El Dorado

by Shakira

Overview

Shakira used to unite her albums with a grand concept, but that inclination faded in the new millennium. Maybe it's a sign of the times, maybe it's a sign of lessened artistic ambition, but she's streamlined her albums so they're lithe, tight, and bilingual. El Dorado, arriving three years after a star-studded eponymous wannabe blockbuster, feels as if it exists on a much smaller scale than any of her previous albums, with the possible exception of the breezy Sale el Sol. Like that album, El Dorado sails by swiftly, but this 2017 record packs a lot of different moods in its 45 minutes. Shakira swaps out American celebrities like Blake Shelton and Rihanna -- the big cameos from her self-titled album -- in favor of international musical stars, finding places for Nicky Jam, Black M, Carlos Vives, Prince Royce, and two tracks with Maluma. This move alone suggests how El Dorado is anchored in Spanish-language songs: only three of the album's 13 tracks are sung in English, all three slickly produced adult pop. One of these songs -- "What We Said" -- is present in both languages, illustrating how the Spanish tracks aren't necessarily livelier even though all the danceable cuts are in Spanish. Throughout El Dorado, Shakira shifts slyly between these percolating electronic rhythms, old-fashioned balladeering, and glassy adult contemporary pop. The only thing absent from her bag of tricks is a bit of arena rock, but it's not missed because El Dorado feels coherent and mature in its understated -- but not boring -- control of mood. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	03/07/2025
Label:	Sony U.S. Latin
UPC:	0198028958912

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Shakira   Primary Artist,Vocals,Voices
Black M   Primary Artist
Jean Rodriguez   Vocals (Background)
Carlos Carbonell   Voices
Chris Mercedes   Bass
Maluma   Voices,Featured Artist
Gerardo Williams   Guitar
Magic!   Featured Artist
Tato Marenco   Flute
Saga WhiteBlack   Voices
Laura Andres   Piano
Alvaro Marin   Bass (Electric)
Christian Camilo Pena   Accordion
Daniel Luna   Guira
Andres Castro   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Carlos Vives   Vocals,Featured Artist
Luis Fernando Ochoa   Bass,Piano,Guitar
Nicky Jam   Featured Artist
Raul Bier   Banjo
Dave Clauss   Guitar,Mezcla,Voices,Silbato
Dennis Vargas   Guitar (Rhythm)
Steve Purcell   Bateria
Prince Royce   Featured Artist
Julia Michaels   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Redeyes   Engineer
D'Lesly "Dice" Lora   Arranger,Producer
Geoffrey Royce Rojas   Composer,Producer
Rude Boyz   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Carlos Carbonell   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Pablo Fierro   Programming
Dany Synthe   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
Rudy Bethancourt   Engineer
Luis Barrera, Jr.   Engineer
Black M   Composer,Producer
Kurtis McKenzie   Composer,Programming,Instrumentation
Lincoln Castaneda   Engineer
Antonio Rayo Gibo   Composer
Maluma   Producer,Mastering
The Arcade   Producer
Magnus August Hoiberg   Composer
Nadine Eliya   A&R,Project Supervisor
Juan Luis Londono   Composer
Rene Cano   Composer
Kevin Jimenez   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Additional Production
Cristhian Mena   Composer
Nick Rivera Caminero   Composer
Saga WhiteBlack   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Bryan Snaider Lezcano Chaverra   Composer
Chan El Genio   Engineer,Producer,Engraving,Additional Production
Andre Nascimbeni   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Joel Antonio Lopez Castro   Composer
Rayito Para Tailors   Producer
Andy Steinway   Production Coordination
Ray Charles Brown   Engineer
Stephen McGregor   Additional Production
Afo Verde   A&R,Executive Producer
Adam Ayan   Mastering
Olgui Chirino   Harmony,Vocal Arrangement
Alfredo Matheus   Mixing
Shakira   Harmony,Composer,Producer,Creative Director
Andres Castro   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Carlos Vives   Composer
Luis Fernando Ochoa   Composer,Producer,Programming,Additional Production
Nicky Jam   Producer
Justin Tranter   Composer
Gustavo Celis   Engineer
Dave Clauss   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Vocal Engineer,Drum Recordings,Mixing Engineer
Nasri Atweh   Composer,Producer
Daniel Santacruz   Composer
Jaume DeLaiguana   Photography,Creative Director
Manny Cruz   Composer
Dwayne Chin-Quee   Producer,Additional Production
Jon Mills   Composer,Programming,Instrumentation
Julia Michaels   Composer
Jean Rodriguez   Engineer