| | |  | Pop | Home » » » She Wolf | | | | | | | Description: | | Shakira's brand new English album She Wolf is an uptempo pop album. It is all about synthesizers and electronical concepts, all mixed with the world sounds that we are used to from Shakira, sounds from countries like India, the Middle East and her home country of Colombia. She Wolf features a predominantly English track list with a follow up album of new and unique repertoire in Spanish to come in 2010. The title track "She-Wolf"; boasts the infectious and energizing sound that made Shakira a household name, with a slightly more dancey/ electronic beat (about 125 beats per minute). Though most tracks on the upcoming album will be in English, Shakira chose to service the Spanish version of the first single, "Loba," two weeks before the English single is launched. | | | Product Details: | | | Audio CD Release Date:
| November 23, 2009 | | Studio:
| Epic | | Number Of Discs:
| 1 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 79 reviews |
| | | Track Listing: | | | 1. | She Wolf | | 2. | Did It Again | | 3. | Long Time | | 4. | Why Wait | | 5. | Good Stuff | | 6. | Men In This Town | | 7. | Gypsy | | 8. | Spy (featuring Wyclef Jean) | | 9. | Mon Amour | | 10. | Loba | | 11. | Lo Hecho Esta Hecho | | 12. | Anos Luz | | 13. | Give It Up To Me (featuring Lil Wayne) | | 14. | Did It Again (featuring Kid Cudi) | | 15. | Gypsy (Live) | | 16. | She Wolf (Live From T4) | |
| | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 79 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 80 found the following review helpful:
 Big disappointmentDec 03, 2009
By vedderoh1
"vedderoh1"
I still remember the exact moment when I heard Estoy aqui for the very first time: I was in my bedroom, studying for midterms and as the chorus ended I thought "wow, that's a voice". Only after I saw the video did I realize she was roughly my age and full of potential. Shakira's career took off with such impulse that a single trip around the earth would not be enough to make her fuel run out.
Fourteen years later and five albums under the arm the story seems to be the same. Or almost, at least. She Wolf finds her at a point in her life where everything has fallen finally into place, but maybe this has not quite sparked the flame to create an outstanding record. To put it simply, not even her last song in English (that sexy duet with Beyonce) could have prompted me to think twice whether to continue listening or turn off the stereo.
There are many factors that contribute to make Shewolf an utter disappointment for any true fan. First, she cannot convey in English what she transmits when she sings in Spanish. That has been a fact with very few exceptions (Hips don't lie and Underneath your clothes) that no matter how much we try to defend, has no escaping. Her voice finds a wall every time she delivers her verses in a foreign language and, in this case, the added synthesizers and dance beats help no further.
Second, she has allowed individual producers to slaughter her unique style hoping to obtain a more universal appeal. Unfortunately, that gamble results in a lifeless performance that any Britney could replicate.
Third, Shakira has never needed to prove herself to anyone, but in She Wolf she sounds as if every note was written to do so. Otherwise it cannot be understood why her identity is lost at the hands of merciless producers that make her tracks disappear amidst cliches and unexplainable arrangements, or why she seems to navigate aimlessly in creatively chopped paths.
Not everything deserves the waste basket here. Ironically, the six bonus tracks included in the U.S. release of the album (not in the original pressing released in the rest of America) contradict and improve everything that she has offered in the first ten tracks. Thus, Lo hecho esta hecho and Anos Luz, the Spanish versions of Did it again and Long time soar when she imbues them with her soulful native tongue, and acquire a new dimension when she words the meaning of her delectable prose.
I am positive that in a matter of months she will surprise us with a fantastic record in Spanish. She has to. The point of her music was never to gain millions of fans, but to touch them and embrace them, to make them one in all, and with this erratic attempt she has obviously lost that vision. The talent remains, but the form has betrayed her and us, hopefully momentarily.
31 of 39 found the following review helpful:
 Great Female Pop with IntelligenceNov 26, 2009
By Brian Rooney
Shakira is not only one of the best pop artists in modern music, even better she is an intelligent, compassionate, creative individual who is unafraid to pursue her own vision despite anyone's expectations. She Wolf is one of her best albums, full of consistently beautiful and uplifting music.
A note to the She Wolf haters: did you somehow mistake Laundry Service for Hamlet? Get a grip. She makes pop music. She has always made pop music. She is still at the head of the pack, and will very likely remain there despite any number of personal reinventions. Pick up the soundtrack to Love in the Time of Cholera--that is very recent new music from Shakira, and it is much more traditional, maybe you'll like it better. Personally I can listen to Did It Again a thousand times in a row before I start getting sleepy. And have you seen that video?! Oh my god she can dance like no other. Those hips don't lie, but they sure can hypnotize.
