Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 2005…
#8 – Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 & Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 – Shakira
Today’s pick is a bit of a cheat, in that I’m squeezing two albums into one slot. But Shakira’s two-volume project, separated by five months, certainly feels like one extended album.
Fijacion Oral, the first (and better) volume, is performed entirely in Spanish, while Oral Fixation is fully English-language. The albums share a few titles but mostly tread different territory.
For reasons either personal or commercial, Shakira remains committed to serving both her English- and Spanish-speaking audiences. Following Laundry Service, her next project was a two-volume release: the all-Spanish Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 was released in June of 2005 (a long four-year wait since her last CD) and its partner, the all-English Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, came out in November.
This was an ambitious and successful project, even though neither album performed as well as her previous global smash. Laundry Service was a more pop-focused record, while Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 showcased a return to more traditional Latin music, along with a healthy dose of rock and roll.
If only Shakira were at least somewhat unattractive, or somewhat out of shape… I believe she’d be far better off. Then she wouldn’t be tempted to dress in an outfit that looks like it lost a fight with a pair of scissors and gyrate in a cage like an epileptic.
This woman is a true trailblazer… the only South American artist to ever have a #1 Billboard hit in the U.S. and the first to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She’s a good friend of fellow Colombian Gabriel Garcia Marquez. She spends her spare time taking history classes at UCLA. She’s a celebrated humanitarian who dedicates plenty of time and money to helping the underprivileged in her home country and the rest of the world.
But she insists on presenting herself artistically as a half-naked contortionist.
Meet Me In Montauk 