Of course, knowing how internationally renowned Shakira is today, it’s clear that the third time was the charm. Lo and behold, when she did return to making music, she rose with Pies Descalzos. Shakira took a hiatus from her music, instead opting to finish the rest of her high school experience before once again tackling the next album with a fresh mind. With her first two albums doing so poorly, the next one absolutely needed to sell in order for the Colombian singer-songwriter to continue her musical dreams. Shakira’s contract with Sony lasted for the duration of three albums. Shakira’s own lack of support for the album played a role in its failure. Despite hopes of better sales on the label’s side, Peligro did not fare well and had even fewer sales than its predecessor, capping at only a few hundred copies sold. Another round into the studio brought out the 1993 album Peligro, Shakira’s sophomore follow up. Sure, it had succeeded around her native country via live performances and traditional media coverage, but the sales simply weren’t there to back up the album. Shortly after signing with the label, her debut album, Magia, was released in 1991, but unfortunately flopped commercially. At the age of 13, Shakira signed a contract with Sony Music Colombia, showing promising talent after performing for a few of Sony’s executives. The Queen of Latin Music didn’t begin as a named queen - in fact, she struggled at the beginning of her career and battled to even have a semblance of ownership over her own sound. From the beginning, Shakira shook the industry and the world with her authenticity, setting the stage with a unique set of sounds that would indicate her greater cultural impact in the U.S. She draws inspiration from both her Colombian and Lebanese heritage, infusing a multitude of diverse styles and instruments into her music and her live performances, eluding commercial demands.

But, as we now know, her steadfast dedication to vocalizing her own blend of backgrounds has spoken to many. Having planted her feet in the industry for over three decades, Shakira has remained authentic as she navigated a tightrope balancing act between remaining genuine with her music and appealing to wider audiences, especially in the early 2000s when she ventured to make a footprint in the U.S. Photo from Shakira’s El Dorado World Tour, via īorn as Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira has become known as the Queen of Latin Music.

Shakira music genre