1. "Dare (La La La)"
Shakira starts off her set strong. While it was still titled "Truth or Dare", this track was set to be released as the album's lead single. The plans for that release we're scrapped almost as soon as they were announced when Shakira got pregnant. After taking some more time off, the fate of this track was left unknown. Thankfully, it made the album.
With a huge dance backing provided by Afrojack, this track will easily be a fan favorite and could potentially perform well worldwide like her 2010 FIFA World Cup Anthem "Waka Waka". While its success won't be as huge, the promotion of a special version of the track during the games should help it on an international scale. With that being said, you can read my review of that version at the end.
A major success. I am expecting this song to be confirmed as the album's next official single.
2. "Can't Remember to Forget You (feat. Rihanna)"
This track received so much hype, so naturally I expected it to be one of the best songs I had ever heard from Rihanna or Shakira. Unfortunately, I (and many other music junkies) found this production to be severely underwhelming. It's not like it's bad material (because after all it still peaked at #3 on my list), but I thought for sure (before its release) that it would hit #1.
With a revived ska and reggae flair, this track appears to be bold but really is simply structured. A slight misstep.
3. "Empire"
This track is emotional, strong, passionate and not at all what I expected from Shakira. However, it is an exceptional track that strikes all of the right notes. Really I don't need to say much more than "#1 debut".
I am very happy that Shakira is stepping outside the realm of mainstream pop and focusing on more rock and reggae tinged tracks. While some may note an excessive amount of auto-tune in one particular section of the chorus, I think that actually improves the quality of the track, giving it a ghostly and haunting vibe.
4. "You Don't Care About Me"
Not as bad as a filler, but a little too simple for inclusion on this album. The verses feel very cropped, while the chorus seems overly long. There is some sort of balancing issue with the song, but other than that it's pleasant to listen to.
5. "Cut Me Deep (feat. MAGIC!)"
While it's a little odd to include on this album, this collaboration with Canadian band MAGIC! is up tempo and seems sort of like a fast paced duet. Mixing ska, pop, and some soft rock elements, this 'cut' is an interesting blend that is segmented. What I mean is that the track feels like it was set up to phase through several different genres over time instead of just plain mixing them all the way through. It's an interesting approach, and something that I didn't see coming. Too be completely honest, I thought that this would be the worst track on the album, but it's very entertaining instead.
6. "Spotlight"
Well I've finally found it. The dumb song on the album. The message that Shakira is trying to get across in this track can eventually be found if you don't quickly skip to the next track, but it's very hazy and lacking. To be frank, I think a 5 year old could have written the chorus better (the verses aren't nearly as mediocre). It's a complete waste of album space and the definition of the term 'album filler'. Sorry Shakira (because you were the main writer), but you can do much better (example: "La La La").
7. "Broken Record"
Following in the footsteps of "Spotlight", this track isn't up to the standards that the first 5 tracks had set. With a folk style beat, "Broken Record" really doesn't stir things up. Shakira's vocals are noteworthy but sound overly American (like she might be trying too hard), and while the lyrics aren't as bad as the ones displayed in "Spotlight", they have their sappy moments. Another disappointment.
8. "Medicine (feat. Blake Shelton)"
Straight out of Nashville and right to press. "Medicine" is a clear winner. It's positioned right after some not-so-great tracks, placed in the center of the album and in my opinion is the glue that holds the entire project together. It's more than a typical country song. It's a peaceful production that really tests Shakira's vocal ability. I'll just tell you right now Shakira nailed this song. A true standout that I could see being sent to United States american radio. A hit to be!
9. "23"
Fashioned to be the ending credits for the swinging "Medicine", "23" is a gentle country tinged ballad. Dedicated to her family, Shakira gives the song an extremely personal touch by including vocals provided by her young son Milan. This idea is similar to Beyoncé's move of including her daughter's voice on the recently released song "Blue". Yes it has already been done, but it was a nice touch. Very well done.
10. "The One Thing"
Laced with addictive pop vocals, "The One Thing" is a throwback to the sound to the early 2000's and the beginnings of pop music. It's polished, clean and sounds as if Avril Lavigne did the demo for this track. I don't mean that in a bad way, but it seems like it could have easily been written for Avril Lavigne. It also contains an attempt at rapping, which is experimental and an unexpected touch. A completely entertaining song that might be released as a single one day.
