", " Loca", and " Chantaje". She served as a coach on two seasons of the American singing competition television series '' The Voice'' (2013–2014). With a catalog of 145 songs, Shakira has sold over 80 million records, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. ''
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'' Colombia reported that as of 2018, she is the top-selling female Latin artist of all time. She is credited with opening the doors of the international market for other Latin artists. She has received numerous awards, including three
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s, twelve
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
, four
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
, seven
Billboard Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of t ...
, thirty-nine
Billboard Latin Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards grew out of the ''Billboard'' Music Awards program from ''Billboard'' magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. The ''Billboard'' awards are the La ...
, six
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and a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
. She was named the Top Female Latin Artist of the Decade by ''
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'' twice (2000s and 2010s). For her philanthropic work with her
Barefoot Foundation Barefoot Foundation ( es, Fundación Pies Descalzos) is a Colombian charity founded by pop artist Shakira in 1997, with the aim of helping poor and impoverished children. The Barefoot Foundation mission statement is "The Barefoot Foundation wor ...
and her contributions to music she received the
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians of Ibero-American heritage for their "artistic ach ...
and Harvard Foundation Artist of the Year awards in 2011. She was appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the US in 2011, and Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2012.


Early life

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Co ...
, Colombia. She is the only child of William Mebarak Chadid and Nidia Ripoll Torrado. She is of Colombian and Lebanese descent. Her father William was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to a family from
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...
. When he was five, his family moved to Colombia. Her Colombian mother's side has two
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
surnames, ''Ripoll'' and ''Torrado'', the former of which is
Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
and originates from four brothers who immigrated from
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...
to coastal Colombia in the 19th century. She has also claimed to have distant
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
roots through an ancestor with the surname "Pisciotti". She was raised
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and attended
Catholic school Catholic schools are pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered under the aegis or in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest religious, non-governmental school syste ...
s. She has eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage. (subscription required) Shakira spent much of her youth in Barranquilla, a city located on the northern Caribbean coast of Colombia. Shakira wrote her first poem, titled "La rosa de cristal" ('The Crystal Rose'), when she was only four years old. As she was growing up, she was fascinated watching her father writing stories on a
typewriter A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...
, and asked for one as a Christmas gift. She got that typewriter at age seven, and has continued writing poetry since then. These poems eventually evolved into songs. When Shakira was two years old, an older half-brother was killed in a motorcycle accident; six years later, at age eight, Shakira wrote her first song, titled "Tus gafas oscuras" ('Your dark glasses'), which was inspired by her father, who for years wore dark glasses to hide his grief. When Shakira was four, her father took her to a local
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
ern restaurant, where Shakira first heard the
doumbek The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; arz, دربوكة / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet-s ...
, a traditional drum used in Middle-Eastern music and which typically accompanied
belly dancing Belly dance ( Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different ...
. She started dancing on the table, and the experience made her realize that she wanted to be a performer. She enjoyed singing for schoolmates and teachers (and even the nuns) at her Catholic school, but in second grade, she was rejected for the school choir because her
vibrato Vibrato ( Italian, from past participle of " vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms ...
was too strong. The music teacher told her that she sounded "like a goat". At school, she was often sent out of the class because of her
hyperactivity Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inappr ...
. She says she had also been known as "the belly dancer girl", as she would demonstrate every Friday at school a number she had learned. "That's how I discovered my passion for live performance," she says.Katz, Gregory
"Shakira it up with Shakira"
''
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''. December 11, 2005.
To instill gratitude in Shakira for her upbringing, her father took her to a local park to see orphans who lived there. The images stayed with her, and she said to herself: "One day I'm going to help these kids when I become a famous artist." Between ages ten and thirteen, Shakira was invited to various events in Barranquilla and gained some recognition in the area. It was at this approximate time that she met local theater producer Monica Ariza, who was impressed with her and as a result tried to help her career. During a flight from Barranquilla to
Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
, Ariza convinced
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
Colombia executive Ciro Vargas to hold an audition for Shakira in a hotel lobby. Vargas held Shakira in high regard and, returning to the Sony office, gave the cassette to a song and artist director. However, the director was not overly excited and thought Shakira was something of "a lost cause". Undaunted and still convinced that Shakira had talent, Vargas set up an audition in Bogotá. He arranged for Sony Colombia executives to arrive at the audition, with the idea of surprising them with Shakira's performance. She performed three songs for the executives and impressed them enough for her to be signed to record three albums.


Career


1990–1995: Beginnings

Shakira's debut album, '' Magia'', was recorded with Sony Music Colombia in 1990 when she was only 13 years old. The songs are a collection made by her since she was eight, mixed
pop-rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s and
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...
uptempo songs with electronic accompaniment. The album was released in June 1991 and featured "Magia" and three other singles. Though it fared well on Colombian radio and gave the young Shakira much exposure, the album did not fare well commercially, as only 1,200 copies were sold worldwide. After the poor performance of ''Magia'', Shakira's label urged her to return to the studio to release a follow-up record. Though she was little known outside of her native Colombia at the time, Shakira was invited to perform at Chile's
Viña del Mar International Song Festival , image = , caption =Overture to the closing night of LI Viña del Mar International Song Festival (2010) , location =Viña del Mar, Chile , years_active =1960-present , founders = , dates =3rd week of February , ...
in February 1993. The festival gave aspiring Latin American singers a chance to perform their songs, and the winner was then chosen by a panel of judges. Shakira performed the ballad "Eres" ("You Are") and won the trophy for third place. One of the judges who voted for her to win was the then 20-year-old
Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
, whose initial prominence had come from his membership in Menudo. Shakira's second studio album, titled '' Peligro'', was released in March, but Shakira was not pleased with the final result, mainly taking issue with the production. The album was better received than ''Magia'' had been, though it was also considered a commercial failure due to Shakira's refusal to advertise or promote it. Shakira then decided to take a hiatus from recording so that she could graduate from high school. In the same year, Shakira starred in the Colombian TV series ''The Oasis'', loosely based on the
Armero tragedy The Armero tragedy ( es, Tragedia de Armero, links=no ) occurred following the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz stratovolcano in Tolima, Colombia, on November 13, 1985. The volcano's eruption after 69 years of dormancy caught nearby towns unawa ...
in 1985. Since then, the albums have been pulled from release and are not considered official Shakira albums but rather promotional albums.


