Shakira: She Wolf

We have a lot to cover in this episode.

Are you ready more than the last one? Girl? This fasito.

It is not my fault that Shakira has one of the most impressive resumes in La industria.

Give me a little recap. I don't even remember what I had for breakfast yesterday?

What about today?

Hall of notates.

You need to stop your hollow notes hating or I will quit this podcast. Those two are legend.

Okay, okay, don't go your amazing fema and I know your beat is coming up. But girl, you look like you're twenty something today.

You're very lucky because today your cheap flattery is actually working. Here's where we left off. Shakira had two failed albums. A third time was Indeed The Charm. The follow up album blew everyone away. She caught the attention of Gloria and Emilio Stefan, who helped her crossover, and with that crossover, Shakira became a household name, releasing hit after hit alutum wait, don't miss anything.

She got us all unbothered with that Voyeur video she did with Alexandro Science you forgot that?

Oh? How could I forget? Oh? And with that Let's dive into one of Shakida's most prolific.

Eras the she Wolf era.

We are talking all about our Loba Waca Waca, her split from a longtime partner, Antonio Larua, and the album that healed her heartbreak salel So.

But for that, we need to talk about Beyonce.

I'm your host Liliana Vasquez.

And I'm Joseph Carrio and this is Becoming an Icon.

A weekly podcast where we give you the rundown on how today's most famous LATINX stars have shaped pop culture.

And given the world some extra tuble.

Sit back and get comfortable.

Because we are going in the only way we know how, with Buenas Bias.

Junas riesas and a lot of opinions as we relive their greatest achievements on our journey to find out what makes them so iconic. You and I can both agree that the artists who discussed so far have inspired the globe many many.

Peeps, one a Hundhi, even Bad Money, who's the most baby of our icons list, has already left his mark in the biz.

The list goes on and on. When it comes to Shakida, then there's obvious ones like Camilicabeyo, Becky g Selena Gomez, and Christina Aguilera. But you also have people like Romeo Santos, bre Larson, Justin Bieber, Rianna Taylor Swift, and even Beyonce.

Uh pre Larson, Justin Bieber.

What can I say? Everybody worships at the Church of Shakda.

It's the hips.

As for Beyonce, this is the only chance we might have to talk about her, so let's get to it before our producers changed their mind.

Actually, I think she might pop back up with our next.

Icon spoilers, I want that to be a surprise for the listeners. As I was saying, Beyonce, take a shot. Whenever we say her name, nobody's going to get through this episode, Joseph.

Or maybe they'll give us a five star rating. Could go either way.

Tell your friends, yes, okay, So let me set the stage. The year is two thousand and seven.

Is this going to be on the test, Joseph, I'm discussing, need to keep on.

The number one song that year was Beyonce's Irreplaceable Yellows Yellows. She debuted her solo album and the final Destiny's Child album was already out so for her next act, be said, you know what, let me change some lives.

I'm pretty sure she thinks that whenever she's about to go into the studio, to be honest, go to the.

Studio, you think Beyonce goes to a studio, Bitch, that studio comes to her.

So she comes out with b day on her list, twenty fifth birthday and everyone is loving it.

By this point, Beyonce could have collaborated with whoever she wanted, and.

She chose Chekina. The collab itself was something that stemmed from mutual admiration.

They'd met numerous times, paths crossing at award shows and whatnot, and they had always had plans to collaborate.

Sounds familiar, yes.

The old let's have lunch and then you know you never meet up, But this case was different. Beyonce and Shakira followed through.

And that's on emotional maturity, Mama.

After years of admiring each other's work, they were able to record the song together, which, thank the Lord, because that song is Fuagle.

Praise him. Do you remember what you were doing when it came out? It was like confebs February two thousand and seven.

How do you remember that when you don't even remember my name? Sometimes?

Guys, it was the collab.

It was really good. We've gotten to go back and listen to so much Beyonce and Shakira old music and the marriage of those two women in this song with their voices. It's something that I never thought would happen.

I agree, And the timing is just so perfect. Also, pairing two powerhouses.

It's recipe for success, but sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes one overshadows the other or overpowers the other, or there's rumors of bad blood on set. Why do you feel like this song worked so well, Beyonce?

I don't feel like she was trying to take the lead, And I think that they were both fifty to fifty in on the song. They both sang it equally.

And it's interesting because while they never met in person to actually record these vocals for that song, we can all agree that the mix on this was magic.

It was a nice prosole combining both these powerhouse singers. It was the R and B, the hip hop pop mixed with Middle Eastern and Latino.

And one of the best parts is how they open it by saying their name so good and I know now it's super common like DJ dj KAL. At that time, it felt like they were just letting you know who was boss and about to bless your eardrops for real.

