She Wolf (Spanish: Loba) is the sixth studio album by Colombian singer-songwriter, Shakira, first released on October 9, 2009 through Epic Records and Sony Music Latin. The album sees Shakira shift from Latin pop and pop rock to electropop while also exploring dancehall. She co-wrote and co-produced all of the album, apart from her second US single, which was produced by Pharrell Williams and his production outfit. The album was preceded by the title single "She Wolf" ("Loba", in Spanish-speaking countries) which reached top 10 worldwide. "Did It Again" ("Lo Hecho Está Hecho" for Latin America) was released internationally as the second single whilst the US and Canada received the Timbaland-produced "Give It Up to Me". According to Nielsen Soundscan, She Wolf had sold 410,000 copies in the United States and over 2 million worldwide.
When speaking about the album Shakira said "I felt very curious and intrigued about the electro-pop world and everything it has to offer, I wanted to make sure that this album was very bassy and that the kicks hit really hard, and I wanted to concentrate on the beat. But my music, to a certain extent, is very complex -- because I always try to experiment with sounds from other parts of the world." In addition to the disco-influenced title track, there's "Good Stuff", a synthed-out snake-charmer punctuated by ululating and staccato beats; "Long Time", a percussive midtempo groove with a Colombian Gaita bridge; and "Why Wait", a dancefloor scorcher by way of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". (Shakira worked on the arrangement with Hossam Ramzy, who had worked on "Kashmir" with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.) "It's an electronic album generally speaking, but it does have different organic instruments that, combined with the synthesizers, create a different sort of ambience," Shakira said. "You've got to put together a nice meal and make sure the spices don't take over the main ingredient. And at the end of the day, it gives a nice flavor in your mouth." Shakira told Rolling Stone magazine that the album was recorded by Gustavo Celis during a series of 12-hour-a-day sessions mostly in the Bahamas with John Hill, Pharrell and other collaborators. The hard work helped transform her sound from the slithery Latin-tinged pop of “Hips Don’t Lie” to something more glitchy, buzzing and fiercely danceable. "It's very electronic and dance-oriented, club-oriented. It’s designed for people to have fun and enjoy themselves and forget about their troubles and the crisis,” says Shakira. She also says that she always wanted to do a bass-heavy record without losing “the fusion, which is something I’m always very interested in—bringing in elements from different cultures. So you’re going to find Colombian, Middle Eastern influences, but always with the synthesizers as a dominant element...The worst that can happen to me is repeating myself and repeating the same old formula,” Shakira tells Rolling Stone, adding that she takes a long time between records “because I really want to be sure every detail makes me happy". Shakira also said that she was very pleased to work once again with Wyclef Jean. She attributes some of their creative synergy to the fact that they "both come from the developing world and we have been close to extreme poverty.” Pharrell forced her to step outside of her box and learn to work more quickly, while Hill introduced her to electro acts like Crystal Castles: “They’re a good example of how electronica can take you to different places". Shakira worked with Timbaland to produce her second US single "Give It Up To Me" which was originally recorded for his own album Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2. Rolling Stone magazine confirmed that the song initially featured Timbaland rapping but his verse was replaced with Flo Rida and then later Lil Wayne. President of Epic Records Amanda Ghost, said of the recording "everyone’s breath was taken away when Lil Wayne said he wanted to jump on the record." The decision for Shakira to record the song is responsible for the delay of the album's release in the US. In an interview with El Universal Shakira went on to speak about the album. She mentioned 9 of the 12 songs which appear on the track-listing as well as two others an English song titled "Send Me an Angel" and a Spanish song "Devoción" featuring Gustavo Cerati. For undisclosed reasons these two song are not included in the album. "Devocion" was later included in her next studio album, Sale El Sol.
Shakira's official website announced that "[t]he full album is due out in October 2009 from Epic" and it "features a predominantly English track list". The site also announced that a Spanish album would be released in 2010. Shakira premiered "She Wolf" on Z100 and KIIS-FM on July 13, 2009. Shakira stated in an interview that the album will have three Spanish songs. It was since revealed on her official website that the album would be released November 23 in the USA with exclusive bonus content that would not be available elsewhere. In Argentina and Colombia (and possibly other Spanish-speaking countries), Loba was re-released on March 22, 2010 with extra features like the Spanish version of the single "Gypsy" ("Gitana") and remixes.
Release[]
Shakira's official website announced that "[t]he full album is due out in October 2009 from Epic" and it "features a predominantly English track list". The site also announced that a Spanish album would be released in 2010. and KIIS-FM on July 13, 2009. Shakira stated in an interview that the album will have three Spanish songs. It was since revealed on her official website that the album would be released November 23 in the USA with exclusive bonus content that would not be available elsewhere. In Argentina and Colombia (and possibly other Spanish-speaking countries), Loba was re-released on March 22, 2010 with extra features like the Spanish version of the single "Gypsy" ("Gitana") and remixes.
Singles[]
"Loba" was released as the lead single from the album on July 6 and "She Wolf" on July 13. Written by Shakira and John Hill, the song was well received by critics. The single reached the top-ten worldwide.
"Did It Again" was released as the official second single internationally on October 16, 2009. It was released with a Spanish counterpart title "Lo Hecho Está Hecho" and has reached the top 40 in most countries including #17 in Ireland, #26 in Switzerland, #29 in the UK and #34 in Germany and Austria.
"Give It Up to Me" was released as the second single from the album (third overall) in Canada and the US on November 10, 2009 and features rapper Lil Wayne. It was produced by in-demand hip-hop producer Timbaland and had originally been recorded for his album Shock Value II. It reached 29 and 31 in the US and Canada respectively. The song doesn't appear on any version released in Spanish speaking territories.
"Gypsy" is the fourth and final single from the album, although it is the third single in each country, it is being serviced with Spanish version "Gitana" which is included on the latin American version of the album. "Gypsy" and "Gitana" were sent to radio stations around the world on February 22, 2010 and the song's video features tennis star Rafael Nadal.
