10 greatest Shakira hits of all time

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (February 2, 1977) or simply Shakira is a Colombian singer and songwriter. She has been called the "Queen of Latin Music" and praised for her musical versatility.

Singers Room reports: "Shakira made her debut on Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13. After the commercial failure of her first two albums, Magia (1991) and Peligro (1993), she became known in Spanish-speaking countries with Pies Descalzos (1995) and Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998)."

The singer entered the English-speaking market with her fifth album Laundry Service (2001), which has sold over 13 million copies worldwide. With the international success of the singles "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes," the album cemented her reputation as a leading crossover artist. Broadcast Music, Inc. called Shakira a "trailblazer" for expanding the global reach of Latin artists.

Shakira's further success was strengthened by albums in Spanish - Fijación Oral (2005), Sale el Sol (2010) and El Dorado (2017), which topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart and received a Diamond Certificate (Latin) from the Recording Industry Association of America.

At the same time, the singer's English-language albums - Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005), She Wolf (2009) and Shakira (2014) - received gold, platinum or multi-platinum certificates in different countries.

Here are 10 of Shakira's most popular hits, according to Singers Room

Chantaje

"Chantaje" (English: "Blackmail") - the song was written with the participation of Colombian singer and rapper Maluma and released on October 28, 2016 by Sony Music Latin as the lead single from Shakira's eleventh studio album El Dorado (2017). This song was the second collaboration between Maluma and Shakira after they took part in the remix of Carlos Vives' single "La Bicicleta".

"Chantaje" is a pop and reggaeton song. Lyrically, the song is seen as a "battle of the sexes" where the male protagonist is unsure of his relationship with his beloved, and the female protagonist is not entirely clear about the situation.

Commercially, "Chantaje" proved to be super successful and topped the Latin charts in Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Spain, Uruguay, and the United States, and reached the top five in nine other countries.

The song also became the most successful Latin single of the decade in the United States, being certified platinum or higher in ten countries, including diamond in Argentina, Brazil (three times), France, Mexico, and the United States (Latin). She has been nominated for the 18th Latin Grammy Awards in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Urban Fusion Performance.

Hips Don't Lie

"Hips Don't Lie" is a song by Shakira featuring Haitian rapper Wilef Jean, released by Epic Records in 2006 as the second single from the singer's seventh studio album Oral Fixation, Vol. 2.

Upon its release, "Hips Don't Lie" received favorable reviews from music critics and several awards, including the People's Choice Award, the MTV Latin America Video Music Award and the MTV Video Music Award. "Hips Don't Lie" was a global success, reaching number one in seventeen countries, including the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Shakira's first and only hit in the US to date.

The song also topped the charts in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and other countries. By 2017, the number of downloads of "Hips Don't Lie" was estimated at 13 million, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.

She Wolf

"She Wolf" is part of the eighth studio album of the same name (2009). It was released on July 10, 2009 by Epic Records as the lead single of the album.

The lyrics were written by Shakira. The musical composition was written by Shakira, John Hill and Sam Endicott. Shakira and Hill also produced the song.

Musically, "She Wolf" is a hi-NRG, Italian disco, synth-pop and electropop song in which Shakira talks about her boredom caused by her partner's lack of care and how she looks for other people to satisfy her.

Try Everything

"Try Everything" is a song recorded by Shakira for the 2016 Walt Disney Animation Studios film "Zootopia", written by Sia, Thor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen.

In the movie, this composition is performed by the singer Gazelle (voiced by Shakira). The first time it is heard is when Judy Hopps plays it on her MP3 player on the train heading to Zootopia.

The song is also heard during the final credits (performed by Gazelle for the residents of Zootopia). "Try Everything" is included in the soundtrack album for the movie Zveropolis and was released as a single in February 2016.

Waka Waka

"Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" is a song by Shakira, written with the participation of the South African band Freshlygroun, released on May 7, 2010 by Epic Records as the anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which took place in South Africa.

The song follows the original Cameroonian song "Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)" by Golden Sounds, and its lyrics call for a person to strive for his or her goal like a soldier on the battlefield.

The song received generally favorable reviews from critics. However, the choice of Shakira to perform the song caused controversy, as many South Africans expressed disappointment with FIFA's decision, arguing that the role should have gone to a local singer.

The song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" took the first place in the charts of many countries around the world and became the most successful song of 2010 in seven countries.

The single received multi-platinum certifications in a number of countries, including diamond certifications in Brazil, France, Germany and Sweden. As of 2019, the single "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" has been downloaded 15 million times worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Whenever, Wherever

"Whenever, Wherever" is the lead single by Shakira from her debut English-language studio album Laundry Service (2001). It was released on October 2, 2001 via Epic Records. The song was written and produced by Shakira, with additional lyrics written by Gloria Estefan.

"Whenever, Wherever" is a mixture of Latin American music and worldbeat, which was greatly influenced by the music of the Andes (a region of South America). In the Spanish version of the song, titled "Suerte" (translated from English as "Luck"), Shakira sings about how lucky she was to find her romantic partner.

After its release, "Whenever, Wherever" received positive reviews from music critics who praised its production.

The song became Shakira's breakthrough hit in the United States, where it reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, "Whenever, Wherever" topped the charts in 29 countries, including Colombia and most of Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Oceania. It is recognized as one of Shakira's signature songs and became one of the most successful musical works in the world in 2002.

"Whenever, Wherever" has been certified platinum or higher in seventeen countries, including diamond in France. More than 8.5 million copies have been sold worldwide.

Can't Remember to Forget You

"Can't Remember to Forget You" is a song from the fourth English-language, and tenth studio album, Shakira, featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna. The song was released as the album's lead single on January 13, 2014 via RCA Records and Sony Latin Iberia. The solo Spanish version of the song, titled "Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte", was released on January 24, 2014.

"Can't Remember to Forget You" was co-written by Shakira with Rihanna, Jonah Hill, Tom "Kid Harpoon" Hull, Daniel Alexander and Eric Hassle.

"Can't Remember to Forget You" is an up-tempo composition that combines reggae, rock and new wave pop music. Lyrically, the song tells about how to forget someone bad, even if you love that person. After the release of "Can't Remember to Forget You," critics had a mixed reception, believing that the song was not memorable.

Perro Fiel

"Perro Fiel" ("Faithful Dog") is a song by Shakira, written with the participation of American singer Nicki Jam. The song was released on September 29, 2017 as the sixth single from her eleventh studio album El Dorado (2017).

Clandestino

"Clandestino" (English: "Underground") is a song by Shakira and Maluma, released on June 8, 2018 as an independent single. The performers worked on the song in April 2018 in Spain.

According to Rolling Stone, "Clandestino" was planned as the lead single from Shakira's twelfth studio album, but for unknown reasons was excluded from the album.

The song took the first place in Colombia, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Uruguay.

La Tortura

"La Tortura" (English: "Torture") is a song by Shakira featuring Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz from her sixth studio album Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (2005).

The composition was written and produced by Shakira, as well as Luis Fernando Ochoa and Lester Mendes, with whom she has long collaborated. "La Tortura" was released on April 12, 2005 by Epic Records as the lead single of the album.

"La Tortura" is a pop, reggaeton and dancehall song that tells the story of a woman who has been emotionally tortured because her boyfriend cheated on her and eventually left her for another woman, and now he has returned and is apologizing.