1995–2000: Latin breakthrough

Shakira originally recorded the song " ¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" (later released on her album ''Pies Descalzos'') for the compilation album ''Nuestro Rock'' in 1994, released exclusively in Colombia. The song was an instant success on radio stations in Colombia and Sony decided to finance her third record, by giving her the last chance due to previous commercial failures. Shakira returned to recording music under Sony Music along with
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...
in 1995 with Luis F. Ochoa, using musical influences from a number of countries and an
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...
-oriented persona which affected two of her next albums. These recordings spawned her third studio album, and her international debut album, titled ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
''. Recording for the album began in February 1995, after the success of her single "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?". The album, ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'', was released in October 1995 in the Latin American countries and in February 1996 in the US. It reached number five on the U.S.
Billboard Top Latin Albums Top Latin Albums is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all ''Billboard'' album charts, the chart is base ...
chart. The album spawned six hit singles, "
Estoy Aquí "Estoy Aquí" () is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, taken from her third studio album ''Pies Descalzos'' (1995). It was released in 1995 by Sony Music and Columbia Records as the lead single from the album. The song was writte ...
", which reached number two on the U.S. Latin chart, " ¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" which reached number five on the U.S. Latin chart, " Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" which reached number 11 on the U.S. Latin chart, " Un Poco de Amor" which reached number six on the U.S. Latin chart, " Antología" which reached number 15 on the U.S. Latin chart, and "
Se quiere, Se Mata "Se Quiere, Se Mata" (English: ''What Is Wanted, Is Killed'') is the sixth single released from Shakira's third studio album, ''Pies Descalzos'' (1995). Written and composed by herself, "Se Quiere, Se Mata" was a Top Ten Hit in Mexico and on th ...
" which reached number eight on the U.S. Latin chart. In August 1996,
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
certified the album platinum status. In March 1996, Shakira went on to her first international tour, named simply the ''
Tour Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styles, ...
''. The tour consisted of 20 shows and ended in 1997. Also in that year, Shakira received three
Billboard Latin Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards grew out of the ''Billboard'' Music Awards program from ''Billboard'' magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. The ''Billboard'' awards are the La ...
for Album of the Year for ''Pies Descalzos'', Video of the Year for "Estoy Aqui", and
Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
. ''Pies Descalzos'' later sold over 5 million copies, prompting the release of a remix album, simply titled '' The Remixes''. ''The Remixes'' also included Portuguese versions of some of her well-known songs, which were recorded as a result of her success in the Brazilian market, where ''Pies Descalzos'' sold nearly one million copies. Her fourth studio album was titled ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' Produced by Shakira with
Emilio Estefan, Jr. Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-born American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father ...
as the executive producer it was released in September 1998. The album, inspired by an incident in an airport in which a suitcase filled with her written lyrics was stolen, became a bigger hit than ''Pies Descalzos''. The album has reached a peak position of number 131 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and held the top spot on the U.S. Latin Albums chart for 11 weeks. It has since sold over 7 million copies worldwide and 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone, making it one of the best selling Spanish albums in the U.S. Eight singles were taken from the album including " Ciega, Sordomuda", " Moscas En La Casa", " No Creo", " Inevitable", " ", " Si Te Vas", " Octavo día", and " Ojos Así". Shakira also received her first
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination in 1999 for the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album. Shakira's first live album, ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'', was recorded in New York City on 12 August 1999. Highly acclaimed by American critics, it is rated as one of her best-ever live performances. In March 2000, Shakira embarked on her ''
Tour Anfibio Tour Anfibio ( es, Amphibious Tour, links=no) is second concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira support of her fourth studio album ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (2000). that started on March 21, 2000, in Lima, and ended on ...
'', a two-month tour of Latin America and the United States. In August 2000, she won an
MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video categor ...
in the category of People's Choice – Favorite International Artist for "Ojos Así". In September 2000, Shakira performed "Ojos Así" at the inaugural ceremony of the
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
, where she was nominated in five categories:
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
and
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
for ''MTV Unplugged'', Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Octavo Día",
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
and Best Short Form Music Video for the video for "Ojos Así".


2001–2004: English transition with ''Laundry Service''

Upon the success of ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' and ''MTV Unplugged'', Shakira began working on an English
crossover album Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers who appeal to different types of audience. This can be seen, for example, (especially in the United States) when a song appears on two or more of the record charts which track differi ...
. She learned English with the help of
Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has bee ...
. She worked for over a year on new material for the album. "
Whenever, Wherever "Whenever, Wherever" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Laundry Service'' (2001). It was released on 2 October 2001 by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. The son ...
", called " Suerte" in Spanish-speaking countries, was released as the first and lead single from her first English album and fifth studio album throughout the period between August 2001 and February 2002. The song took heavy influence from
Andean music Andean music is a group of styles of music from the Andes region in South America. Original chants and melodies come from the general area inhabited by Quechuas (originally from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile), Aymaras (originally from Bolivia), ...
, including the
charango The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, from the Quechua and Aymara populations in the territory of the Altiplano in post-Colonial times, after European stringed instruments were introduced by the Spanish during co ...
and panpipes in its instrumentation. It became an international success by reaching number one in most countries. It was also her first success in the U.S., by reaching number six on the Hot 100. Shakira's fifth studio album and first English language album, titled ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' in English-speaking countries and ''Servicio De Lavanderia'' in Latin America and Spain, was released on 13 November 2001. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling over 200,000 records in its first week. The album was later certified triple platinum by the RIAA in June 2004 as well. It helped to establish Shakira's musical presence in the mainstream North American market. Seven singles were taken from the album such as "Whenever, Wherever"/"Suerte", " Underneath Your Clothes", "
Objection (Tango) "Objection (Tango)" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for her fifth studio album and first English-language album '' Laundry Service'' (2001). It was the first song Shakira wrote in English after being encouraged by American singe ...
"/" Te Aviso, Te Anuncio (Tango)", " The One", " Te Dejo Madrid", "
Que Me Quedes Tú "Que Me Quedes Tú" (English: "That You Stay With Me") is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fifth studio album ''Laundry Service'' (2001). It was written by Shakira and composed by her and longtime friend Luis Fernando Ochoa. ...
", and " Poem to a Horse". Because the album was created for the English-language market, the rock and Spanish dance-influenced album gained mild critical success, with some critics claiming that her English skills were too weak for her to write songs for it; ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', for one, stated that "she sounds downright silly" or "Shakira's magic is lost in translation". A similar view was expressed by Elizabeth Mendez Berry in ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'': "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 this fact, the album became the best selling album of 2002, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide. and became the most successful album of her career to date. The album earned her the title as the biggest Latin female crossover artist in the world. Around this time, Shakira also released four songs for
Pepsi Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi wa ...
for her promotion in the English markets: "Ask for More", "Pide Más", "Knock on My Door", and "Pídeme el Sol". In ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', journalist Joshua Klein defined her international ascent "as multilateral, multicultural and cooperative as they come." In 2002, at
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...
's
MTV Icon ''MTV Icon'' is a series of annual television specials produced by MTV between 2001 and 2004, each paying homage to a musical artist or band selected as a cultural icon, in a format similar to the network's annual Video Music Awards and Movi ...
in April 2002, Shakira performed " Dude (Looks Like a Lady)". She also joined
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
,
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...
,
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
, Mary J. Blige,
Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...
, and the
Dixie Chicks The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) an ...
for '' VH1 Divas Live Las Vegas''. In August, she performed "Objection (Tango)" at the
2002 MTV Video Music Awards The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2002, honoring the best music videos from June 9, 2001, to May 31, 2002. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. During the show, Michael Jackson a ...
, and won the International Viewer's Choice Award with "Whenever, Wherever". She also won the
Latin Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
for the category of Best Short Form Music Video for the Spanish version of the video. In October, she won five
MTV Video Music Awards Latin America MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
for Best Female Artist, Best Pop Artist, Best Artist – North (Region), Video of the Year (for "Suerte"), and Artist of the Year. In November, she embarked on the Tour of the Mongoose with 61 shows occurring by May 2003. The tour was also her first worldwide tour, as legs were played in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Shakira's label, Sony BMG, also released her Spanish greatest-hits compilation, '' Grandes Éxitos''. A DVD and 10-track live album, titled '' Live & Off the Record'', was also released in 2004, commemorating the Tour of the Mongoose.


