Shakira has undeniably carved her name as one of the most influential artists in global music history, blending Latin rhythms with pop, rock, and world music elements. Her distinctive voice, mesmerizing dance moves, and compelling songwriting have captured hearts across continents for decades. This comprehensive guide explores the greatest Shakira songs that have defined her legendary career, from her early Spanish-language hits to her chart-topping English crossover tracks and recent releases.
Hips Don’t Lie (featuring Wyclef Jean)
“Hips Don’t Lie” stands as Shakira’s most commercially successful single and a defining anthem of the 2000s. Released in 2006, this infectious track combines Latin, reggaeton, and salsa influences with an irresistible beat that became impossible to ignore on dance floors worldwide. The collaboration with Wyclef Jean added a hip-hop edge that perfectly complemented Shakira’s signature vocal delivery and the song’s celebratory message about dance and authenticity. The track topped charts in over 55 countries and became one of the best-selling singles of the 21st century, cementing Shakira’s status as a global superstar.
Whenever, Wherever
This breakthrough English-language single from 2001 introduced Shakira to international audiences and showcased her unique ability to blend Andean folk music with pop sensibilities. The song’s distinctive panflute melody, combined with Shakira’s powerful vocals and poetic lyrics about transcendent love, created an instantly recognizable sound that set her apart from other pop artists. “Whenever, Wherever” reached the top five in nearly every country where it was released and established Shakira as a force to be beyond the Latin music market. The track’s success paved the way for Latin artists in mainstream pop music and remains one of her most beloved songs to this day.
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
Selected as the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, “Waka Waka” became a global phenomenon that transcended sports and music. The track samples a traditional Cameroonian song and combines African rhythms with Shakira’s pop sensibilities, creating an uplifting anthem about perseverance and unity. Its accompanying music video, featuring various African dancers and celebrities, became one of the most-viewed videos on YouTube and helped spotlight African culture on a massive international stage. “Waka Waka” sold over 10 million copies worldwide and remains synonymous with celebration, victory, and cultural pride across the globe.
La Tortura (featuring Alejandro Sanz)
This Spanish-language masterpiece marked Shakira’s triumphant return to her Latin roots while maintaining international appeal. Released in 2005, “La Tortura” features Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz and presents a passionate narrative about heartbreak and the torture of lost love through a blend of reggaeton and pop-rock elements. The song topped charts throughout Latin America and Spain while also achieving significant success in non-Spanish speaking markets, proving that language was no barrier to Shakira’s artistry. Its sensual music video and the chemistry between the two artists made this one of the most memorable Latin pop collaborations of the decade.
She Wolf
“She Wolf” represents Shakira’s bold exploration of electronic dance music and her willingness to reinvent her sound. Released in 2009, this track features pulsating synths, a hypnotic beat, and lyrics that use werewolf imagery to explore female desire and liberation in club culture. The song’s futuristic production and Shakira’s experimental vocal approach divided critics initially but ultimately proved her versatility as an artist willing to take creative risks. The accompanying music video, with its striking visual aesthetics and memorable choreography, became a cultural touchstone and influenced pop music videos for years to come.
Underneath Your Clothes
This tender ballad from 2002 showcased Shakira’s ability to craft deeply emotional love songs with universal appeal. Written about then-boyfriend Antonio de la Rúa, the track strips away the bombastic production of her dance hits to reveal vulnerable, heartfelt lyrics about intimacy and genuine connection. Shakira’s raspy yet delicate vocal delivery on this track demonstrates her range as a vocalist, moving seamlessly from powerful belting to whispered confessions. “Underneath Your Clothes” became a massive radio hit worldwide and proved that Shakira could dominate both the dance floor and the adult contemporary charts with equal effectiveness.
Chantaje (featuring Maluma)
Released in 2016, “Chantaje” marked Shakira’s successful embrace of the urban Latin sound that was dominating global charts. The collaboration with Colombian reggaeton star Maluma created an irresistible blend of playful flirtation and contemporary Latin urban production that appealed to both longtime fans and a new generation of listeners. The song’s catchy chorus and the chemistry between the two Colombian artists helped it achieve massive streaming numbers and reinvigorated Shakira’s presence in the Latin music market. “Chantaje” demonstrated that Shakira remained relevant and innovative more than two decades into her career, adapting to current musical trends while maintaining her distinctive identity.
