Shakira | ||||
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Studio album by Shakira | ||||
Released | 21 March 2014 | |||
Recorded | August 2011 – January 2014 | |||
Genre | Pop | |||
Length | 41:45 | |||
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Label | ||||
Producer |
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Shakira chronology | ||||
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Singles from Shakira | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 69/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Billboard | 88/100 |
Cuepoint | A– |
Digital Spy | |
The Independent | |
Los Angeles Times | |
PopMatters | |
Rolling Stone | |
USA Today |
Shakira is the tenth studio album by Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira, released on 21 March 2014 by RCA Records. It is her first English-language album since her eighth studio album, She Wolf (2009). Shakira revealed in November 2011 that she had begun work on the album, which continued into 2014. The album was initially set to be released in 2012, but was delayed because of Shakira's pregnancy. Since starting the album, Shakira departed Epic Records, signed a new management deal with Roc Nation and subsequently signed to Epic's sister label, RCA Records.
A pop album, Shakira has a diverse musical style that incorporates a range of genres such as reggae and rock, as well as dance and country elements. Its production is characterized by lean, tender verses and muscular, ecstatic choruses, that incorporate swirling, crashing sounds. The album's lyrics explore motherhood, the complexities of romantic relationships, stages of love and the search for personal happiness. Most of the album was written by Shakira, along with Nasri and Adam Messinger, with all the previous predominantly producing the album.
Upon release Shakira was met with positive reviews from music critics, praising its lyrical content, while others stated that Shakira was trying to "Americanize her sound". Commercially the album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart with first week sales of 85,000 copies. By doing so, Shakira became the singer's highest-charting album on the chart, although it also achieved her lowest first-week sales figure (for an English-language album). The album campaign started in 2014, with the release of its first single, "Can't Remember to Forget You", followed by the singles "Empire" and "Dare (La La La)".