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Album- She Wolf
Artist- Shakira
Shakira
is one of the great artists in that she combines killer dance moves with
impeccable vocals and a great personality the makes for great, pop orientated
tunes. However she has been quiet as an artist for the past few years, what
with starting a family and label issues. And furthermore she’s been really
quiet here in the UK, as her last bilingual studio album “Sale El Sol” was
never released here. With her baby born, a high profile role on the latest
season of The Voice USA, and reports that she has worked with a range of high
profile and very current collaborators, I thought I should look back to see how
excited I should be of the Latin superstars return.
Track 1- She Wolf
Described
by Shakira as coming to her in a mysterious way and taking 10 minutes to write,
the album’s title track is a quite empowering number that could be considered a
ladies anthem and finds Shakira singing about a more animalistic side of
herself in which she gets want she wants and isn’t afraid of what others think
or tell her. The track vocally is signature Shakira with her distinctive,
Latino influenced vocal tone and smooth, sexually charged delivery, and so she
brings a powerful quality to the track and gives us a commanding listen. The
only slight issue with the vocal is in places such as the intro and bridge, in
which they are highly distorted: although this distortion ties in well with the
ideology of this unknown primitive side emerging, it also sound so distorted
that it can just come across as annoying on some listens. However what is the
great thing about this track is that lyrically and vocally it has a distinctive
Shakira flair, but production wise it feature amore dance pop driven sound with
simple electro beats and Italo drenched disco strings that make for a strong up
tempo affair and emphasize how she is evolving as an artist.
3/5
Track 2- Did It Again
Flirtatious,
very much a tease Shakira comes out in full force in this bawdy electro number
in which she sings of playing around with a bad boy and feeling a bit dumb
about it, but at the same time it just feels so good. The track is centered
around a simple but strong hook that is helped by Shakira’s lilting vocal tone
and the “eh eh eh” post chorus motif that is nice and catchy. The military
style drum percussion is matched nicely with the bubbly electro synths, to me
kind of showing a melding of traditional Shakira with new found territories.
And whilst this doesn’t have the attention grabbing power of the first track,
it is better in the respect that the vocals are tighter (i.e. less distorted)
and a greater sense of personality is therefore achieved.
3.5/5
Track 3- Long Time
The third
track is a simpler affair is in terms of overall sound, but it matches nicely
with the previous track in terms of the sensuality that Shakira conveys.
However, whilst previously Shakira was caught in a I want this/I don’t want
this state, here she simply sings of the power of her man and how nothing
matters when she is with him, because she has loved him and wanted him for such
a long time. The richness of her vocals is powerfully brought out in this
track, with the deepness of the verses offsetting the harmonization of the
chorus superbly. Production wise the track has a slow but cool carnival sort of
a vibe, with clattering dance hall inspired drums and simple Latin pop rhythms,
with the middle section being a particular moment to listen to out for. The
only issue here is the “I oh” motif that features in the verses, and which just
sounds annoying.
3.5/5
Track 4- Why Wait
The sensuality of Shakira’s music again comes to the
fore of this number in terms of the vocal tone that Shakira employs, having
slow lyrical stresses and some cool vocal harmonization that grows in strength
throughout the song, with the bridge being a particular standout moment
vocally. The lyrics of the track are probably the weakest component as the song
lacks a little bit of a catchy hook, and although the sensuality of the track
comes through as Shakira sings of being there for her man in every way, the
song feels repetitive and so a little lackluster. However the powerful
production more than makes up for this, with the mingling of synth based
undertones with Middle Eastern influence and a strong 4/4 stomp making for a
cool sound that is quite addictive, with the orchestral moments of the driven
allowing for a strong finish.
3.5/5
Track 5- Good Stuff
A mid tempo setting continues to pervade the
record with this track, another sensual sort of an affair that is also similar
to the previous track in terms of the Middle Eastern influences. The vocals are
strong as this kind of sensuality in a song is Shakira’s strength, although the
song is hindered in places by the use of Auto Tune which feels a little
annoying, although it does work in the bridge. The lyrics of the track
basically speak of Shakira telling her man that she will not miss out on the
things that they have as them together is better than them not together, and
although it still lacks a catchy quality like the previous number, the chorus
is strong and feels a little more polished. In terms of the production the
chilled out sound is nice with twinkling Eastern sounds blending with the
electronic base in a great way. The sound of the track is also nice in that it
feels a little old school and has that old school groove, which is very
appealing, with the chorus also having a cool 1980’s kind of a vibe.