Objection (Tango)
This energetic track from 2001 combines Shakira’s rock influences with tango rhythms to create a uniquely aggressive breakup anthem. The song’s lyrics confront infidelity with biting wit and assertiveness, while the musical arrangement incorporates accordion, electric guitars, and Latin percussion to create a sound that was entirely Shakira’s own. “Objection (Tango)” showcased her ability to blend diverse musical influences into cohesive, radio-friendly pop songs without sacrificing artistic integrity. The track’s confrontational attitude and memorable melody made it a fan favorite and demonstrated Shakira’s growth as a songwriter willing to channel anger and frustration into compelling music.
Can’t Remember to Forget You (featuring Rihanna)
This 2014 collaboration brought together two of pop music’s most distinctive voices for a sultry rock-influenced track about complicated relationships. The pairing of Shakira’s earthy rasp with Rihanna’s smooth vocals created an interesting dynamic tension that perfectly matched the song’s theme of being unable to move past a toxic romance. The accompanying music video, featuring both stars in various states of undress amid cigar smoke, generated significant media attention and controversy while becoming a massive viral hit. “Can’t Remember to Forget You” blended elements of reggae, rock, and pop to create a sound that highlighted both artists’ strengths while creating something fresh and exciting.
Ojos Así
One of Shakira’s most beloved Spanish-language tracks, “Ojos Así” showcases her Middle Eastern influences and demonstrates her global musical perspective. Originally released in 1998 on her album “¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?,” this song incorporates Arabic musical scales, strings, and percussion to create an exotic soundscape that was revolutionary in Latin pop at the time. The lyrics speak of searching the world for eyes like those of a lost love, taking the listener on a geographic and emotional journey through various cultures and locations. “Ojos Así” became a defining track of Shakira’s artistic identity and proved that she was much more than a conventional pop artist, positioning her as a true world music innovator.
La La La (Brazil 2014)
Created for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, “La La La” continued Shakira’s tradition of crafting massive international anthems for football’s biggest stage. Featuring Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown, the track incorporates samba rhythms, Brazilian percussion, and Shakira’s pop sensibilities to create an energetic celebration of Brazilian culture and the beautiful game. The song’s repetitive, chant-like chorus made it perfect for stadium crowds, while its production showcased the rich musical heritage of Brazil to a global audience. Though it didn’t quite reach the stratospheric success of “Waka Waka,” it nonetheless became a significant hit and further cemented Shakira’s association with international sporting events and cultural unity.
Estoy Aquí
This track represents Shakira’s early career in Latin America before her international breakthrough. Released in 1995 as part of her album “Pies Descalzos,” “Estoy Aquí” established her as a major force in Latin rock and pop with its raw emotional delivery and rock-influenced arrangement. The song’s lyrics speak of enduring love and presence despite distance or difficulties, themes that would become recurring elements in Shakira’s songwriting throughout her career. “Estoy Aquí” connected deeply with Latin American audiences and built the foundation for her massive regional success before she became a global phenomenon.
Beautiful Liar (with Beyoncé)
This 2007 collaboration between two of the world’s biggest female artists created one of pop music’s most memorable duets. “Beautiful Liar” tells the story of two women who discover they’ve been dating the same man and choose solidarity over competition, delivering a progressive message wrapped in an irresistibly catchy Middle Eastern-influenced pop production. The vocal interplay between Shakira and Beyoncé showcased their mutual respect and complementary styles, while the song’s belly dance-inspired choreography in the music video became instantly iconic. The track achieved massive commercial success worldwide and demonstrated Shakira’s ability to hold her own alongside contemporary music’s biggest names while delivering music with substance and style.
Ciega, Sordomuda
Released in 1998, “Ciega, Sordomuda” became one of Shakira’s signature Spanish-language hits and showcased her ability to craft rock-influenced Latin pop. The song’s title, translating to “Blind, Deaf, and Mute,” describes the overwhelming effect of falling in love and losing one’s senses in the process. Shakira’s passionate vocal delivery combined with driving guitars and Latin percussion created a sound that was both radio-friendly and artistically ambitious. This track helped establish her as a serious artist in the Latin music world and demonstrated the raw emotional power that would become her trademark across languages and genres.
