Since 2001's "Laundry Service" was a blockbuster English-speaking breakthrough for Shakira, it makes sense that its sequel was released after four years of hard work. And it's a good thing too, since "Fijacion Oral" doesn't equal its predecessor -- it surpasses it. "Laundry Service" was definitely a solid English record, but what "Fijacion Oral" reminds us of is that Shakira is at her best, both musically and artistically, when she speaks in her native tongue, therefore she's given more room to explore her musical horizons.
This time around, after gaining worldwide appeal, Shakira now aims to create versatile pop that's suited for all ages, and welcomes all nationalities. In order to achieve this, Shakira really had no choice but to split "Fijacion Oral" into two volumes: one in Spanish, and one in English. This way, her multi-purpose pop will be just as appealing to English audiences as well as Spanish ones. Right away, it's instantly noticeable that "Fijacion Oral" is the right first step in order to achieve this. On the album, you not only have the Latin pop of "La Tortura" and the fantasic disco-pop of "Las De La Intuicion", but you also have 60s jazz featured in "Obtener Un Si", and all three tracks can fit right alongside hushed acoustic pieces like the opener "En Tus Pupilas" with grand efficiency. Also, all twelve tracks are crafted big enough to appeal to the masses, but are subtle enough to expand on Shakira's roots and take her music to heights unseen since her 1998 smash "Donde Estan Los Ladrones?". And every tracks flows right into another with remarkable ease, so you can follow big dance numbers with the organic acoustics of "Die De Enero" with no problem. Although this does cause these songs to not sound distinct as a whole, individually, they are as strong as anything found in her "Ladrones" days in the 90s. This is definitely Shakira's most mature and restrained album, but yet it retains her Latin fire to an elegant degree. "Lo Imprescendible" assures her audience that her flare will never be absent from any one of her albums, and "La Pared" uses the eerie synths of The Eurythmics to prove she can do retro pop just as well and not lose anything in translation. Even if "Fijacion Oral" is completely in Spanish, it's somehow still understandable. It's sweeping and infectious emotions are easily heard through the exquisite production, and her voice is honestly much more suited for her native language, anyway. With all of its addictive pop and rousing sentiments, "Fijacion Oral" is definitely a worthy successor to both "Laundry Service" and "Ladrones", and with the increasingly compelling Latin diva behind the music, it makes for a very strong pop record, a strength unseen on any other album in 2005.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. En Tus Pupilas 2. La Pared 3. La Tortura
4. Obtener un Si 5. Dia De Especial 6. Escondite Ingles
7. No 8. Las de la Intuicion 9. Dia de Enero
10. Lo Imprescendible 11. La Pared (Acoustic) 12. La Tortura (Remix)
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