Music Banter - Shakira - Shakira (2014)

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1. Can't Remember to Forget You
2. Empire
3. You Don't Care About Me
4. Dare (La La La)
5. Cut Me Depp
6. 23
7. The One Thing
8. Medicine
9. Spotlight
10. Broken Record
11. No Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte
12. Loca por Ti

Shakira's latest album is just so FUN. Lovers will love it, haters will hate it, but Shakira has done it again: an oddball album that manages to be so pop and so offbeat, all at once. As usual, she manages to effortlessly blend dance, tribal, reggaeton, and Latin beats. To top it all off, her characteristic vocals sound more mature and perfected that ever. Motherhood has done wonders to Shakira's sultriness and in some tracks, such as "Dare (La la la)" and "Empire," she sounds very mysterious and unpredictable.

Talk-singing also makes a cameo in this album, which is not something I've really heard Shakira do before. On the first listen I was a bit put-off, but somehow other parts of the songs are always sucking me back in. A lot of the tracks on the album are the perfect "it grew on me" types. You'll have to listen to them once and I "dare" you to not revisit them in a couple of days, or even a weeks' time.

You've probably heard the singles by now, so I'll try to spend more time with the other tracks on the album.

"You Just Don't Care About Me" is something between a tribal chant and a lullaby. "You don't care if I die," is a very well-delivered line. Very cool with the xylophone, if that is what it is. (I hope that's what it is). When I hear songs like this, my interest is always piqued because a) there are unusual instrumentals and b) you expect this kind of song from the artist and yet you are surprised they are still taking such risks. "Cut Me Deep" does a similar thing with its obvious reggae and ska overtones, but preachy lyrics. Guest singer MAGIC! doesn't really add anything to the song. These two tracks seem to represent a traumatizing stage of a past romantic relationship...

The album takes a country turn at "23," which could be a song about motherhood or her current beau. This song also sounds more like classic Shakira, with lyrics that are almost too awkward to work. Actually they pretty much are too awkward to work. Let's blame it on English being her second language. Liberal use of the word "agnosticism!"

"The One Thing" continues the country thing but slips into something a bit more powerful toward the climax, making the song surprisingly fun and inventive. Totally danceable. I love that, "I'm a lucky girl, I'm a lucky girl!" I identify with the lyrics of this song and always love a fun-loving track that is short and sweet. Very relatable. As the album continues to descend (ascend?) into a completely country-western party, it's hard to say I'm into it. Redemption is on the way, though. The final track, "Loca por Ti" is worth a listen - if only for the mandolin. A lovely Spanish ballad.

By the time "Spotlight" comes around, the weary listening may feel relieved or tortured more, depending on how much they like a shoutout to early 2000s pop rock. Hardly a memorable track but a welcome departure from "Medicine." The campfire drumming and dramatic strings that enter on "Broken Record" are probably a little less dramatic than what Shakira was going for, but it makes the song that much more sincere. Her voice takes on a more serious tone, also, which kind of creates the effect of listening to a completely different album. Cool. This is kind of the honest, one-on-one conversation Shakira is having much more boisterously in "Can't Remember to Forget You."

The Spanish version of which, by the way, is much easier on the ears!

Overall: 7/10. A fun record with some great dancey tracks. Can't remember to forget this album, so I have to give it more than 6. Hope you liked it, too.