2005–2007: ''Fijación Oral, Volumen Uno'' and ''Oral Fixation, Volume Two''

Shakira's sixth studio album, '' Fijación Oral, Volumen Uno'', was released in June 2005. The lead single from the album, " La Tortura", reached the top 40 on the Hot 100. The song also featured the Spanish balladeer
Alejandro Sanz Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Album of the Yea ...
. Shakira; Sanz and
Daddy Yankee Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez (born February 3, 1976), known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer, composer, and actor. Known as the " King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike, he is the artist who coined ...
("
Gasolina "Gasolina" ( en, "Gasoline") is a song on Daddy Yankee's 2004 album ''Barrio Fino''. It features uncredited vocals from Glory, who sings the line "dame más gasolina" (meaning "Give me more gasoline"). The song was released as the album's lead ...
") were the first artists to perform Spanish language songs at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. The album was extremely well received. It debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 157,000 copies in its first week. It has since sold over two million copies in the U.S., earning an 11× Platinum (Latin field) certification from the RIAA. Due to its first week sales, the album became the highest debut ever for a Spanish language album. After only a day of release in Latin America, the album earned certifications. In Venezuela, it earned a Platinum certification, in Colombia, a triple Platinum certification, while in Mexico demand exceeded shipments and the album was unavailable after only one day of release. Four other singles were also released from the album: " No", " Día de Enero", " La Pared", and " Las de la Intuición". ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' has since sold over four million copies worldwide. On 8 February 2006, Shakira won her second Grammy Award with the win of ''Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album'' for ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1''. She received four Latin Grammy Awards in November 2006, winning the awards for
Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
, Song of the Year for "La Tortura",
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
and
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
for ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1''. The lead single for Shakira's seventh album, ''
Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2'' (Spanish: ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 2'') is the seventh studio album and second English-language album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 28 November 2005, by Epic Records. After attaining international ...
'', " Don't Bother", failed to achieve chart success in the U.S. by missing the top 40 on the Hot 100. It did, however, reach the top 20 in most countries worldwide. Shakira's second English studio album and seventh studio album, ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2'', was released on 29 November 2005. The album debuted at number five on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. The album has gone on to sell 1.8 million records in the U.S., and over eight million copies worldwide. Despite the commercial failure of the album's lead single in the U.S., it went on to spawn two more singles. "
Hips Don't Lie "Hips Don't Lie" is a Latin pop and reggaeton song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released by Epic Records in 2006 as the second single from the reissue of Shakira's seventh studio album, ''Oral Fixa ...
", which featured
Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, ...
, was released as the album's second single in February 2006. It would become Shakira's first number one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, in addition to reaching number one in over 55 countries. Shakira and Wyclef Jean also recorded a Bamboo version of the song to serve as the closing ceremony song of the
FIFA World Cup 2006 The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...
. Shakira later released the third and final single from the album, " Illegal", which featured
Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound feature ...
, in November 2006. She then embarked on the Oral Fixation Tour, which began in June 2006. The tour consisted of 125 shows between June 2006 and July 2007 and visited six continents. In February 2007, Shakira performed for the first time at the
49th Grammy Awards The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2005 and ending September 30, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at the Staples Ce ...
and earned the nomination for
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers c ...
for "Hips Don't Lie" with Wyclef Jean. In late 2006, Shakira and
Alejandro Sanz Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Album of the Yea ...
collaborated for the duet " Te lo Agradezco, Pero No", which is featured on Sanz's album ''
El Tren de los Momentos ''El Tren de los Momentos'' (The Train of the Moments) is the eighth studio album recorded by Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz, It was released by WEA Latina on November 7, 2006 (see 2006 in music). which counts with the collaborations of ...
''. The song was a top ten hit in Latin America, and topped the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks chart. Shakira also collaborated with
Miguel Bosé Luis Miguel González Bosé (born 3 April 1956), usually known as Miguel Bosé, is a Spanish pop new wave singer and actor. Early life Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of Italian actress Lucia Bosè (193 ...
on the duet " Si Tú No Vuelves", which was released in Bosé's album '' Papito''. In early 2007, Shakira worked with American R&B singer
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
Knowles for the track "
Beautiful Liar "Beautiful Liar" is a song by American singer Beyoncé and Colombian singer Shakira. It was written by Beyoncé, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Beyoncé for th ...
", which was released as the second single from the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's album '' B'Day''. In April 2007, the single jumped 91 positions, from 94 to three, on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, setting the record for the largest upward movement in the history of the chart at the time. It was also number one on the official
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The song earned them a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination for
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers c ...
. Shakira was also featured on
Annie Lennox Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician Dave Stewart w ...
's song "
Sing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
", from the album ''
Songs of Mass Destruction ''Songs of Mass Destruction'' is the fourth solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 1 October 2007 by RCA Records and 19 Recordings. It was her first album of new material since 2003's '' Bare'' and to date her most rece ...
'', which also features other 23 other female singers. In late 2007, Shakira and Wyclef Jean recorded their second duet, "King and Queen". The song was featured on Wyclef Jean's 2007 album '' Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant''. Shakira wrote the lyrics, and jointly composed the music, for two new songs that are featured in the movie '' Love in the Time of Cholera'', based on the acclaimed novel written by Colombian author
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...
. García Marquez himself asked Shakira to write the songs. The songs that Shakira lent to the soundtrack were "Pienso en ti", a song from Shakira's breakthrough album ''Pies Descalzos'', "Hay Amores", and "Despedida". "Despedida" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 65th Golden Globe Awards.


2008–2010: ''She Wolf''

In early 2008,
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
named Shakira the fourth top-earning female artist in music industry. Then, in July of that year, Shakira signed a $300 million contract with
Live Nation Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American global entertainment company and monopoly that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The company promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertai ...
, which was to remain in effect for ten years. The touring group also doubles as a record label which promotes, but does not control, the music its artists release. Shakira's contract with
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical m ...
called for three more albums as well – one in English, one in Spanish, and a compilation, but the touring and other rights of the Live Nation deal were confirmed to begin immediately. In January 2009, Shakira performed at the
Lincoln Memorial The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington Monument, and is in ...
" We Are One" festivities in honor of the inauguration of President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
. She performed " Higher Ground" with
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
and
Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** F ...
. ''
She Wolf ''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'', was released in October 2009 internationally and on 23 November 2009 in the U.S. The album received mainly positive reviews from critics, and was included in AllMusic's year-end "Favorite Albums," "Favorite Latin Albums," and "Favorite Pop Albums" lists. ''She Wolf'' reached number one on the charts of Argentina, Ireland, Italy, Mexico and Switzerland. It also charted inside the top five in Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. It debuted at number fifteen on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''She Wolf'' was
certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
double-platinum in Colombia and Mexico, platinum in Italy and Spain, and gold in numerous countries including France and the United Kingdom. The album sold 2 million copies worldwide, becoming one of Shakira's least successful studio album to date in terms of sales. In May, Shakira collaborated with the South African group
Freshlyground Freshlyground are a South African Afro-fusion band that formed in Cape Town in 2002. The band members have different backgrounds, including South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Freshlyground's musical style blends elements of traditional Sou ...
to create the official song of the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
in South Africa. " Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", which is based on a traditional Cameroonian soldiers's
Fang A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fa ...
song titled " Zangalewa" by the group Zangalewa or
Golden Sounds Golden Sounds, later known as Zangaléwa, was a makossa group from Cameroon, formed in 1984 by active members of Cameroon's presidential guard: Jean Paul Zé Bella, Dooh Belley, Luc Eyebe and Emile Kojidie. The group is most famous for its song ...
. The single later reached the top 20 in Europe, South America and Africa and the top 40 in the U.S. and was performed by Shakira at the World Cup kick-off and closing. It became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time.


2010–2015: ''Sale el Sol'' and ''Shakira''

