Fijacion Oral Vol.1 proves Shakira is here to stay

Shakira is a diverse character. She loves rock music, can dance to any pop song, has pipes to match any kind of genre she tends to steer into and most of all, she does all of this extremely cleverly, without even making the biggest mistake most artists make. Most artists, even if they try to steer into a new direction, take the direction too seriously and therefore, they play it safe. Shakira is different. She changes (or changed) numerous times throughout her career without even blinking and better yet, she's done it gracefully. Every album is similar in a way of her poetic imagery but each of them have a different sound, which makes Shakira an ever evolving enigma in the music industry. FIJACION ORAL VOL. 1 should prove that instantly, right from the moment you put it in your radio to the moment the album ends.

The iconic Spanish album begins with "En Tus Pupilas," also known as "Something" on Vol. 2. There's a sort of softness to the song and the guitar softly glides through the background full of glowing synthesizers that always take my breath away every time I listen to the song. The melody is outstanding and the song never loses its softness. When you think Shakira's about to have that usual vocal hiccup, she changes gears and her voice sounds more girlish, especially in the verses. I prefer this version more than the English version, much because Shakira sounds more at ease and most of all, she sounds more at home.
But the softnes of "En Tus Pupilas" is short lived, as an Eurythmics inspired tune called "La Pared" hits hard once heard. It has a dark tone, similar to that infectious synth beeps of "Sweet Dreams" and the chorus forces Shakira's emotions to run wild as she screeches and whispers note after note. I also can't help but notice the musical diversity Shakira has already shown in the two beginning songs. "En Tus Pupilas" was a soft, easy listening track with a touch of guitar here and there and almost immediately, it's so easy for Shakira to change gears into a techno-like, intense feel of "La Pared."

"La Tortura," featuring Alejandro Sanz, is one hell of a kick. With its reggeaton-like beat and a catchy melody to go along with it, I can honestly say that this, or rather with "Hips Don't Lie," are the best reggeaton songs I've ever heard in my life. Artists tend to have bland melodies with reggeaton, simply for the fact that the genre is supposed to make you dance but for me, the genre is so boring because of its bland melodies and lyrics. Shakira, on the other hand, makes reggeaton fun and exciting, with yet another stash of poetic lyrics and actually having a couple of different catchy melodies in one song. And as most of the reviewers who reviewed this album, I never knew Alejandro Sanz until this song was released and his voice steals the show. But as always, Shakira isn't scared to change gears and then comes the softest song on the album, called "Para Obtener Un Si." Shakira's voice is powerful in the beginning but as the Brazilian inspired tune continues, she keeps that Alanis-like voice at bay, whispering and singing in a happy way that nonetheless makes me happy. The song's short length helps itself out a lot, because if it was longer, it would have been extremely boring but instead, the softness is short lived and it'll make you wanting more.

"Dia Especial" is the Spanish version of "The Day And The Time," which was on Vol. 2 but as usual, I prefer the Spanish version, simply because it sounds much better and Shakira sings and feels at home. The soft rock tune keeps its softness throughout the song, never overdoing it but it soon turns into this futuristic, soft rock tune with a space loop-like synth that echoes after the second chorus. It's a likable change that will keep you guessing throughout the song but to tell you the truth, it's unnecessary.

Now, the next track, "Escondite Ingles," is totally weird at first. Not only does it try to be a rock hard tune, it also has this eerie feel to it, as if it was a theme song for a Halloween movie. Nevertheless, it took time to get used to and once I did, it's catchy and pretty hard to get out of your head. How Shakira screeches during the chorus is kind of scary but at the same time, you can't help at smile. This girl knows how to show some soul, without even singing a genre that necessarily has soul.

My two favorite tracks on the album are next, called "No" and "Las De La Intuicion," and both of these songs can really be called the key tracks or the trump card on FIJACION ORAL VOL. 1. "No" has one of the most killer bass lines I've ever heard in my life and it's heartbreaking. Shakira has so many vocal hiccups and cracks here and there that it's like she has so much emotion to portray in the song that a human body isn't enough to showcase them. The congas in the verses and the bass line that changes throughout the song is killer and when the softness of the song is ruined by an echoing drum after the second chorus, it changes into a soft rock, inspirational tune about getting out of a bad relationship... and it works perfectly!
"Las De La Intuicion" is the second key track and my second favorite track on the album. "Las De La Intuicion" begins with a muffled bass line alongside some techno kicks and like "Escondite Ingles," it has this scary feel to it that attracts me. The whispers Shakira sings in are tongue-in-cheek and when the song transforms into a full on Spanish pop song during the choruses, synthesizers flying all around, it's hard not to dance along or sing along.

"Dia De Enero" is a soft pop tune with fun congas and a loud bass line that allows Shakira to sing as loud as she wants, but she doesn't. She sings in a whispery, girlish manner and like "Escondite Ingles," you can't help but smile during the chorus. "Dia De Enero" has this happy, soft vibe that rubs on you.
As usual, this happiness is again short lived, as the intense, 80s-like synth, rock tune "Lo Imprescindible" fades in. It doesn't sound very present day rock but the 80s synth-like rock tune works very well, with Shakira singing in both pain and anger. It's an intense song that showcases Shakria's diversity like "La Pared" did and once again, Shakria succeeds with flying colors.

FIJACION ORAL VOL. 1 ends with an acoustic version (only a piano) of "La Pared," which creates a feeling of anguish instead of the anger that was felt on the original and a "shaketon" version of "La Tortura," which isn't better than the original but it's a treat. But the 10 original songs on the album are the real treat, simply because it showcases not only Shakira's voice the fullest extent but her diversity as an artist, able to attack any genre she wishes to tackle. PIEZ DESCALZOS was her amazing debut, DONDES ESTAN LOS LADRONES? was her once and for all arrival, her English debut LAUNDRY SERVICE demonstrated Shakira, the artist, and Vol. 2 demonstrated Shakria's willingness to experiment. Vol. 1 should show you all how Shakira is here to stay.

Bold Tracks Are Best Tracks.

1. En Tus Pupilas ("In Your Pupils")
2. La Pared ("The Wall")
3. La Tortura w/ Alejandro Sanz ("The Torture")
4. Para Obtener Un Si ("To Obtain A Yes")
5. Dia Especial ("Special Day")
6. Escondite Ingles ("Hide and Seek")
7. No ("No")
8. Las De La Intuicion ("The Intuitive Ones")
9. Dia De Enero ("January Day" or "The Day in January")
10. Lo Imprescindible ("The Essential Thing")
11. La Pared (Versión Acústica)
12. La Tortura w/ Alejandro Sanz (Shaketon Remix)

FINAL SCORE: 4.5/5 (Quite possibly the best spanish album of the 21st century)