Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

For her first Spanish-language album in seven years, Shakira returns to her Latin American roots. 'œBut it's hardly a retreat,' said Jon Pareles in The New York Times. Instead of contracting to fit her focus, Fijación expands to embrace a 'œmultiplicity' of beats that are 'œblissfully pan-American.' Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, due this November, will be a second set of English-language songs. This double-album format allows Shakira to cater to both her original fan base and the larger, worldwide audience she built with her English-language debut, Laundry Service, in 2001. She employs a number of styles, from synth pop on 'œLas de la Intición' to bossa nova on 'œObtener un Sí' to a hybrid of dancehall reggae and electronica on the standout track 'œLa Tortura.' In doing so, said James Reed in The Boston Globe, she casts too wide a net. On this album, Shakira commits the cardinal sin of the crossover artist: By trying too hard to please everyone, she produces an album that 'œcollapses under its own ambitions.' The tracks are too disparate and commercial, adding layers of artifice to the work of a musician whose roots 'œwere never really acoustic or organic.' That's because Shakira refuses to play one role, said Jordan Levin in The Miami Herald. She is a mature artist who is constantly 'œasking questions' in her work, and who consciously chooses to weed out lyrical clichés. Since her last album, Shakira's voice has acquired new depth and subtlety on songs that 'œreally have something to say.'

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