Dare (La La La)
This hypnotic track from Shakira’s 2005 album “Oral Fixation, Vol. 2” represents her experimental side and willingness to push pop music boundaries. “Dare” features minimalist production with prominent hand claps, a repetitive vocal hook, and Middle Eastern musical influences that create a trance-like atmosphere. The song’s sensual lyrics and Shakira’s breathy vocal delivery made it a favorite among fans who appreciated her more artistic and less commercial work. While not released as a major single in all markets, “Dare” became a cult favorite and demonstrated that Shakira’s artistry extended beyond creating obvious hit singles to crafting album tracks with distinctive character and atmosphere.
Te Felicito (featuring Rauw Alejandro)
Released in 2022, “Te Felicito” showcases Shakira’s continued relevance in contemporary Latin urban music. This collaboration with Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro blends reggaeton beats with pop melodies and features characteristically clever lyrics about discovering a partner’s deception. The song achieved massive streaming success and topped Latin charts worldwide, proving that Shakira remained a dominant force in Latin music decades after her debut. “Te Felicito” also demonstrated her ability to work effectively with younger artists and adapt to current production styles while maintaining her distinctive vocal identity and songwriting perspective.
Inevitable
This rock-influenced ballad from 1998 showcases Shakira’s skills as a guitarist and her ability to craft deeply personal songs. “Inevitable” features acoustic guitar work that highlights Shakira’s musicianship beyond her vocal abilities, while the lyrics explore the inevitability of certain feelings and attractions. The song’s stripped-down arrangement allows her raspy, emotive voice to take center stage, creating an intimate listening experience that contrasts with her more production-heavy hits. “Inevitable” remains a fan favorite and is often highlighted during her acoustic performances, demonstrating the enduring quality of her songwriting and the depth of her catalog beyond the obvious singles.
Loca (featuring Dizzee Rascal or El Cata)
Released in 2010 in two distinct versions, “Loca” demonstrated Shakira’s understanding of different regional markets and musical tastes. The Spanish version featuring El Cata incorporated merengue rhythms and created a massive hit throughout Latin America and Spain, while the English version with British rapper Dizzee Rascal featured electronic production that appealed to European audiences. Both versions maintained the song’s core message about passionate, carefree love and living in the moment, while adapting the musical approach to maximize appeal in different territories. This strategic approach to music releases helped “Loca” achieve global success and showed Shakira’s business savvy alongside her artistic talents.
Monotonía (featuring Ozuna)
Released in 2022, “Monotonía” represents one of Shakira’s most emotionally raw recent tracks, addressing relationship stagnation and heartbreak. The collaboration with Puerto Rican singer Ozuna adds urban credibility to the melancholic ballad, which features atmospheric production and deeply personal lyrics that many speculated referenced her separation from longtime partner Gerard Piqué. The song’s emotional vulnerability resonated with audiences worldwide, achieving significant streaming numbers and critical acclaim for its mature approach to relationship dissolution. “Monotonía” proved that Shakira could still create compelling, relevant music that connected with contemporary audiences while exploring more somber emotional territory than her earlier, more celebratory hits.
Las de la Intuición
This 2005 track combines Shakira’s rock influences with Latin percussion to create an energetic celebration of female intuition and wisdom. “Las de la Intuición” features driving guitars, hand claps, and Shakira’s powerful vocals delivering lyrics that playfully assert women’s ability to sense deception and truth in relationships. The song’s infectious energy and empowering message made it a concert favorite and radio hit throughout Latin America and Spain. This track exemplifies Shakira’s ability to create music that’s simultaneously fun and meaningful, delivering feminist messages through accessible pop-rock production that gets audiences dancing while thinking about the lyrics’ deeper implications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shakira’s most successful song of all time?
“Hips Don’t Lie” featuring Wyclef Jean holds the distinction as Shakira’s most commercially successful single. The track topped charts in over 55 countries upon its 2006 release and became one of the best-selling singles of the 21st century with millions of copies sold worldwide. Its infectious blend of Latin rhythms, reggaeton influences, and pop accessibility made it a global phenomenon that transcended language barriers and cultural boundaries. The song remains Shakira’s signature track and is instantly recognizable to audiences around the world, even nearly two decades after its initial release.
How has Shakira’s music evolved throughout her career?