3.5/5
Track 6- Men In This Town
A fan favorite and with many people being
upset that this was not promoted as a single, this track has been classified by
many as a standout track. And it definitely is. The electro pop stomper has a
1980’s feel but is also very current, and blends a great mix of a continuous
electric guitar riff with heavy synthesizers and a cool use of Auto Tune. The
tracks lyrics reflect upon Shakira’s arrival in Los Angeles, as she looks for
musical representation but also romantic love, but the men of LA don’t seem to
care, with the singer comparing herself to a kind of damsel in distress and
also putting in a cool Matt Damon reference. The track is lyrically very smart
and the chorus is quite catchy, with the track also being vocally on point as
Shakira plays the kind of scared but powerful woman. The Middle 8 is also a
kind of frenetic and disturbed moment as Shakira’s voice is heavily distorted
and she sings one simple line over and over again, but this definitely leaves a
lasting impression and also perhaps emphasizes the craziness of this new town
that Shakira finds herself in.
4/5
Track 7- Gypsy
Shakira slows things down for this mid tempo
which is the most organic sounding track on the record and finds Shakira going
back to a sound that the world was introduced to in her hit “Whenever
Wherever”. As the singer lyrically speaks of life on the road and how this is a
unique way of life in which different cultures are absorbed, she asks us to
come into her ever flitting world. Vocally Shakira is strong as she has a light
vocal tone that makes us as the listener feel chilled and welcomed into her
world. And in keeping the production earthy and simple, based in a simple banjo
riff, the production is light enough for you to find it catchy and make it a
great song for just sitting and listening to.
3.5/5
Track 8- Spy (featuring Wyclef Jean)
Wyclef Jean teams up with Shakira once again
(they had that huge hit “Hips Don’t Lie”) for another disco orientated number
that updates Shakira’s sound. The message of the track simply finds Shakira
singing of this man who is like a spy in that he really wants her and is like
keeping an eye on her. The message of the track is strengthened by the
arrangement of the vocals as Shakira and Jean use a call and response technique
that makes for a playful edge to the number. Both artists are vocally strong,
and the light chorus has a catchy appeal. The sound of the track production
wise is also strong in terms of the cool disco back beat that is strengthened
by the use of thundering string quartets. However the track is a little bit
zany, and because of this it is a little off-putting. This is in regards to the
“ba ba ba” motif, which just sounds weird and almost like a baby, and the final
section in which Shakira speaks is a bit too blatantly sensual and feels
familiar in today’s pop world.
3/5
Track 9- Mon Amour
Bitter and a little bit twisted Shakira comes
out to play in this track where we find the singer kind of talking to her ex
and singing about how she still has these strong feelings for him and so she
hates the fact that he has this new girl and she just wishes him a bad vacation
in Paris because he broke her heart. The sound of the track is quite different
to the other tracks as it has more of a rock based energy with an cool, steady
drum beat and powerful guitar riffs in the bridge that make for a great slice
of hunky stadium rock. Shakira’s vocals are also powerfully set to this rock
sound, feeling both aggressive and light at the same time and having a catchy
quality.
Track 10- Lo Hecho Esta Hecho
The tenth track on the record is the first of
the Spanish reworking’s of previous numbers, with this song being the Spanish
version of “Did It Again”. The tracks energy and sound is kept in the same vein
of the English version, but the Spanish language version really works well in
bringing out the sensual persona that Shakira powerfully displays in the track.
The vocals also seem more natural and focused in this version and so this is
actually a slightly superior version, albeit only slightly.
3.5/5
Track 11- Anos Luz
Another Spanish version of a song comes in the
form of the Spanish version of the fourth track “Why Wait”. It’s a cool number
that keeps to the original, but like with the previous track, Shakira singing
Spanish plays well with the sensual persona that she conveys in the track and
so makes for a nice twist to the song, although it perhaps feels a bit as if
Shakira lacks creativity.
Track 12- Loba
The final track is a final Spanish version of
a song on the record, this time of the lead single and first track “She Wolf”.
It is a nice version that in terms of placement on the record both works and
doesn’t work in that it gives a cyclical kind of quality to the record but also
suggests a lack of originality for Shakira. The use of the Spanish language
brings out the sensuality of the track more prominently and finds Shakira being
vocally very comfortable, and in terms of the production the track still fits
together nicely as with the English version. However the Auto Tuned effects on
this track are actually much worse than the English version, as they really
distort what Shakira is singing and makes for a quite lifeless record.
2.5/5
Final Review
I know Shakira is a great artist because she has
produced some worldwide hits that are really good. Yet with this record I would
say that we shouldn’t be excited for her comeback after motherhood. Although
the record is lyrically and vocally strong, with the production showing a
strong melding of different genre’s that make for a cohesive and good sounding
record, the work lacks a powerful hit that shows that Shakira is still one of
the leading music artists, and the album also feels creatively lacking towards
the end, as the 12 song set is really only a 9 song set with 3 Spanish
versions, and so you can easily get bored. Not a bad album but hopefully she
gets better after the break she has taken.
Best Track- Men In This Town
Worst Track- Loba
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