Fijación Oral, Vol. 1

by Shakira

Overview

Laundry Service gave Shakira her long-anticipated English-language breakthrough, turning her into a global superstar in the process. A hit of that magnitude is hard to follow, so it shouldn't be a great surprise that she toiled on its sequel for upward of four years. What is surprising is that the subsequent album was split in two -- a la Kill Bill -- with the first being devoted to Spanish tunes and the second consisting entirely of English songs; the teasing titles Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 indicate which is which and which hit the market first. It's kind of a sharp move to release Fijacion Oral first, since it not only satisfies her longtime fans who have been waiting a long time for a collection of brand-new Spanish material (she hasn't delivered one since 1998's Donde Estan los Ladrones?), it also subtly signals that she won't be placing American success above anything else. Similarly, Fijacion Oral smartly straddles the line between traditional Latin pop and the sexy, splashy dance-pop and bombastic adult contemporary pop that made Laundry Service a big hit in the U.S.: its heart is in the former, but the production -- the omnipresent Rick Rubin serves as the executive producer -- is slick and bright, enough to make the first single, "La Tortura," sound like a natural for American radio (even if it will never be played because it's sung in Spanish). Despite the surface sheen, Fijacion Oral is proudly a Latin pop record, and it conforms to the conventions of its genre, alternating between melodramatic ballads and insistent dance tunes, sometimes working a sleek bossa nova number into the equation for good measure (the terrific "Obtener un Si," which sounds like it could have been a big hit in the late '60s). Even if it doesn't break convention, it nevertheless does its job extremely well, with an ample amount of style and flair, as well as more songcraft than Shakira is usually given credit for. She's written each song here, sometimes in collaboration with either Luis F. Ochoa or Lester Mendez, and these ten originals (the 12-track album includes two alternate versions) have a combination of commercial savvy and smart writing, making this album a small triumph, proof that Shakira can not only return to her roots, but expand upon them. Since this is a Latin pop record through and through, it will not cross over the way that Laundry Service did, but that's by design: Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 will conquer half of the world, and the other half will follow with Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in six months' time. Given the strength of this album, it's hard to wait for the second part to arrive. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	06/13/2025
Label:	Sony Legacy
UPC:	0198028344210

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Shakira   Primary Artist,Lead Vocals
Alejandro Sanz   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Tres Cubano,Featured Artist
Gustavo Cerati   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Co-Producer,Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Steve Kujala   Flute
Bob McChesney   Trombone
Chris Chaney   Bass,Bajo Sexto
Dave Shostac   Flute
Gary Foster   Flute
Charles Loper   Trombone
Bruce Dukov   Concert Comedienne
Archie Pena   Percussion
Pete Davis   Trumpet,Keyboards,French Horn
Lyle Workman   Guitar
Frank Marocco   Accordion
Warren Luening   Flugelhorn
David J. Carpenter   Bass
Victor Indrizzo   Drums,Bateria,Percussion
Luis Conte   Percussion
Humberto (Kiro) Judex   Accordion
Bob McChensay   Trombone
David Alsina   Bandoneon
Teddy Mulet   Trumpet
Ramon Stagnaro   Guitar
Jonathan Mover   Drums,Bateria
Lester Mendez   Keyboards,Co-Producer
Luis Fernando Ochoa   Guitar,Keyboards,Co-Producer
Shawn Pelton   Drums,Bateria,Percussion
Tony Reyes   Guitar,Keyboards
David Shostac   Flute
Paul Bushnell   Bass,Bajo Sexto
Steve Kajula   Flute
Jorge Calandrelli   Metales,Conductor,Orchestra Director
Frank Morrocco   Accordion
Los Angeles String Orchestra   Strings
Umberto Judex   Accordion
Charley Loper   Trombone
Rene Toledo   Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Dave Carpenter   Bass,Bajo Sexto

Technical Credits

Kevin Killen   Engineer
Shakira   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Remixing,Vocal Arrangement
Pete Davis   Programming
Rob Jacobs   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Rick Rubin   Executive Producer
Mauricio Guerrero   Mixing,Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Lester Mendez   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Programming
Luis Fernando Ochoa   Composer
Ben Kaplan   Assistant Engineer
Gustavo Celis   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Vlado Meller   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Serban Ghenea   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Terry Manning   Engineer
Jorge Calandrelli   Arranger,Orchestration,String Arrangements
Juan Santana   Programming
Tim LeBlanc   Engineer
Mario Sorrenti   Photography
David Massey   A&R
Eddie Arroyo   Remixing
Jose DeJesus Rosales "Halcon Dorado" Torres   Remixing,Programming,Production Assistant
Gelipe Alvarez   Programming
Danny George   Project Coordinator
Gian Arias   Programming
Bryan Gallant   Assistant Engineer
Juan Camatano   Assistant Engineer
DJ Chucky   Remixing
Maria P. Marulanda   Art Direction
Farra Mathews   A&R
Felipe Alvarez   Engineer,Programming
Jose "Gocho" Torres   Producer,Remixing,Programming,Additional Production
Iker Gastaminza   Engineer
Gustavo Cerati   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Programming,Vocal Arrangement
Carlos Paucar   Engineer
Alejandro Sanz   Composer,Vocal Arrangement
Dave Way   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Joe Wohlmuth   Engineer