In October 2010, Shakira released her ninth studio album, titled '' Sale el Sol''. The album received critical acclaim and was included in AllMusic's "Favorite Albums of 2010" and "Favorite Latin Albums of 2010" year-end lists. At the
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
Latin Grammy Awards The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
ceremony, ''Sale el Sol'' was nominated for "
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to: Awards * ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia * Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK * Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US * Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA * Lati ...
" and " Best Female Pop Vocal Album", winning the award in the latter category. Commercially the album was a success throughout Europe and Latin America, ''Sale el Sol'' peaked atop the charts of countries Belgium, Croatia, France, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. In the United States, it debuted at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart marking the highest debut for a Latin album for the year and was Shakira's fifth album to peak at number one. According to ''Billboard'', 35% of its first-week sales were credited to strong digital sales. The album also peaked at number one on both the
Top Latin Albums Top Latin Albums is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine and is labeled as the most important music chart for Spanish language, full-length albums in the American music market. Like all ''Billboard'' album charts, the chart is based ...
and
Latin Pop Albums Latin Pop Albums is a record chart published on ''Billboard'' magazine. It features Latin music information of the Pop music genre. Established in June 1985, this chart features only full-length albums and like all album charts on ''Billboard'', i ...
charts, achieving strong digital sales in the region. The lead single, " Loca", was number one in many countries. The album had sold over 1 million copies worldwide in 6 weeks, and over 4 million since its release. In September, Shakira embarked on The Sun Comes Out World Tour, in support of her two most recent albums. The tour visited countries in North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa with 107 shows in all. The tour was met with positive reactions from critics, who praised Shakira's stage presence and energy during her performances. On 9 November 2011, Shakira was honored as
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians of Ibero-American heritage for their "artistic ach ...
and performed a cover of
Joe Arroyo Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; 1 November 1955 – 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. He was considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean music i ...
's song "En Barranquilla Me Quedo" at the
Mandalay Bay Events Center The Michelob Ultra Arena, formerly the Mandalay Bay Events Center, is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose indoor arena at the Mandalay Bay, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by M ...
as a tribute to the singer, who had died earlier that year. In 2010 Shakira collaborated with rapper Pitbull for the song " Get It Started", which was slated to be the lead single from Pitbull's upcoming album, ''Global Warming''. The single was released on 28 June 2012. She was also signed to
Roc Nation Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...
under management purposes for her upcoming studio album. On 17 September 2012, it was announced that Shakira and
Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** F ...
would replace
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
and
CeeLo Green Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
for the fourth season of the U.S. TV show '' The Voice'', alongside
Adam Levine Adam Noah Levine (; born March 18, 1979) is an American singer and songwriter. He serves as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the pop rock band Maroon 5. Levine began his musical career in 1994 with the band Kara's Flowers, of which ...
and
Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
. Shakira announced that she would focus on her new album in the fall and eventually returned for the show's sixth season in February 2014. Shakira originally planned to release her new album in 2012, but due to her pregnancy, plans to release the single and video were postponed. In December 2013, it was announced that Shakira's new single had been delayed until January 2014. Shakira's self-titled tenth studio album was later released on 25 March 2014. 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 spawned three singles. After release the first two singles from the album, " Can't Remember to Forget You" and "
Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
".
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
chose "Dare (La La La)" as third single. The
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
version was officially released on 27 May to impact radio stations, features Brazilian musician
Carlinhos Brown Antônio Carlos Santos de Freitas, known professionally as Carlinhos Brown (Brazilian Portuguese: /kaʁˈlĩɲus bɾaw̃, -iɲuʃ/, 23 November 1962), is a Brazilian singer, percussionist, and record producer from Salvador, Bahia. His musical ...
. On 13 July 2014, Shakira performed " La La La (Brazil 2014)" with Carlinhos Brown at the 2014 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony at the
Maracanã Stadium Maracanã Stadium ( pt, Estádio do Maracanã, standard Brazilian Portuguese: , local pronunciation: ), officially named Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho (), is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The stadium is part o ...
. This performance became her third consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup.


2016–2020: ''El Dorado'' and Super Bowl LIV

Shakira began work on her eleventh studio album in the beginning of 2016. In May 2016, she collaborated with Colombian singer
Carlos Vives Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo (born 7 August 1961) is a Colombian singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his interpretation of traditional music styles of Colombia such as vallenato, cumbia, champeta, bambuco and porro as well as genres ...
on the track " La Bicicleta", which went to win the
Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year The Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the ...
and Song of the Year. On 28 October 2016, Shakira released the single " Chantaje" with Colombian singer
Maluma Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. ...
; though the song was a track from the upcoming eleventh studio album, it was not intended to be the lead single. The song became Shakira's most-viewed YouTube video, with over 2.1 billion views as of 1 June 2018. On 7 April 2017, Shakira released the song " Me Enamoré" as the second official single taken from her eleventh studio album ''
El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king ...
,'' which was released on 26 May 2017. She also released the song " Perro Fiel" featuring
Nicky Jam Nick Rivera Caminero (born March 17, 1981), known professionally as Nicky Jam, is an American singer and actor. He is best known for hits such as " X", "Travesuras", "En la Cama", "Te Busco", " El Perdón", " Hasta el Amanecer", and " El Amante ...
as a promotional single for the album on 25 May 2017. Its official release as the third single took place on 15 September 2017, the same date its music video, which was filmed in Barcelona on 27 July 2017, was released. Before being released as a single, "Perro Fiel" was already certified as gold in Spain for selling over 20,000 copies on 30 August 2017. In January 2018, Shakira won her third
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for
Best Latin Pop Album The Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for releasing albums in the Latin pop genre. Honors in ...
for ''El Dorado'', making her the only female Latin artist to do so. She then released " Trap", the fourth single off the album and her second collaboration with Maluma. The El Dorado World Tour was announced on 27 June 2017, through Shakira's official Twitter account, and was slated to be sponsored by
Rakuten () is a Japanese technology conglomerate based in Tokyo, founded by Hiroshi Mikitani in 1997. Centered around Rakuten Ichiba, its businesses include financial services utilizing financial technology, as well as digital content and communicati ...
. Other announced partners of the tour were
Live Nation Entertainment Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American global entertainment company and monopoly that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. The company promotes, operates, and manages ticket sales for live entertain ...
's Global Touring Division (which had previously collaborated with Shakira on her The Sun Comes Out World Tour) and
Citi Citigroup Inc. or Citi (stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services corporation headquartered in New York City. The company was formed by the merger of banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomer ...
, which the press release named as, respectively, the producer and the credit card for the North American leg of the tour. The tour, it was announced, would begin on 8 November, in
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, Germany. But due to voice-strain related problems the singer experienced during her tour rehearsals, the date was cancelled one day before the original tour schedule, and it was announced that it would be rescheduled for a later date. On 9 November, for the same reason, she also announced the postponements to later dates, to be determined and announced, for both shows in Paris, as well as the following ones in
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
and
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
. On 14 November, Shakira made an announcement, through her social networks, in which she revealed that she had suffered a haemorrhage on her right vocal cord in late October, at her last series of rehearsals, and that she thus needed to rest her voice for some time to recover; this forced the postponement of the tour's entire European itinerary to 2018. The Latin American dates were expected to be announced later, when the tour resumed. There were plans to bring the tour, when it did resume, to countries such as the Dominican Republic. In addition, a journalist from the Brazilian edition of the Portuguese newspaper ''
Destak ''Destak'' is a Portuguese free daily newspaper that runs in Portugal and Brazil. In Portugal, it is distributed in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, and also other Portuguese cities. In Brazil, it is distributed in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasíli ...
'' announced, on his Twitter account, that the Colombian singer would visit Brazil the following March. However, according to the same newspaper, due to Shakira's hiatus to recover from her vocal-cord haemorrhage, the Latin American dates were also postponed to the second half of 2018. Eventually, Shakira did recover fully from the haemorrhage she had suffered and resumed her tour, performing in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
, Germany on 3 June 2018. In January 2018 she announced the dates for her El Dorado World Tour. She began the first leg of her tour in Europe, starting in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
, Germany on 3 June and then ending in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, Spain on 7 July. She then spent a short time in Asia on the 11 and 13 July, after which she went to North America. She started her time there on 3 August in Chicago and finished in San Francisco on 7 September. Her tour dates for Latin America, started in
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
on 11 October and finished in Bogota, Colombia on 3 November. ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' ranked her among the world's highest-paid women in music in 2019, at number 10. In February 2020, she and
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series '' In Living Color'', where she re ...
performed for the
Super Bowl LIV halftime show The Super Bowl LIV halftime show, officially known as the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show, took place on February 2, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, as part of Super Bowl LIV. It was televised in the U.S. by Fox. It was ...
. According to ''Billboard'', the halftime show had a viewership of 103 million people. On
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
, it became the most viewed halftime show at that point in time. Shakira appeared in two television specials performing her songs during the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, including '' Global Goal: Unite for Our Future'' (with " Sale el Sol") and '' The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II'' (with "Try Everything").


