If there’s one thing anyone can say about Shakira, it’s that she knows how good she looks, how sexy she is, and she’s perfectly comfortably using it. And as if we hadn’t noticed when she released her single “She Wolf,” her new album of the same name really has taken every bit of sexuality Shakira could put into a song and use it to create something very different and fun.
“She Wolf” is filled with all sorts of influences, not the least of which is the brutal assertion of sexuality. The songs are filled with guitars, disco work, synth, clarinet, moaning and sitars to create something that spans from today’s hot pop rock all the way back to R&B and 80′s influences. Granted, this isn’t necessarily something that you would expect from Shakira, and it shows as being just a little forced for her. But, while it may not be the best thing that Shakira has done, the album has a few shining stars in it that really show a different kind of album for her. From “Gypsy,” which utilizes tabla, banjo, sitar and mandolin to “Why Wait,” which is much more synth based, the album really plays around with styles. There are samples of Led Zeppelin that really drive the hits home.
The real downside to the album, though, is the bonus tracks, which offer incredibly little, really. The number “Give it Up to Me” with Lil Wayne really doesn’t do much at all, and it looks like the album could have been released a lot earlier without the blah last number. Overall, though, it’s a strong, different album for Shakira to come back to the spotlight with. Will it be enough to keep her star shining until her next album, we’ll have to wait and see, but if this “She Wolf” can do anything, it’s make one heck of an impression.
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