Zenaida’s Music Review: Shakira’s Self-Titled Album

Album: SHAKIRA.

Label: RCA

Featured Artist: Rihanna, Magic!, Blake Shelton

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Rating: 8.5/9

Shakira just released her 10th album, self-titled, “SHAKIRA”. It’s been almost five years since she’s released an English album and she returns with a blend of new sounds and emotions.

Shakira is on her game right now with being a judge on NBC’s singing competition “The Voice”, releasing a new album, being the face of Crest, working with Target, and being very much in love with her boyfriend and father of her child, Gerard Pique. Now that’s a busy woman.

The album features a multitude of sounds; pop, reggae, rock, and even a little bit of country thanks to fellow judge Blake Shelton. Fan’s definitely get a taste of what it’s like for Shakira now that she’s in love again and her new role as a mother.

“Broken Record” and “23” were obviously written for Pique. Lyrically it takes you to a place where you believe and can feel her vivid emotions. If you listen carefully at the end of “23” you can hear little Milan, her son, baby babble into the microphone as Shakira gives a small giggle, probably reflecting on her two great loves.

Shakira makes several references about Piques eyes. Girl, we get it, he’s a total babe! In “23” she sings ” I use to think that there was no God, but then you looked at me with your blue eyes and my agnosticism turned into dust.” In “Dare (La La La) she sings “Let’s not recover from the hangover, when your eyes got me drunk I was sober” And in “Broken Record” she sings “Your eyes take me to places I never dreamt about” Pique is definitely Shakira’s muse on this record and we can’t blame her.

She also shines a light on her feelings about her ex-boyfriend, Antonio de la Rua in a darker track ” You don’t care about me.” She sings “You don’t care if I die, If you did, you would have spared my life. I say it confidently, You don’t care about me.” Doesn’t get any clearer than that.

“Medicine,” featuring her fellow “Voice” judge Blake Shelton, is pretty good too. Mixing things up away from her usual sound giving us something new. I loved of this seasons “The Voice” opener when she paired up with Blake and sang each others songs, so it didn’t surprise me that they did a song together.

Little Milan has a song of his own too called “The One Thing.” The lyrics are so endearing “You are the little dream I had since I was a child, my fairy tale comes true when I look at your face.” Shakira is so proud of her little boy, he looks just like her and is super adorable.

Ah yes, can’t forget about the hit makers “Can’t remember to forget you” which features Rihanna. If you haven’t seen the video then you’re surely missing out on some very sensual girl on girl action.

“Dare (La La La)” has three different versions, English, Spanish, and the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 version. In other words this song is pretty awesome.

“Empire” is the newly released single of the album. It features Shakira’s personal lyrics and becomes a catchy tune with it’s vocals. By the way she looks gorgeous in her video wearing a wedding dress. Perhaps wedding bells are ringing in the near future.

Her track featuring Magic! “Cut Me Deep” gives us a reggae beat and the blend of both their vocals sounds like perfect harmony. Can’t deny that this song reminds me a bit of No Doubt. Which I love, so I’m chucking this song on to my favorites.

The Spanish songs on the album “Loca Por Ti” and the Spanish version of “Can’t remember to Forget you” – “Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte.” In “Loca Por Ti” she sings about being crazy in love and drinking in celebration to that love. Cheers to that Shakira!

The reason I gave it a 8.5/9 rating is because I was left wanting more. I loved the album but as hot as Shakira and Pique are together I was expecting a to hear some of that passion in a couple of songs. Just like we heard in her track “Did it again” and “Why Wait” off of “She Wolf.” Or let’s take the passion way back to “La Tortura” from her Spanish album ” Fijacion Oral Vol 1.” Other than forgetting to give fans a glimpse of her passion for her love Pique, I really enjoyed listening to the album.