And another great part about this song is how much they're hyping each other up. These two women agree that the boy is not worth their time or peace of mind.

It's a true girl anthem and girls, guys, if you're listening, they're not worth your time and.

The youth deserves to know that. Start them off young.

Now. Compared to the music video for Shakira's Objection, where she this is the other woman for her cheap silkon for us, I think Shakira has come a long way off. Disclaimer, we are not taking the recent piquet this is into consideration at this moment. We're going to save that juicy nugget for a little lad.

Speaking of music videos, the one for Beautiful Liar bless Me Queens.

The video won the VMA for most earth Shattering Collaboration at the two thousand and seven MTV Video Music Awards.

Earth Shattering Collaboration, that's a category. You know.

MTV has a lot of fun with the categories, and in two thousand and seven.

It sure was their impact. The VMA's made the category because of them. Nobody can change my mind.

We can all agree that Shakida and Beyonce are two of the busiest women on the planet, and that made shooting this video so difficult. They didn't even have time to choreograph it beforehand. I don't know if you guys know this, but they practically made it all up on the spot, and they rehearsed right before they filmed.

Wow.

Shakira took the lead for most of it and was the one that taught Beyonce had a belly dance.

Ooh girl, and we thank you for your service, Shakida.

The video, without a doubt, instantly made them the sexiest women in the industry, upstaging my favorite Latortua. I mean, when you just have two beautiful women dancing away las malas vibras for a good for nothing Chico.

Okay, I have to say it. I think we're all one, so I'm just gonna say it. This de la rue fella had to be a trifling man. Why is Shakira always singing about cheating? Did he cheat? Did she cheat? I have so many questions.

And we will get to those very soon. At least this time around, though, Shakira isn't singing about dragging the other woman through the dirt. Instead, this distract is about two women that realize their energy is best meent calling the fucker out and I'm moving on true that.

So, what's next on Cheky? That's busy schedule.

Writing the music for the adaptation of Love and the Time of Cholera?

What's my man thinking with these titles?

I think you need to say that for your literary critique podcast.

No one is Safe. I'm looking at you, Joseph Heller.

The film was based on the nineteen eighty five novel of the same name by Gabriel jose L Concordia Garcia Marquez, also known as Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Let's just go with Gobble Gobbo.

It just makes it so much easier AKA very famous, very prolific Colombian writer. Shakita ended up writing a couple of songs for the soundtrack, but the one that stood out was this Bedida.

This Bdi that was nominated for Best Original Song at the sixty fifth Golden Globes.

So close to that egot.

You could almost touch it now. The best part. Gobbel personally asked her to do it.

Hold up, you mean to tell me the father of magical realism, realistically Ashakta to create some magic word.

Well, you have to remember they go way way back. Sometimes I think we are too narrow minded about our pop stars, rock stars, musicians, Like sometimes I feel like we don't give them enough intellectual credit. Do you agree?

I do? I do. I'll speak for myself. I'm not saying I'm a pop star. I am. I like to hang around with people who know a lot more things than I do, And so I feel like Shakda is really into poetry, really into art, really into political things. So her hanging out with a guy like this, I don't think sounds crazy. I think it's an inspiration.

Yeah, I think again, sometimes we have very narrow minded opinions of our pop icons or our pop stars, and we judge them for maybe how they look on the outside, but we aren't really tapping into who they are on the inside. So, yes, Shakira has the crazy wild hair, she's swinging her hips, she's covered in black paint, gyrating on a floor to Alejandro's sons, dancing around barefoot. But

Also, I feel like she's spiritual, and talking to someone who is really in touch with themselves takes you there and maybe just really she got to take a deeper look into herself and write even better and understand her feelings more soundly.

Well, I can't imagine a better teacher when it comes to writing and really expressing what's deep the core of your vulnerability and of your humanity than somebody like Gobble.

Well, I think you're a really good teacher. Thank you. She was different, and people appreciated that she was someone to watch.

In two thousand and eight, Forbes named Shikida the fourth top earning female artist in the music industry. She followed in Ricky and Jalo's footsteps and performed for a president.

Please Say Obama, Please Say Obama. It was hell yeah.

She performed at the Lincoln Memorial for his inauguration alongside Stevie Wonder and Usher. Sure Yes, and unlike other inaugurations, Obama drew a huge crowd.

I can only think of one way to follow up performing in front.

Of so many I'm Afraid to ask.

By dangling upside down from a cage in a nude bodysuit.

Oh well, actually yeah, that's exactly what she did. The following year, Shakira followed up the success of her Oral Fixation duology and her collab with Beyonce with She Wolf.