11. "Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte "
Literally translating to "I Can Never Remember to Forget", this track is the spanish language equivalent to "Can't Remember to Forget You". Though this version sees the disappearance of Rihanna's vocals, it seems to work better. While the english version seems forced, this version seems much more natural. It seems like this version was written first and the english version was written to be a translation. To put more simply, this version would be WAY better than the english version if it didn't have Rihanna but since it does include Rihanna the spanish version is only a tiny bit better.
12. "Loca Por Ti"
It's raw. It's personal. It's brilliant. Most surprisingly it's one of the best tracks on the album, though it's not in the English language. Shakira shows that she still has it, returning to a style that she hasn't used in quite a while. I don't see it being a single, but it will always remain a favorite.
13. "La La La (Spanish)"
Even better than the English version, though it's missing one part that sound's better in English. Other than the language change, the structure of the song is nearly identical. It's another major win for Shakira and will easily be released alongside the English version as a single.
14. "Chasing Shadows"
A waste. Yeah it's a Sia song (which is essential on all new Pop albums), but it would be better suited for almost any other pop singer. I could do without this track on this album. It just doesn't work with her vocals. Disappointment.
15. "That Way"
Closing out the album, "That Way" is calm, soft and powerful. Backed by a lone piano, Shakira let's her vocals soar and proves she is still an industry powerhouse after a nearly 25 year old music career. Smart, original and graceful. Please do more songs like this one!
Other Tracks
I reviewed the most common version of the album (with deluxe tracks) but there is also a rearranged Spanish deluxe version that sees the inclusion of new tracks and subtractions of others. If you want to see the breakdown of all the different versions, I have posted them here:http://cdschart.blogspot.com/2014/02/forecast-shakira-set-to-build-empire.html. Here's my review of the other tracks that are on the Spanish deluxe version in a random order.
16. "Boig Per Tu"
Very similar to the other version, but I feel like the regular spanish version is more interesting and can be understood by more people (Catalan is only spoken in a region of Spain).
17. "La La La (Brasil 2014) [feat. Carlinhos Brown]"
Thank you for removing this from the regular version. This spanish deluxe edition exclusive version of "La La La" has a 10 second intro from a Carlinhos Brown and a slight change in the chorus. Other than that it's the same. It's also in English, so basically all countries releasing the Spanish deluxe edition are still getting an english version (the original english version was dropped) that is much worse. Next.
18. "La La La (Spanglish)"
My prayers have been answered! This is the best version of "La La La" though it doesn't appear on any editions of the album. It perfectly blends the best Spanish parts of the song with the best of the English version to make one insane bilingual dance anthem for the ages. It's right on point.
Rating: 84% (B)
Certified Fresh
Overall Review: Shakira's stunning new album is fresh, vibrant and fun. Though it contains some noticeable flaws ("Spotlight", "Broken Record"), the album pulled itself together nicely and is a huge step up from her 2009 English language record She Wolf. There were a few candidates for upcoming single status and there were lots of other songs that, while they wouldn't be the best single choices, were extremely well done and were album highlights. All the collaborations were strong, yet I was surprised that "Can't Remember to Forget You (feat. Rihanna)" underwhelmed compared to the other two collaborations. Strangely it wasn't one of favorites from the album. "That Way", "Loca Por Ti" and "Medicine (feat. Blake Shelton)" were among the real highlights, while I am predicting that "Dare (La La La)/La La La" is released as the next single.
Top Songs (All 18):
1. "La La La (Spanglish)"
2. "Empire"
3. "Medicine (feat. Blake Shelton)"
4. "La La La (Spanish Version)"
5. "Dare (La La La)"
6. "Loca Por Ti"
7. "That Way"
8. "The One Thing"
9. "Cut Me Deep (feat. MAGIC!)"
10. "Can't Remember to Forget You (feat. Rihanna)"
11. "23"
12. "Nunca Me Acuerdo de Olvidarte"
13. "You Don't Care About Me"
14. "Boig Per Tu"
15. "Chasing Shadows"
16. "Broken Record"
17. "La La La (Brasil 2014) [feat. Carlinhos Brown]"
18. "Spotlight"
Come back for another review!
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