Review: Shakira- She Wolf

Shakira is the strangest pop star currently in the mainstream. How she bends her unusual voice, that has been compared to a goat, is so fascinating and interesting to the ear. I love Shakira for being a little quirky and just outside the mainstream norms, she continues this trend by having both indie producer John Hill (Santigold's album) and Pharrel on the same album. It also works somehow with good results.

The title track has been out now since the summer so most have heard it by now, it is a thrilling, catchy, and odd song, in which, Shakira howls. John Hill produced this track along with "Men in This Town" and "Mon Amour;" they are the best of the album. Especially "She Wolf" and "Men in This Town," a sexy and upbeat song that has Shakira as the mature dominant female demanding "where are all the men in this town? whats a girl suppose to do?" In a trend of Shakira it has its quirk though, this time the lines "Im fresh, so fresh and so clean" which is in contrast to the rest of the song. I love it, "Men in This Town" will be one of my favourite tracks of the year.

"Gypsy" is a cute break from the other beat driven songs on the album. The music without the vocals is almost reminiscent of Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in Paris" era. The Wyclef duet "Spy" is a classic back and forth duet, the twist being Shakira's vocal instrument mimicking a saxophone. If it weren't for that, this would be a boring song. The track that is most similar to Oral Fixation would have to be "Mon Amour" because of the use of guitar here, unlike the rest of the album. "Give It Up To Me" is a late American only Timbaland production. I was not thrilled with the song at first, jaded because it seemed like a tainting of the album to gain success. It has grown on me, I can't resist the catchiness of the song. It will not be a lasting song, but a hit for a while.

Shakira's She Wolf covers a wide range of sounds and textures. It is a universal album covering Timbaland American beats, to middle eastern and Parisian accordions. Somehow Shakira's unique presence and voice makes it all work together so well.

B+

Download these now.

She Wolf

Men in This Town

Did It Again