2021–present: Upcoming twelfth studio album and ''Dancing with Myself''

In January 2021, Shakira sold her catalog of 145 songs to
Hipgnosis Songs Fund Hipgnosis Songs Fund is a British Guernsey-registered music IP investment and song management company founded by Merck Mercuriadis and Nile Rodgers in 2018. Focused on songs and associated musical intellectual property rights, it was founded o ...
. The company did not disclose the financial details of the sale. On 16 July 2021, Shakira released a single titled " Don't Wait Up". On April 21, she released the song " Te Felicito" with singer
Rauw Alejandro Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz (born January 10, 1993), known professionally as Rauw Alejandro, is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter. Referred to as the " King of Modern Reggaeton", he belongs to "the new generation" of Puerto Rican urban musi ...
, as the lead single from her upcoming twelfth studio album. Shakira confirmed in May 2022 that work on the album was finished and it would be an electronic infused album with hints of urban and rock music. She was honored by the Ivors Academy in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
with the
Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...
' Special Award for Songwriting celebrating her songwriting in both English and Spanish and paving the way for Latin artists. By the end of that month, the dance reality competition show, '' Dancing with Myself'', on which Shakira served as an executive producer and co-creator,along with
Liza Koshy Elizabeth Shaila "Liza" Koshy (born March 31, 1996), is an American media personality and actress. Her main YouTube channel has amassed more than 17 million subscribers, and her two channels have a combined total of over 3 billion views. She ha ...
and
Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...
premiered on NBC.


Artistry

On her music, Shakira has said that, "my music, I think, is a fusion of many different elements. And I'm always experimenting. So I try not to limit myself, or put myself in a category, or... be the architect of my own jail." Shakira has frequently stated she is inspired by oriental music and Indian music, which influenced many of her earlier works. She has also been influenced by her
Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
heritage, which was a major inspiration for her breakthrough world hit " Ojos Así". She told Portuguese TV, "Many of my movements belong to
Arab culture Arab culture is the culture of the Arabs, from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean in the southeast. The various religions the Ara ...
." She also cites her parents as having been major contributors to her musical style. She is also strongly influenced by
Andean music Andean music is a group of styles of music from the Andes region in South America. Original chants and melodies come from the general area inhabited by Quechuas (originally from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile), Aymaras (originally from Bolivia), ...
and South American
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
, using her native instrumentation for her Latin dance-pop songs. Her earlier Spanish albums, including ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'' and ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' were a mix of folk music and Latin rock. Her cross-over English album, ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' and later albums were influenced by
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
and pop Latino. "Laundry Service" is primarily a
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
album, but also draws influences from a variety of musical genres. The singer credited this to her mixed ethnicity, saying: "I am a fusion. That's my persona. I'm a fusion between black and white, between pop and rock, between cultures – between my Lebanese father and my mother's Spanish blood, the Colombian folklore and
Arab dance Arab folk dances ( ar, رقص عربي, raqs ʿarabiyy), also referred to as Oriental dance, Middle-Eastern dance and Eastern dance, are the traditional folk dances of the Arabs in Arab world. Arab dance has many different styles, including th ...
I love and American music." The
Arabian The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...
and
Middle Eastern music The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music, Kurdish music, Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cypri ...
elements that exerted a high influence on ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' are also present in ''Laundry Service'', most prominently on "Eyes Like Yours"/"Ojos Así". Musical styles from different South American countries surface on the album.
Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
, a style of fast-paced
ballroom dance Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television ...
that originated in Argentina, is evident on "Objection (Tango)", which also combines elements of
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...
. The
uptempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
track features a guitar solo and a bridge in which Shakira delivers rap-like vocals. ''She Wolf'' is primarily an
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a r ...
album that combines influences from the musical styles of various countries and regions, like Africa,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...
, India, and the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. Shakira termed the album as a "sonic experimental trip", and said that she researched
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
from different countries in order to "combine electronics with world sounds, tambourines, clarinets,
oriental The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of '' Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the ...
and
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
music, dancehall, etc." Her 2010 album, '' Sale el Sol'', is a return to her beginnings containing ballads, rock songs, and
Latin dance Latin dance is a general label, and a term in partner dance competition jargon. It refers to types of ballroom dance and folk dance that mainly originated in Latin America. The category of Latin dances in the international dancesport competi ...
songs like " Loca". In 2017, ''
Deutsche Welle Deutsche Welle (; "German Wave" in English), abbreviated to DW, is a German public, state-owned international broadcaster funded by the German federal tax budget. The service is available in 32 languages. DW's satellite television service cons ...
''s journalist Kate Müser commented on Shakira's "globalized sound": " erLatin beats, spiced with Middle Eastern and other world elements and made comfortably familiar by being churned through the pop machine, make you feel like a citizen of the world."


Influences

As a child, Shakira was influenced by rock music, listening heavily to rock bands like
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...
,
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...
,
the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...
and U2, while her other influences included
Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has bee ...
,
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
,
Sheryl Crow Sheryl Suzanne Crow (born February 11, 1962) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, pop, country, folk, and blues. She has released eleven studio albums, five compilations and three ...
,
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two ...
,
Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gr ...
, Meredith Brooks and
the Cure The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
.


Dance

Shakira is well known for her dancing in her music videos and concerts. Her distinctive dancing style is said to combine Latin dancing with
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
ern
belly dancing Belly dance ( Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different ...
, which is derived from her Lebanese heritage, and her hip shaking is mentioned in songs, such as
Fifth Harmony Fifth Harmony, often shortened to 5H, was an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and previously Camila Cabello until her departure from the group in December 2016. The group sig ...
's "Brave Honest Beautiful". She is noted for usually employing minimal production, usually taking the stage with minimal makeup and natural hair, and without background dancers in her performances, preferring to focus on her vocals, dance moves, and stage presence. She often performs
barefoot Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to h ...
, a form of dance she learned as a young teen to overcome her shyness. She also mentioned in an MTV interview that she learned how to belly dance by trying to flip a coin with her belly.


Singing

Shakira is a
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
. Shakira is known for her "unique and mesmerizing" singing voice which includes her "trademark"
yodeling Yodeling (also jodeling) is a form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register (or "chest voice") and the high-pitch head register or falsetto. The English word ''yodel'' is derived from the ...
. Analyzing Shakira's cover of " Je l'aime à mourir", vocal teacher Beth Roars also noted Shakira's use of yodeling, explaining that there is "heaviness at the bottom of her tone" which "flips up" into "her
head voice Head voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Head voice can be used in re ...
", as well as her ability to execute "complex
melisma Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refer ...
". She also noted Shakira's use of " Arabic scales", then stating that she uses "
harmonic minor scale In music theory, the minor scale is three scale patterns – the natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode), the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale (ascending or descending) – rather than just two as with the major scale, which al ...
s instead of
pentatonic scale A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five notes per octave, in contrast to the heptatonic scale, which has seven notes per octave (such as the major scale and minor scale). Pentatonic scales were developed independently by many an ...
s".


