Shakira Embraces Her Roots In "El Dorado"

Shakira has always been an icon of the latin world. Her music has always stood out as the sound of Latin pride. Shakira embraces her roots in El Dorado, bringing together electronic pop with her Latin style.

This album is almost exclusively in Spanish (barring a few songs), so focus falls onto the instrumentals and melodies. Opening track 'Me Enamoré' brings electronica and Latin roots together in a strong way, making for a sweet opener to the record. Shakira's melodies are also very nice here, swooning along with the instrumental. The good vocals continue on with 'Nada.'

The instrumentals are what most songs really rely on, and some tracks fall a victim to that. 'Nada,' for example, has nice vocals but a pretty uneventful instrumental that makes for a boring listen. Other tracks like 'Amarillo' have a nice overall sound that keeps the track light an interesting, even if you can't understand what the words are saying. With the sweet Latin beats and dancey electronic synths playing, most tracks find themselves staying light and fun.

The Spanish singing really adds a sense of integrity to the album. Shakira fully embraces everything she embodies on this album: her Latin roots, her dancey vibes, and her sweet disposition. Even when you don't quite know what the words are, the way she says them comes off very sweetly. This album, despite not having many notable sounds, does remain positive, which is always a plus.

Shakira embraces her roots in El Dorado, the music coming off as light and dancey with a Latin tinge. There's not much exciting on this record, but its genuine nature speaks for itself. Shakira not only speaks for her roots, but also her own personality, too.

Favorite Track: Me Enamore

Least Favorite Track: Nada

Rating: 68 / 100

Buy or listen to El Dorado on Apple Music or Amazon: