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Laundry Service >>

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Media Type: CD
Artist: SHAKIRA
Title: LAUNDRY SERVICE
Street Release Date: 11/13/2001
Domestic
Genre: LATIN POP/ROCK

The English-language Oral Fixation Vol. 2 finds Shakira reclaiming some of the bite she showcased on 1998's smashing Donde Estan Los Ladrones? The Colombian rock goddess is making up for lost time: this is her second disc of new material in 2005. It's quite a feat, considering the four-year gap since Laundry Service, her scattershot, English-language debut album. Oral Fixation Vol. 2 is more mature and better focused than the spin-cycle pop of that 2001 disc. Kick-off track "How Do You Do" starts with a haunting reading of "The Lord's Prayer" before launching into a risky questioning of faith and religion. Shakira touches on the highs and lows of celebrity on a trio of tracks--the bittersweet "Your Embrace," the guitar-driven "Costume Makes the Clown," and the disco-fied, politically charged "Timor." Selfish men and failed relationships--two oft-mentioned topics of interest--anchor much of Oral Fixation Vol. 2. First single "Don't Bother" is a bitter ode to strength, jealousy, and survival; "Dreams for Plans" is a wistful collage of relationship memories; and Carlos Santana slides a sexy guitar riff under soulful standout track "Illegal." The purple haze of Prince hangs over "Animal City," one of the disc's most inventive moments. It's a free-wheeling melange of rock riffs, electronic accents, mariachi horns and confident vocals. Two songs from Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 make appearances--the somber "Something" and "The Day and the Time," which improves greatly upon its Spanish counterpart. Vol. 1, while at times enjoyable, was a portrait of a gifted artist struggling to keep her footing and retain her confidence. Oral Fixation Vol. 2 finds Shakira embracing the eclectic beauty within. It's a wonderful sound. --Joey Guerra

Pies Descalzos >>

Dónde Están los Ladrones? >>

Fijacion Oral vol. 1 >>

It's thrilling--in any language--to hear new music from Colombian superstar Shakira. And it's been a long time coming. Shakira's English crossover opus, Laundry Service, was released in 2001. The Spanish Donde Estan Los Ladrones came three years before that. Fijacion Oral, Volumen 1 is the first of two new discs; an English counterpart is due in November. Shakira's bleating, biting voice is in fine form, and it gives the material an electric urgency. She's girlish and innocent during the glittering "Dia de Enero" and sensual and seductive amid the thundering beats of "Lo Imprescindible." A talented stable of producers, including former Soda Stereo vocalist Gustavo Cerati, has swathed Shakira in rhythm-based arrangements. But the album's best moments come when Shakira channels her inner--and innate--rock goddess. "La Tortura" is a hurts-so-good break-up duet with Alejandro Sanz, and "Escondite Ingles" rides a beach-party guitar groove. --Joey Guerra

Oral Fixation Volumes 1 & 2 [SPECIAL EDITION w/Bonus DVD] >>

Bonus DVD Content includes: Videos: La Tortura Dont Bother No Hips Dont Lie Dia De Enero

MTV 5 Star Live Performance: Hey You Illegal La Tortura

Grandes Exitos >>

Live & Off the Record (CD & DVD) >>

It's been three years since Laundry Service transformed Shakira into an international rock diva, and we're still waiting for the official follow-up. As she toils away on her next studio album (due later this year), the Colombian temptress has kept fans distracted with a Washed and Dried special edition of her English-language breakthrough and a Grandes Exitos collection of her Spanish hits. Now comes Live & Off the Record, a lush CD/DVD package chronicling Shakira's 2003 Tour of the Mongoose. It's a must-have for Shakira fans and features her second live CD effort (following 2000's stellar MTV Unplugged). The real treat, though, is the DVD, which was filmed at a tour stop in the Netherlands. Shakira tears through tracks such as "Si Te Vas," "Inevitable," "Rules," and "Ready For the Good Times" with equal parts sensuality and animalistic ferocity. Her stage presence is positively electric. The accompanying documentary is also a revelation, capturing Shakira at her most honest and vulnerable. Highlights include the singer's bout with tendonitis (brought on by belly-dancing), an early-morning mariachi serenade from her boyfriend on Valentine's Day, and a backstage visit from novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Fans' appetites should be whetted--for a little while. --Joey Guerra