13 of 17 found the following review helpful:
SO glad i wasnt disappointed!Nov 29, 2009
By RJ
"rjmusic"
I've aways been a shakira fan! She makes great music that upbeat and catchy. It's also nice to hear some latin influenced music on the radio.I was realy skeptical when she decided like everybody to essentially copy this new dance craze in the music industry, but surprisingly most of this album is very good. If you want to hear old shakira just listen to Gypsy that reminds me of most of her other work.I also enjoyed She wolf, that song was basically a smash thanks to the hot sexy video.I really liked the way she mixes in vocals with the disco beats. Give it up to me, at first seemed like a rip off of madonnas give it to me,featuring a rapper as well. But this one totally kicks that one in the pan. This funky, unique and has great instruments in the back ground. She did a great job on the AMAS of performing this song. Spyglass had to be my favorite song. I love the chilling horns part. Its got a great beat and the lyrics are pretty sexy and seductive. Def. dance pop with an edge. Did it again was the only filler track was like,ugh! But it was still alot better then i thought. Why wait was another bangin track as well.I enjoyed this way better then lady gagas latest album. Im not saying that sucked by any means, but this one had better production quality,imo. Which is what i like to hear in dance music.This is a must have! great album!
16 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 Are the US charts reason enough to risk your career?Nov 24, 2009
By A. C. Estrada
Let's face it, if you are still longing for another Piez Descalzos or Donde estan los ladrones?, give it up, that Shakira is long gone. The Shakira we have now is a pop singer who have been crawling up the charts slowly but consistent, but who still has many flaws that could end up banishing her career. She wolf is clearly an effort to succeed in the mainstream pop world, a record designed to contend with the Brittney Spears of the world, but as any other calculated product, the flaws are bared and evidently visible. First is that stubborn tendency to imitate Beyonce; even though is true that Shakira has never been the most original artist (in the past she has drawn from Alanis Morissette and No Doubt), she is setting her foot in dangerous ground. Shakira lacks the strong stage presence that take even the most dull Beyonce's song to a higher level (listen to "Single Ladies" and then watch the video and tell me if you listen to the song the same way), but what Shakira lacked in stage presence she made up with her injection of intellectualism in her lyrics and musicianship, but in She Wolf, even that is very hard to find. Still, she managed to integrate some gems in the album. "Did it again" hit all the right notes and melodies, and for a moment there, Shakira's voice reminded me of that rebel girl with the pink highlights that she once was. "She wolf" is a really good club song a la Daft Punk, and "Gipsy" is vintage Shakira, the classic mix of Arabic sounds and instrumentation that always makes her shine. Things start to go down by the end of the record and the flaws come crawling back materialized by Kid Cudi and Flo Rida cameos. Shakira is more efficient when she pairs with singers that resemble her music panorama (remember Alejandro Sanz?), but hip hop is a big no no for her. Even Wyclef works since he seems to get the most out of Shakira's Latino roots. In the end one have to wonder if Shakira really believes that she is winning new fans by abandoning what makes her stand out, while I argue that her fans today were the same singing "Ciega sordomuda" at the top of their lungs. I only hope that by trying to become the next Madonna she doesn't end up as Kylie Minogue.
22 of 31 found the following review helpful:
"She Wolf" Lacks Heart and PersonalityNov 23, 2009
By Antoine D. Reid
"80sforever"
After picking up "She Wolf" and listening to it a few times, I have to say that it is (regrettably) my least favorite album by Shakira. "She Wolf" to me lacks the aggressiveness and sensuality Shakira usually packs into her music. Even when she doesn't sing in English, there's usually so much sexuality, passion and spirit rushing from each track. Yet, in this release, Shakira sounds a bit off. She sounds less sure of herself, she mulls and chews certain words to the point of needing a translator, the music itself feels very anti-climatic. What happened to the music and the artist that brought us hits like "La Tortura", "Where Ever, When Ever" and "Hips Don't Lie"? Sorry to say but that Shakira seems absent on the weak "She Wolf".
The Good: If there's one good thing Shakira accomplishes with "She Wolf" is that she's trying new things musically. Instead of trying to pull off a sound and album she's already done, "She Wolf" has a more laid back, light, Earthy/folksy feel to it. "Gypsy" stands out as a track because Shakira exudes vulnerability and sensuality in the simplicity of the music. "Good Stuff" and "Give It Up To Me" have crossover appeal with a touch of urban and hip-hop. "Men In This Town" has an interesting instrumental backing, sounding slightly electronic, and an interesting breakdown that has Shakira doing a small little rap. The strength of "She Wolf" is Shakira trying new styles and sounds.
The Bad: Her voice is weak on this album. I know English isn't her first language but I never minded or took note of her voice until this album. In certain songs, she doesn't at all sound as if she's into the music. "She Wolf" stands out in my mind because even her wolf howl is weak. She doesn't put a lot of effort musically into some of the songs, giving the impression that she never connects to some of these songs. Another weakness is that it feels like there isn't much to this album. "She Wolf" appears three times; album version, live and a spanish version. A mediocre song appearing three times pulls the album down. Adding in a few rappers to make the songs more 'American' friendly didn't always work; "Did It Again" was all right and though the Kid Kudi version was slightly improved, it just felt like an attempt to sell more albums than to add anything musically to the track.
In all, I was let down by "She Wolf". It feels rushed and though there are some good tracks, the singing and vocals on most of the tracks just feels out right lazy and weak. There are definitely more weak, skip-worthy tracks than there are hits. Buy at your own discretion but I recommend skipping it.
Listen To These: "Men In This Town", "Good Stuff", "Gypsy", "Give It Up To Me"
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