Legacy and impact

Shakira is a prominent figure in Latin music, commonly hailed as the 'Queen of Latin Music' for her successful crossover to the global market. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called her the "Titan of Latin Pop" for her unique and leading position in Latin music, saying: "Even as a new generation of Spanish-speaking artists are crossing over into American music's mainstream, Shakira's output stands alone." A similar comparative perspective was made by ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'', who named Shakira an "International Phenom" for her global appeal and sales statistics, further elaborating with "To put her in perspective, other Latin exports such as Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez are mere minnows next to Shakira, both selling half the number of records she does". ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' has deemed Shakira as "crossover phenom" for her unmatched success of crossover and one of the world's most powerful Latinas. ''Forbes'' further listed Shakira as one of the world's most powerful female celebrities.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
's biographer Steve Huey described her as a "Wildly inventive diva who created a cross-cultural pop sound rooted in her native Colombia but encompassing nearly every territory in the world. ..she wrote or co-wrote nearly all of her own material, and in the process gained a reputation as one of Latin music's most ambitiously poetic lyricists." Her unprecedented crossover has inspired other Latin American artists to attempt crossing over, one example is Mexican pop star
Paulina Rubio Paulina Susana Rubio Dosamantes (; born 17 June 1971) is a Mexican singer. Referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Golden Girl" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Pop", she first achieved recognition as ...
, having ''
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
'' saying "there's no question that Shakira opened doors in this country for artists like Rubio to succeed." Similarly, ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...
'' credits Shakira to have paved the way for other Latin artists to crossover, naming names like
Maluma Juan Luis Londoño Arias (born 28 January 1994), known professionally as Maluma, is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor. Born and raised in Medellín, he developed an interest in music at a young age, recording songs since age sixteen. ...
and
J Balvin José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. He has been referred to as the " Prince of Reggaeton" (from Spanish: "Príncipe del Reggaetón"), and is one of the best-sell ...
. After the crossover, her global and mainstream presence became big enough for ''Time'' magazine to call Shakira a "pop legend." She was marked as "one of the most influential artists of the 21st century" by '' ET''. Throughout her career, Shakira has earned several titles, including "The Crossover Queen" by ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'', "The Queen of World Cup" by ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'', and "Latin America's Pop Queen" by ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
''. ''Billboard'' has also noted that Shakira's music videos have "redefined the role of dancing in music videos", while listing her as the best Latin female music video artist of all time. The Middle Eastern newspaper ''El Correo del Golfo'' credits Shakira with "having opened the way" for several Hispanic singers today. The authors of ''Reggaeton'', published by
Duke University Press Duke University Press is an academic publisher and university press affiliated with Duke University. It was founded in 1921 by William T. Laprade as The Trinity College Press. (Duke University was initially called Trinity College). In 1926 ...
, credited Shakira for popularizing the genre ''(
reggaeton Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico. It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
)'' in North America, Europe, and Asia, while the ''
Public Broadcasting Service The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educa ...
'' called her one of the three "most successful artists of the so-called Golden Age of Latin Music which reshaped America's cultural landscape for the twenty-first century". Alongside her impact on Latin and mainstream pop culture, Shakira has also impacted
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
in the
Arab World The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
due to her popularity in the region. In a publication titled ''Popular Culture in the Arab World: Arts, Politics, and the Media'', author Andrew Hammond credits Shakira for impacting and shifting the images of Arab pop stars such as Moroccan
Samira Said Samira Abdelrazak Bensaïd ( ar, سميرة عبد الرزاق بنسعيد, Samīra ʿAbd ar-Razzāq ibn Saʿīd; born 10 January 1958), professionally known as Samira Said ( ar, سميرة سعيد, Samīra Saʿīd), is a Moroccan singer, who ...
and Lebanese
Nawal Al Zoghbi Nawal El Zoghbi ( ar, نوال الزغبي, also spelled Nawal Al Zoghbi; born 29 June 1972) is a Lebanese pop singer. She achieved popularity first by dancing and singing traditional Arabic music with a pop sensibility, and later singing in ...
, saying "
hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title ...
have shifted their image and sound in attempt to follow in her (Shakira's) footsteps". In 1999 Shakira's ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' became the program's first episode to be broadcast entirely in Spanish The concert is also noted to be the first time a Latin pop act attempted an Unplugged, as well as the first Latina solo act to do so. In 2001 Shakira's "
Whenever Wherever "Whenever, Wherever" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira from her fifth studio album and English-language debut, ''Laundry Service'' (2001). It was released on 2 October 2001 by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. The son ...
" music video was aired on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
with both the English and Spanish versions. According to a spokesman for the channel, this is noted as "the first time that U.S. MTV has aired a Spanish-language video." Following Daddy Yankee's "Gasolina" by five months, " La Tortura" was one of the first full Spanish-language music videos to air on MTV without an English version. In 2005, Sanz and Shakira performed "La Tortura" at the
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
. In 2006 "
Hips Don't Lie "Hips Don't Lie" is a Latin pop and reggaeton song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released by Epic Records in 2006 as the second single from the reissue of Shakira's seventh studio album, ''Oral Fixa ...
" was selected as one of the greatest songs by 21st century female artists by
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
, ranked at number 65. " Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" was named by ''Billboard'' the best and most commercially successful World Cup song. Published by the US
Bureau of International Information Programs ' The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) supports the department's public diplomacy efforts by providing and supporting the places, content, and infrastructure needed for sustained conversations with fo ...
, the journal ''Global Issues'' (2006) cited Shakira as an example of a celebrity "in today's globalized world" who "made it big by sharing the uniqueness of their talent and culture with the global community." In 2020, ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspape ...
'' found Shakira's longevity in the industry "particularly impressive given her ability to breach the lines of crossover, a feat not many artists have been able to achieve." A similar remark was made by ''
Paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distribu ...
'' magazine, when writing about Shakira's longevity and her being one of the few pre-digital era artists to successfully crack the digital-streaming era of music, penning " hakirais a titan in the digital era of music where she devours billions of streams with her catalog." In 2010,
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
revealed that Shakira was the most searched female entertainer of the year. In 2020, Shakira was the most Googled musician of the year. In December 2021 Shakira was named by Kiss FM as one of the most influential female artists of the 21st century highlighting her achievements in the international market Many artists have cited Shakira as an influence, including
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
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,
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,
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, Will.i.am,
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, Lauren Jauregui,
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, Fergie,
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,
Karol G Carolina Giraldo Navarro (born 14 February 1991), known professionally as Karol G (stylized in all caps), is a Colombian singer and songwriter. She is predominantly described as a reggaeton and Latin trap artist, but has experimented with a ...
, Camilo,
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,
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, María Becerra,
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,
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,
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,
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, Carla Morrison,
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,
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, Manuel Turizo, Elena Rose,
Francisca Valenzuela Francisca Valenzuela (; born March 17, 1987 in San Francisco, California) is an American-born Chilean singer, poet, and multi-instrumentalist. Valenzuela was born and raised in San Francisco, California, where she resided until the age of 12, bef ...
, Paloma Mami, Natalia Lafourcade, Kali Uchis, Ed Sheeran, Farina (singer), Farina, J Balvin, Jbalvin, Lele Pons, Andres Cuervo, Li Yuchun, Prince Royce, Romeo Santos, Greeicy, Greeicy Rendon, Wendy Sulca, Anitta (singer), Anitta, Nathy Peluso, Britney Spears, Cardi B, Rita Ora, Vanness Wu, Vaness Wu, Gale (singer), Gale, Sofia Reyes, Camila Cabello, Sebastián Yatra, Sebastian Yatra, Paty Cantú, Simone & Simaria, Becky G, Sasha Keable, Lola Índigo, Lola Indigo, Nora Fatehi, Kris Kross Amsterdam, Kris Kross Ámsterdam, and Ayra Starr Shakira has even received the admiration of intellectuals and writers such as Nobel Prize winner
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...
who has said "No one of any age can sing or dance with the innocent sensuality Shakira seems to have invented". Márquez wrote an essay exalting Shakira's "phenomenal musical talent", and "extraordinary maturity". The newspaper ''El Correo del Golfo'' wrote that Shakira was the greatest exponent of
Middle Eastern music The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music, Kurdish music, Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cypri ...
in the West, citing her interest in Arabic music and dance. Her influence has transcended the boundaries of pop culture, that she has become a socio-political influencer, and was named as one of the "World's Greatest Leaders" of 2017 by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune''. ''The Guardian'' has written an extensive article about Shakira's impact on Colombia's social change, specifically in education, and her ability to discuss this issue with world leaders like
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, and Gordon Brown. Similarly ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'' has described Shakira as a "living proof that pop and politics mix" further noting that through her efforts and influence she is able to have "the ears of the global political elite".