Shakira’s musical evolution spans from Latin rock roots in the 1990s to global pop superstardom in the 2000s and contemporary urban Latin sounds in recent years. Her early Spanish-language albums featured guitar-driven rock with Middle Eastern influences, establishing her as a unique voice in Latin American music. After her English-language breakthrough with “Laundry Service,” she successfully balanced both markets while experimenting with electronic, dance, and world music elements. In recent years, she has embraced reggaeton and urban Latin sounds while maintaining her distinctive vocal style, demonstrating remarkable adaptability and relevance across multiple decades and changing musical landscapes.
Which Shakira songs showcase her cultural influences?
Several Shakira songs prominently showcase her diverse cultural influences, particularly her Lebanese heritage and Colombian roots. “Ojos Así” incorporates Arabic musical scales, Middle Eastern strings, and percussion that reflect her Lebanese ancestry through her paternal grandfather. “Waka Waka” and “La La La” demonstrate her respect for African rhythms and culture through their World Cup anthems that highlighted African and Brazilian musical traditions respectively. Her collaboration with various Latin urban artists and incorporation of reggaeton, cumbia, and merengue rhythms throughout her career showcase her Colombian heritage and commitment to representing Latin American musical diversity on the global stage.
What makes Shakira’s voice so distinctive?
Shakira’s voice is characterized by its unique raspy quality, impressive range, and emotional expressiveness that sets her apart from other pop vocalists. Her distinctive timbre comes from a naturally husky tone that adds texture and character to both powerful belting moments and softer, more intimate passages. She possesses the ability to shift between her full voice, breathy whispers, and her signature vibrato with remarkable control, creating dynamic performances that convey genuine emotion. This vocal versatility, combined with her multi-octave range and the slight accent that persists in her English recordings, creates an immediately identifiable sound that has become one of her most valuable artistic assets.
How does Shakira incorporate dance into her musical identity?
Dance is integral to Shakira’s artistic identity, with her belly dancing skills and hip movements becoming as iconic as her voice. She trained in belly dancing from a young age, and this Middle Eastern dance form appears prominently in performances of songs like tracks such as “Ojos Así” and “Hips Don’t Lie,” where her hip articulation became a defining visual element. Her choreography often blends belly dance with Latin dance styles, contemporary movement, and African-influenced rhythms, creating a unique fusion that reflects her multicultural background. The physicality of her performances and the way she embodies rhythm through movement has influenced countless artists and made her live shows unmissable spectacles that go beyond simply listening to appreciate her music fully.
What recent songs show Shakira is still relevant today?
Recent releases like “Te Felicito” featuring Rauw Alejandro and “Monotonía” featuring Ozuna demonstrate Shakira’s continued relevance in contemporary Latin music. Both 2022 releases achieved massive streaming success and topped Latin charts worldwide, proving her ability to adapt to current urban Latin sounds while maintaining her distinctive identity. “Chantaje” with Maluma from 2016 showed her successful embrace of reggaeton before it dominated global charts, demonstrating her trend awareness and ability to collaborate effectively with younger artists. These tracks maintain high production values consistent with current music standards while showcasing the lyrical sophistication and vocal skill that have always defined her work, proving that artistic longevity comes from evolution rather than repetition.
Which Shakira collaborations have been most successful?
Shakira’s most successful collaborations span different eras and musical styles, with “Hips Don’t Lie” featuring Wyclef Jean standing as her biggest collaborative hit. “Beautiful Liar” with Beyoncé became a cultural moment that brought together two of music’s biggest female stars for a progressive anthem about female solidarity. “Chantaje” with Maluma revitalized her presence in the urban Latin market and achieved over 3 billion YouTube views, demonstrating her appeal to younger audiences. Other notable collaborations include “Can’t Remember to Forget You” with Rihanna, which blended both artists’ distinctive styles, and “La Tortura” with Alejandro Sanz, which dominated Latin markets while achieving significant crossover success. These partnerships showcase her ability to work effectively with artists across genres, generations, and languages while creating music that feels authentic rather than commercially calculated.
How many languages does Shakira sing in?
Shakira primarily records in Spanish and English, but her linguistic abilities extend to several other languages that occasionally appear in her music and performances. She is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Italian, and has demonstrated conversational abilities in French, Catalan, and Arabic. Her multilingual capabilities have allowed her to connect with diverse audiences worldwide and adapt songs for different markets, such as recording Portuguese versions of hits for Brazilian audiences. This linguistic versatility reflects her multicultural background and global perspective, making her one of the few truly international pop stars who can authentically engage with audiences across language barriers rather than simply relying on translated material or phonetic performances.