Maps of Music

Shakira (2014)

Where the lyrics of Shakira take you, and where it was really made.

This record was due in 2012, but a pregnancy led Shakira to scrap most of the recorded songs and start making new ones.

Key places

Sonora Recorders (2014)

Recording site Sonora Recorders — Listed among the recording studios credited for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Westlake Recording Studios (2014)

Recording site Westlake Recording Studios — Listed among the recording studios credited for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Cia dos Tecnicos (2014)

Recording site Cia dos Tecnicos — Listed among the recording studios credited for this album in Rio de Janeiro. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Groove Studios (2014)

Recording site Groove Studios — Listed among the recording studios credited for this album in Salvador. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Swing House Studios (2014)

Recording site Swing House Studios — Listed among the recording studios credited for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Ocean Way Nashville (2014)

Recording site Ocean Way Nashville — Listed among the recording studios credited for this album in Nashville, tied to the Shelton duet. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Platinum Sound Studios (2014)

Recording site Platinum Sound Recording Studios — Listed among the recording studios credited for this album in New York. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Record Plant (2014)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — Listed among the recording studios credited for this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Estudios Estopa (2014)

Recording site Olympic Stadium (Barcelona) — Listed among the recording studios in Barcelona; the point is city-centre level, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Harpoon Club House (2014)

Recording site Wild Bunch Studios (London) — Listed among the recording studios in London; the point is city-centre level, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Mesk Studios (2014)

Recording site Mesk Studios — Listed among the recording studios in Cairo; the point is city-centre level, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Ox (2014)

Recording site The Music Grinder (Hollywood) — Listed among the recording studios in Hollywood; the point is city-centre level, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Estudio Avioes do Forro (2014)

Recording site Estudio Avioes do Forro — Listed among the recording studios in Fortaleza; the point is city-centre level, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Luke's in the Boo (2014)

Recording site Bob Dylan's garage studio (Malibu) — Listed among the recording studios in Malibu; the point is city-centre level, not the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Shakira: tenth studio album and fourth English-language album by Shakira
• Released March 2014 via RCA Records
• Her first English-language album since She Wolf (2009)
• Pop album with reggae, rock, dance and country elements
• Lyrics explore motherhood, romantic relationships, stages of love and the search for personal happiness
• Most songs written by Shakira, along with Nasri and Adam Messinger

Background

• Shakira revealed in November 2011 that work on the album had begun
• Work continued into 2013
• Originally set for release in 2012, but delayed because of her pregnancy
• Pregnancy caused most of the recorded songs to be scrapped and new ones started
• Since the album began, Shakira left Epic Records and signed a management deal with Roc Nation
• She later signed to Epic's sister label, RCA Records
• Follows Sale el Sol (2010), which returned her to Latin pop roots

Recording

• Blake Shelton, Rihanna and Magic! are known to make guest appearances
• Sessions took place across Barcelona, Miami, Los Angeles, Nashville, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Fortaleza, Cairo and other cities
• Shelton duet came about after Shakira wanted to work with Nashville musicians

Cover

• Cover shows Shakira in a sheer cardigan and bra holding a red guitar
• Standard version uses the same image with a brown guitar

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, born 2 February 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia.
• Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer and record producer, known as the "Queen of Latin Music".
• Signed to Sony Music Colombia at age 13; debut album Magia (1991) was not a commercial success.
• Breakthrough with Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998).
• English crossover album Laundry Service (2001) sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
• Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005) and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005) followed, with "Hips Don't Lie" becoming her first Billboard Hot 100 number one.
• Has written or co-written virtually all the music she has recorded.
• Holds four Grammy Awards and fifteen Latin Grammy Awards.
• Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024) topped Billboard Top Latin Albums, making her the first woman with number-one albums across four decades.
• Known for blending Latin, Western and Middle Eastern influences in her music and dance.

Philanthropy

• Founded Fundación Pies Descalzos (Barefoot Foundation) in 1997 to build schools for underprivileged children in Colombia.
• Became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2003.
• Appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in 2011.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Most critics gave Shakira generally positive reviews, praising its lyrical content
• Some critics said Shakira was trying to "Americanize her sound"
• Metacritic: average score of 69 out of 100, based on eleven reviews
• Billboard's Leila Cobo rated the album 88 out of 100
• USA Today's Elysa Gardner rated it three-and-a-half out of four stars and named it album of the week
• AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised Shakira's presence on the album
• The Boston Globe's James Reed gave a positive review
• The Independent's Kate Wills gave three out of five stars, praising the reggae-tinged production
• Los Angeles Times' Mikeal Woods called the album "predictable and flavorless"

Records

• Debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 85,000 copies
• Became Shakira's highest-charting album on the Billboard 200
• Also her lowest first-week sales figure for an English-language album
• Entered the UK Albums Chart at number 14
• Entered the Argentine weekly chart at number 6
• Second-week US sales fell 66% to 29,000, dropping from second to fifth place
• Sold 900,000 copies worldwide in 2014 according to PROMUSICAE

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The song "Dare (La La La)" was first planned as the lead single "Truth or Dare" in 2012, with a video reportedly filmed in Lisbon; plans were postponed after her pregnancy.
• "Can't Remember to Forget You" features Rihanna and entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 28, her highest debut there.
• The standard editions include the same twelve tracks, but the physical and digital versions order them differently.
• A Target-exclusive deluxe version was made available for pre-order on 26 January.
• On 22 January 2014, Shakira announced the album title and said it was neither thematic nor conceptual.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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