Monuments

* In 2006, a , statue of Shakira was installed in her hometown
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Co ...
in a park near Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez. * In July 2018 Shakira visited Tannourine in Lebanon which is the village of her paternal grandmother. During her visit she visited the Cedars Reserve in Tannourine where a square in the forest was named after her. The square holds the name "Shakira Isabelle Mebarak"


Achievements

Shakira has received numerous awards and recognition for her work. She is the recipient of three
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s and twelve
Latin Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
s—Latin Grammy Award records, the most for a female artist. Shakira has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making her one of List of best-selling music artists, world's best-selling music artists. By the time she released ''Laundry Service'' in 2001, she have already sold 10 million albums in Latin America according to ''Billboard''. Three of her albums are among the List of best-selling Latin albums in the United States, best-selling Latin albums in the United States: ''
Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (English: ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 1'') is the sixth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira. It was released on 3 June 2005 by Epic Records. After attaining international success in 2001 with her fifth st ...
'' (8th), ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' (9th) and ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'' (23rd); she is the female artist with the highest number of best-selling Latin albums in the country. ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' became the best-selling Latin pop album and the second best-selling Latin album overall of the 2000's in the U.S. ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' is also one of the best-selling albums in List of best-selling albums in Argentina, Argentina, List of best-selling albums in Chile, Chile, List of best-selling albums in Colombia, Colombia and List of best-selling albums in Mexico, Mexico; as well as ''Pies Descalzos'' is one of the best-selling albums in List of best-selling albums in Brazil, Brazil and Colombia. Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems said that "
Hips Don't Lie "Hips Don't Lie" is a Latin pop and reggaeton song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, released by Epic Records in 2006 as the second single from the reissue of Shakira's seventh studio album, ''Oral Fixa ...
" was the most-played pop song in a single week in American radio history, being played 9,637 times in one week. This song makes Shakira the first artist in the history of the ''Billboard'' charts to reach the number-one spots on both the Top 40 Mainstream and a Latin Pop Airplay, Latin chart in the same week. Additionally, she became the only artist from South America to reach the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the Australian ARIA Charts, ARIA chart, and the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Shakira is the female artist with most top-ten hits on the ''Billboard''s Hot Latin Songs chart (32). Her song " La Tortura" at one time held the chart's record for List of Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart achievements and milestones#Song milestones, most weeks appearing at number-one, with a total of 25 non-consecutive weeks (this record is currently held by the Luis Fonsi song "Despacito" with 56 weeks). She is also the female artist with most number-one hits on the Latin Airplay chart (17). Nokia stated in 2010, that there were more Shakira music downloads in the prior year than for any other Latino artist in the last five years, and ''She Wolf (Shakira song), She Wolf'' topped the Top 10 Latino downloads. In 2010, she was ranked number five on the 'Online Video's Most Viral Artists of 2010' with 404,118,932 views. In 2011, Shakira was honored at the Latin Grammys as
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians of Ibero-American heritage for their "artistic ach ...
, and by the Harvard Foundation as Cultural Rhythms Artist of the Year. She also received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
located at 6270 Hollywood Blvd. Originally, she was to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004, but she turned the offer down. In 2012, she received the honor of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Chevalier De L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In 2014, Shakira became the first musical act to perform three times at the FIFA World Cup. In the same year, ''Aleiodes shakirae'', a new species of parasitic wasp was named after her because it causes its host to "shake and wiggle". ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' ranked Shakira on their list of "Forbes list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women, Top 100 World's Most Powerful Women" at number 40 in 2012, at 52 in 2013, and at 58 in 2014. In 2015 ''Time (magazine), Time'' recognized Shakira as one of the most influential people on social media. Shakira and Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner were the only Latin influencers named on the list. More so, ''Time'' noted that Shakira has an "unparalleled platform" on social media where she promotes her philanthropy. In 2008, Shakira was named as the Honorary Chair of the Global Campaign for Education Global Action Week. In 2018, Spotify included Shakira in the list of the top 10 most streamed female artists of the decade on the platform, making her the highest streamed Latin artist. In 2020, Shakira became the first female artist to have 4 songs from different decades to have over 100 million streams on Spotify, also marking her as the only artist with Spanish songs, the only Latin artist, and third overall after Michael Jackson and Eminem to achieve this milestone. In the same year, she broke the Vevo, Vevo Certified Awards record, and set it at 37, becoming the artist with the most videos with over 100 million views. She is now worth $300 million.


Other ventures

Shakira has ventured into many other businesses and industries. She acted in the Colombian telenovela ''El Oasis'' in 1994, playing the character of Luisa Maria. Shakira began her own beauty line, "S by Shakira", with parent company Puig (company), Puig, in 2010. Among the first perfumes it released included "S by Shakira" and "S by Shakira Eau Florale", along with lotions and body sprays. As of 2019, she has released 30 fragrances, not counting deluxe editions. On 17 September 2015, she was featured as a playable bird in the game Angry Birds POP! for a limited time, and also in a special tournament in the game Angry Birds Friends after a few weeks. On 15 October 2015, Love Rocks starring Shakira was the first video game that featured the pop star. On 14 August 2015, at Disney's D23 Expo, it was announced that Shakira would play a character in the Disney animated movie ''Zootopia;'' in it, she would give voice to Gazelle, the biggest pop star in Zootopia. Shakira also contributed an original song to the film, titled "Try Everything", which was written and composed by Sia and Stargate (production team), Stargate. It opened to a record-breaking box office success in several countries and earned a worldwide gross of over $1 billion, making it the 2016 in film, fourth highest-grossing film of 2016 and the List of highest-grossing films, 43rd highest-grossing film of all time. In December 2021, it was announced that Shakira would be an executive producer for ''Dancing with Myself'', an NBC dance competition series.


Philanthropy, humanitarian work and politics

In 1997, Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation, a Colombian charity with special schools for poor children all around Colombia. It was funded by Shakira and other international groups and individuals. The name of the foundation was taken from Shakira's third studio album, ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'', which she released in 1995. The foundation's main focus is on aid through education, and the organization has five schools across Colombia that provide education and meals for 4,000 children. On 27 April 2014 Shakira was honored with the Hero Award at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards, Radio Disney Music Awards for her Fundación Pies Descalzos work. In 2005, Shakira became a founding member of Latin America in Solidarity Action, a coalition of artists and business leaders seeking to promote integrated early childhood public policies. In 2008, she served as the Honorary Chair of the Global Campaign for Education Global Action Week. Later, in 2010, she collaborated with the World Bank and the Barefoot Foundation to establish an initiative that distributes educational and developmental programs for children across Latin America. Shakira is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is one of their global representatives. On 3 April 2006, Shakira was honored at a UN ceremony for creating the Pies Descalzos Foundation. In March 2010, she was awarded a medal by the UN International Labour Organization in recognition of being, as UN Labour Chief Juan Somavia put it, a "true ambassador for children and young people, for quality education and social justice". In November 2010, after performing as the opening act of the MTV European Music Awards, the Colombian singer also received the MTV Free Your Mind (MTV award), Free Your Mind award for her continuing dedication to improve access to education for all children around the world. In the Spanish edition of the magazine ''GQ'', Shakira directed a few words to Sarkozy, "We are all gypsies". In the interview she made her viewpoint very clear: "What is happening now to them (the gypsies) will happen to our children and our children's children. We must turn to our citizens to act for the fundamental rights of human beings and condemn all that seems to us indictable", she declared. In February 2011, the FC Barcelona Foundation and ''Pies descalzos'' reached an agreement for children's education through sport. Shakira was honored at the Latin Grammys as the
Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year The Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year is an award presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend musicians of Ibero-American heritage for their "artistic ach ...
on 9 November 2011, for her philanthropy and contributions to Latin Music. Also in 2011, she was appointed by President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. The World Literacy Foundation announced Shakira as the recipient of the 2020 Global Literacy Award for "her significant contribution to the improvement of literacy for disadvantaged children around the world." On 2 November 2018, during a visit to her birthplace,
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Co ...
, for the construction of a school through her
Barefoot Foundation Barefoot Foundation ( es, Fundación Pies Descalzos) is a Colombian charity founded by pop artist Shakira in 1997, with the aim of helping poor and impoverished children. The Barefoot Foundation mission statement is "The Barefoot Foundation wor ...
(Pies Descalzos Foundation), Shakira spoke about the educational policies of the government under Iván Duque Márquez, Ivan Duque (President of Colombia, 2018–2022). Speaking against the government's intentions to reduce the national education budget from 13% to 7%, she said, "This is unacceptable. It shows that instead of progressing forward we are moving backward. We need to invest more in education and we need to build more schools in places where there are none". She also talked about social inequality and unschooling. In 2020, Shakira was appointed by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge as a voters’ council member for the Earthshot prize which provides 50 environmental pioneers with the funds needed to further their work in tackling major problems impacting the environment. In May 2020, Shakira donated more than 50,000 face masks and ten respirators to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia, COVID-19 pandemic in her hometown of
Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Co ...
. During the 2021 Colombian protests, Shakira condemned the violence and asked President Iván Duque Márquez to "immediately stop the human rights violations" and "restitute the value of human life above any political interest."