She Wolf was different.

Shakida had reached international acclaim following the success of both Oral Fixation albums Hips Don't Lie had proved a beacon for her career.

You can still feel the impact to this day.

However, the most interesting detail about Shakira's music is that critics don't often really vibe with it. They have no taste, zero, and yet it always makes its way into lists like Top Albums of the Year.

What's the tea Critics? They don't know anything.

One thing they can't deny is that Shakira puts her heart and soul into her music. For this album, she enlisted inspiration from those who have inspired her. Shaki recorded She Wolf at the Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, where the likes of Bob Marley, The Cure and even ac DC have recorded.

Amazing and those influences were working over time. Because this album was less of the Latin pop and rock feels we'd gotten before. No, No Honey, Shakia delivered an electro pop and new wave phenomenon.

Which come on. One of the collaborators on this is Pharrell Williams. You can't not have that kind of experimental rhythm when you're working with.

Pharrell, I mean, bottom line, it's no surprise that this was the new direction she was taking. Electronic music would soon take over the sound waves. There was LMFAO, scrillicks, you name it, everyone was on it.

In just two thousand and nine alone, the top hits of the year had She Woke, But there's also a Lady Gaga with Just Dance, Love TII and Rihannas Live Your Life Length and Henrianna again but this time with Jay Z and Kanye West with their hit Run This Town. What do you remember about this era of music in two thousand and nine and nine.

I remember Grinder, I remember Grinder came about. I remember here as you sure. I remember Kanye taking the mic from Taylor's with That was in two thousand and nine.

Right, those are a wild time.

It was chaos. Two thousand and nine was chaos.

And we just wanted to dance it all away. Well, the direction she was taking seemed obvious. Many were still curious about this change in style for Shakda.

How did she go from donnez to a bop like She Wolf.

It's actually pretty simple. She's a chameleon, and as we've seen so far in her career, we're going to continue seeing that she's always able to shift and mold herself to what's currently in or popular, but she still does

She doesn't really chase the trends, she modifies them.

It's a great way to describe it. And she took this bustling electropop genre and combined it with influences from around the world like Africa, Columbia, India, and the Middle.

She described it all as quote sonic experimental trip.

And when asked about the title, Shakira had this to say. She Wolf is the woman of our time, the woman who knows what she wants and is free of prejudice and preconceived notions. She defends her deepest desires with teeth and claws like a wild animal. Following the success of She Wolf, she doubled down and collaborated with Freshly Ground for the FIFA song we Still Can't stop singing along to to This Day's Africa Waka Waka. Her version not Ours quickly became the biggest selling World Cup song of

I can't. I can't even guess. It has to be astronomical. Pick three point five billion. I knew the number, bitch, you are sold. But do you think the song was bigger than.

Ricky Martin's Yeah. Like, by the way, I love Cup of Life so good just the sound of this, but it's not as good as Waka Waka. Like again, remember when I said to you that I was sitting in my childhood bedroom in Hurst, Texas listening to Shakda Transport Me to the Middle East. Now here's Waka Waka. She's transporting every person to Africa for the World Cup. Yeah,

I did feel like it.

It's so good it took me there. Unfortunately, not everything was milk and honey.

Great. Now I have the munchies. I'm hungry. Hold that thought.

There was trouble in Paradise because Shakira's love life was headed for a dead end when her longtime partner Antonio de Arua decided to take Shakira took court.

Shakita wasn't shy about her relationship with Antonio.

She began dating the Argentine lawyer back in two thousand.

Please refer to the laundry service section of the second episode on Shakira.

They were happily in love for almost ten years through her crossover and her There are numerous albums After that, public perception of their relationship started to shift when in two thousand and nine, Shakira responded to questions on their status by saying that they don't need to get married to them, marriage was a formality, and.

This won't be the last time she takes this stance.

P Que hold that thought as well. Please her and Antonio basically function as a married couple and for them, well that was enough.

Or so they said, because a year later, in August twenty ten, they broke up. They were on a break now uh ask rust and Rachel.

She called it a quote mutual decision to take time apart from our romantic relationship.

It's never mutual, Gattigne.

And it was supposed to be temporary.

It's never temporary.

And he would continue overseeing her career since he was her lawyer.

Red flag.

Fast forward to twenty thirteen. That guy sued her.

There it is the other shoe.

Dirupt and he asked for wait for it, one hundred million dollars that he believed was owed to.

Him, one hundred million dollars. Do you know what you have to do to earn one hundred million dollars?

You have to first let us let's let the listeners use their imaginations.

Well, I have some innovative ideas if y'all want it.

