After staying somewhat off the radar since her 2014 self-titled album, Shakira is back with a bang, and it's in the shape of a new latin pop album titled El Dorado. The album title translates to The Golden One, and I think we can safely say that Shakira is deserving of that title given how popular she has remained over the years. She's in her early forties, she's had two children and she still looks, writes and sounds as good as ever. So let's see what the Colombian songstress has to offer with her new release.
Take a look at the guidelines for our ratings if you're not familiar with them yet!
1 - Shouldn't have been recorded
2 - Filler
3 - Above average filler
4 - Killer
5 - Career defining masterpiece
Track 01 - Me Enamoré
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 4/5
Track 02 - Nada
John - 3/5
Tilly - 3/5
Track 03 - Chantaje [Feat. Maluma]
John - 3/5
Tilly - 3/5
Track 04 - When a Woman
John - 2.5/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 05 - Amarillo
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 06 - Perro Fiel [Feat. Nicky Jam]
John - 2/5
Tilly - 2.5/5
Track 07 - Trap [Feat. Maluma]
John - 2.5/5
Tilly - 3/5
Track 08 - Comme moi [with Black M]
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3/5
Track 09 - Coconut Tree
John - 4.5/5
Tilly - 4/5
Track 10 - La Bicicleta [with Carlos Vives]
John - 3.5/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 11 - Deja vu [with Prince Royce]
John - 2/5
Tilly - 2/5
Track 12 - What We Said (Comme moi English version) [Feat. MAGIC!]
John - 4/5
Tilly - 3.5/5
Track 13 - Toneladas
John - 3/5
Tilly - 3/5
Conclusion
John - I have to be honest, the album being mostly in Spanish put me off a little before we reviewed it, but I don't really think it made a difference. Maybe the slower songs that didn't have the catchy-ness, I found a bit dull, but I was able to translate the lyrics so I could at least judge them. Lyrically I think El Dorado is beautiful, perhaps with the exception of Perro Fiel and Trap, and vocally Shakira absolutely kills it, as she always does. Coconut Tree is also one of my favourite songs that we've ever reviewed; an incredible blend of smooth, chilled vocals, beautiful lyrics, and a perfect instrumental to go with them.
I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the collaborators, apart from Comme Moi with MAGIC! - my second favourite track on the album. Instrumentally I thought it all got slightly tedious as the record went on, as there wasn't a whole lot of variety. But, as a cohesive album, I thoroughly enjoyed listening. One of the most consistent artists around for the 26 years that she's been active, Shakira most certainly has still got it.
Overall Score - 3.5/5
Tilly - Shakira has always been someone I admire. Her voice may not be everybody's cup of tea, but to me it is unique and beautifully strange, and despite the occasional translation errors on her part, and that of Google translate on mine, her lyricism is magnificent. El Dorado is the first Spanish album of hers that I've listened to and the language barrier really isn't an issue. Her voice typically portrays what the song is about, and the upbeat songs are always a lot of fun. Coconut Tree and Me Enamoré were excellent pop songs. The former being a sparkling gem of a track, it's ever so pretty and as a Pisces, I'm all for songs about islands and oceans. Shakira almost always delivers at least a decent album, and whilst El Dorado has the occasional duller moment, it's still an album I'll have on repeat for a while.
Overall Score - 3.5/5
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