Personal life

Shakira began a relationship with Argentinian lawyer Antonio de la Rúa in 2000. In a 2009 interview, Shakira stated their relationship already worked as a married couple, and that "they don't need papers for that". After 10 years together, Shakira and de la Rúa separated in August 2010 in what she described as "a mutual decision to take time apart from our romantic relationship". She wrote that the couple "view this period of separation as temporary", with de la Rúa overseeing Shakira's "business and career interests as he has always done". As first reported in September 2012, de la Rúa sued Shakira in April 2013, asking for $100 million he believed he was owed after Shakira suddenly terminated her business partnership with him in October 2011. His lawsuit was dismissed by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge in August 2013. Shakira entered a relationship with the Spanish football player Gerard Piqué in 2011. Piqué, who is exactly ten years her junior, and Shakira met in spring 2010 after he appeared in the music video for Shakira's song " Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", the official song of the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
. Shakira gave birth to the couple's first son, Milan, on 22 January 2013 in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, where the family took residence. Shakira gave birth to their second son, Sasha, on 29 January 2015. ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' listed Shakira and Piqué in their list of "World's Most Powerful Couples". In 2022, the couple confirmed in a joint statement they would be separating after being together for 11 years. In 2020, Shakira announced her completion of an ancient philosophy course through the University of Pennsylvania, describing it as an impractical hobby of hers.


Financial controversy

In November 2017, Shakira was named in the Paradise Papers. It was revealed that she was the sole shareholder of a Malta-based company which was being used to transfer $30 million in music rights. Her attorneys insisted that her use of the company was entirely legal. In 2018, due at least in part to information revealed in the Paradise Papers, Spanish authorities began an investigation into Shakira's finances. Prosecutors argued that she did not pay taxes in Spain between 2012 and 2014, during which time she was living in Spain with Piqué and their family, while Shakira argued that she maintained her primary residence in the Bahamas during that period and otherwise was touring internationally. In July 2021, a Spanish judge ruled that there was "evidence of criminality" sufficient for Shakira to be brought to trial on charges of tax fraud. In 2021, the Pandora Papers showed that Shakira submitted applications for three offshore companies in 2019. Her representatives told LaSexta that this paperwork was not filed for purposes of establishing new companies but as part of the process of dissolving existing companies. They further claimed that the companies had no income or activities and that Spanish authorities had been made aware of their existence. In July 2022, after not reaching a deal with the Spanish Prosecution Ministry, the singer decided to go to trial to prove her innocence. The prosecutor asked the judge for an eight-year prison sentence over six alleged tax fraud crimes. On 27 September 2022, a Spanish judge from Esplugues de Llobregat approved the tax fraud trial after prosecutors accused her of failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($13.9 million) in taxes. Shakira claims she has already paid all she owed plus 3 million euros ($2.8 million) as interest.


Discography

* '' Magia'' (1991) * '' Peligro'' (1993) * ''
Pies Descalzos ''Pies Descalzos'' ( en, Bare Feet, italic=yes) is the third studio album and international debut by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 6 October 1995, by Sony Music and Columbia Records. Its music incorporates Latin pop styl ...
'' (1995) * ''
Dónde Están los Ladrones? ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' ( en, Where Are the Thieves?, italic=yes) is the fourth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 29 September 1998 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Latin. After attaining success in La ...
'' (1998) * ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' (2001) * ''
Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 1'' (English: ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 1'') is the sixth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira. It was released on 3 June 2005 by Epic Records. After attaining international success in 2001 with her fifth st ...
'' (2005) * ''
Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 ''Oral Fixation, Vol. 2'' (Spanish: ''Fijación Oral, Vol. 2'') is the seventh studio album and second English-language album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 28 November 2005, by Epic Records. After attaining international ...
'' (2005) * ''
She Wolf ''She Wolf'' ( es, Loba, link=no) is the eighth studio album and third English-language album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 9 October 2009, by Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. As executive producers, Shakira and Am ...
'' (2009) * '' Sale el Sol'' (2010) * ''
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular ...
'' (2014) * ''
El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king ...
'' (2017)


Tours

* Pies Descalzos International Tour (1996–1997) *
Tour Anfibio Tour Anfibio ( es, Amphibious Tour, links=no) is second concert tour by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira support of her fourth studio album ''Dónde Están los Ladrones?'' (2000). that started on March 21, 2000, in Lima, and ended on ...
(2000) * Tour of the Mongoose (2002–2003) * Oral Fixation Tour (2006–2007) * The Sun Comes Out World Tour (2010–2011) * El Dorado World Tour (2018)


Filmography


Television


Film


See also

* List of artists who reached number one in the United States * List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart * List of best-selling albums in Brazil, Best-selling international artists in Brazil * List of best-selling music artists in the United States * List of best-selling music artists * List of best-selling singles * List of Billboard Social 50 number-one artists * List of highest-certified music artists in the United States * Best-selling female artists of all time


Notes


References


Further reading

* VH1 Driven: Shakir
(article)
* VH1 Driven: Shakira (video) ** * Book: ''Woman Full of Grace'' by Ximena Diego ** * Pareles, Jon (14 November 2005). "Shakira, from lip to hip". ''New Straits Times'', p. L3. * "Shakira pertahan orang Arab". (8 November 2005). ''Berita Harian'', p. 13. * Frank Cogan's review of ''
Laundry Service ''Laundry Service'' ( es, Servicio de Lavandería) is the fifth studio album and first English-language album by Colombian singer Shakira, globally released on 13 November 2001 by Epic Records. It is her first album to be primarily recorded in E ...
'' for ''The Village Voice'' ** * Chart Performance for " Don't Bother" from the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 * Chart Performance for ''Oral Fixation 2'' **
''New York Times Magazine'' article on Shakira's philanthropic work on education.


External links

* * * * {{Authority control Shakira, 1977 births Living people 20th-century Colombian women singers 21st-century Colombian actresses 21st-century Colombian women singers Association footballers' wives and girlfriends Belly dancers Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Colombian female dancers Colombian film actresses Colombian people of Italian descent Colombian people of Lebanese descent Colombian people of Spanish descent Colombian people of Catalan descent Colombian philanthropists Colombian pop singers Colombian record producers Colombian rock singers Colombian Roman Catholics Colombian singer-songwriters Colombian television actresses Colombian voice actresses Colombian women activists Colombian women artists Colombian women record producers Colombian expatriates in Spain Contraltos Echo (music award) winners English-language singers from Colombia Grammy Award winners Latin Grammy Award winners Latin music songwriters Latin pop singers Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year honorees MTV Europe Music Award winners Judges in American reality television series People from Barranquilla RCA Records artists Roc Nation artists Sony Music Colombia artists Sony Music Latin artists UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Women in Latin music World Music Awards winners People named in the Paradise Papers People named in the Pandora Papers