Antonio claimed that Shakira owed her success to him. She wouldn't be where she was if it wasn't for him.

Uh, he got fifty cent peti hanging.

And it didn't matter anyway, because his lawsuit was dismissed and Shakira was a free woman again until Spain got to her. But that's for another time.

It is Kanderlo.

This does, however, bring us to something you mentioned earlier.

Oh, Gerard. They made the relationship a fish in twenty eleven.

One year after a meeting at the FIFA World Cup.

Hold on, hold on, there's some cross over here.

Now, well a little are she wolf?

She Wolf? More like cougar? Me out?

You couldn't resist good to.

Nope, Our cougar is almost a decade older than PK. You go, Mama.

Pik and Shakira met on the set for her music video for Waka Waka, and you'll get all the cheese men on those two next week. For now, let's focus on the music. Following the success of Waka Waka, Shakira released her ninth album, Sally So.

The album is a perfect blend of her sounds her classic style blended with hints of new direction. No, not one direction.

When describing the album, this is what Shaki had to say. This album represents exactly the way I am, my state of mind today as an artist and as a woman. Some of the songs remind me of my beginnings, so it's kind of like going back to where everything started, but from a new perspective with the way I see

Well, Number one. When the song came out, I was going to the gay bars and Loka was fucking everywhere, and I was like, look, Gon, look Gon, Lka, And you know that made me Loka because I am Oka. So that is the first thing that I could think of right now that we're talking about it. What about you?

I think for me, it was just the constant, I don't know, self discovery element of her, like she's not afraid to try something different, and I feel like for so many of us, You and I have talked about this a lot, right, like we kind of get stuck in this rut of who we are, how we sound, what people think of us. Shakira just has this really innate ability to just throw like all caution to the wind musically and personally and be like, you know what, f it Like, I want to try something new, I

Also because I don't think she cares. I'll tell you why she is writing the music that comes from her, you know, so if it's a failure or not, it's like, this is what she's fucking feeling. This is this is the song. It's a looka, it's a rabiosa, it's stilet soul. It's like we get to evolve with her as they go.

Completely and The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard two hundred chart, marking the highest debut for a Latin album for the year, and with Shakira's fifth album to peak at number one.

At the twenty eleven Latin Grammy Award ceremony, Salle Sold won Best Female Pop Vocal Album.

In November of that year, Shakira was also honored as the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year.

This was her year she survived Antonio's pettias attempts at bringing her down. A girl was at her peak.

Or so she thought. Shakira was about to become a Mama Wolf when it came to sale Luson Shakira stated that there were three layers of the album, a romantic one, a very rock and roll one, and a Latino tropical one. But Shaki admitted that she hadn't tapped into romance for three years prior to the album Ooh the Siderene, and it was refreshing for her to feel those emotions again.

No wonder why rol was salty. However, this time love was truly in the air because Homegirl was pregnant with her first baby.

Yes, in between all of those gigs, Shakira gave birth to her first son with Pique Milan and Barcelona, but.

No nesting for her post baby, she immediately started as a judge on The Voice That's Right.

Shakira and Usher replaced Christina Aguilera and Celo Green as coaches for the fourth season, alongside Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.

Sure you got to get that check, honey. Those diapers ain't cheap.

No, babies are really expensive. And through that all, Shakira had originally planned to release her next album around the same time, but for the moment, family came first, so all her projects were put on pause for almost two years.

But if there's one thing Shakida fans know by now, it's patience.

And Shakira's self titled ten studio album was later released on March twenty fifth, twenty fourteen. Describing the album, she put it best in the end, what I realize is that throughout the course of creating this body of work, I learned a lot about myself. Though I didn't realize it at the time, all the directions I began exploring in the initial phases of recording were helping to pave

Us that it was honest and most of her records.

Are they are And the album had three singles, Can't Remember, to Forget You, Empire, and Dare.

Yet another World Cup hit, this time featuring Brazilian musician Carlinos Brown.

On July thirteenth, twenty fourteen, Shakira performed La La La alongside Carlinos Brown at the World Cup closing ceremony. This performance became her third consecutive appearance at the event.

Ugh, FIFA just can't get enough of Shaikida and the NFL was taking notes.

Shakira was on top of the world. She was living her life by her rules. But even icons can't escape life certainties. I know, death in taxes, lost Joseph. In her next chapter, Shakira will face the loss of one of her closest friends and collaborators and her voice.

And and say it out.

Loud, Yes, her decade long lover peak.

That is what I'm talking about. We got to give the listeners what they want.

Oh, we will on the next Becoming an Icon. Becoming an Icon is presented by Sonoo and Iheart's Michael Guda podcast Network. Listen to Becoming an Icon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast