95. Shakira
¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (Sony, 1998)
Shakira's luggage was once stolen at the airport in Bogotá, Colombia. The loss, which included a trove of lyrics in one of the suitcases, left her devastated and shook. But the incident also fueled the inspiration for what would be her next album, ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (its title means "where are the thieves?"). While it's in partially inspired by the robbery, the album hints towards the political corruption and mistrust Colombian society held towards their own government. As a follow up to her success with Pies Descalzos, Shakira produced every song on her fourth studio record while experimenting with new pop and rock arrangements. She certainly made the most of a bad situation: The imaginative songs of ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?, brimming with Shakira's witty and brutally honest wordplay, cemented her place in the alternative Latin rock canon. Some Shakira fans see this album as her last piece of work in this genre before crossing over into the English-speaking market with her following record Laundry Service, which ignited cultural conversations about Shakira's authenticity. Yet as a half-Colombiana half Salvadoreña young girl, I never saw other young mujeres from my countries in the media doing what they loved. Shakira, and this album, represented embracing my "otherness" and owning it unapologetically. —Jessica Diaz-Hurtado (NPR Staff)
¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (Sony, 1998)
Shakira's luggage was once stolen at the airport in Bogotá, Colombia. The loss, which included a trove of lyrics in one of the suitcases, left her devastated and shook. But the incident also fueled the inspiration for what would be her next album, ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? (its title means "where are the thieves?"). While it's in partially inspired by the robbery, the album hints towards the political corruption and mistrust Colombian society held towards their own government. As a follow up to her success with Pies Descalzos, Shakira produced every song on her fourth studio record while experimenting with new pop and rock arrangements. She certainly made the most of a bad situation: The imaginative songs of ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?, brimming with Shakira's witty and brutally honest wordplay, cemented her place in the alternative Latin rock canon. Some Shakira fans see this album as her last piece of work in this genre before crossing over into the English-speaking market with her following record Laundry Service, which ignited cultural conversations about Shakira's authenticity. Yet as a half-Colombiana half Salvadoreña young girl, I never saw other young mujeres from my countries in the media doing what they loved. Shakira, and this album, represented embracing my "otherness" and owning it unapologetically. —Jessica Diaz-Hurtado (NPR Staff)