Shakira & Alejandro Sanz’s ‘La Tortura’ Turns 20
Singer Shakira performs on stage during the "Z100 Jingle Ball 2005" at Madison Square Garden, Friday, Dec. 16, 2005 in New York. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen)
The power of Shakira is undeniable. The Colombian pop icon went against the grain of the typical crossover 20 years with the release of the sultry “La Tortura.” She teamed up with Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz for a song that solidified her as a global star that could conquer the world.
Like other Latine and Spanish acts before her, Shakira first mounted her crossover with an English-language album in 2001. After captivating Latin America with her previous LPs, she took the globe by storm with Laundry Service, which included the worldly “Whenever, Whenever.” Her contemporaries Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias continued to record music in English after their crossover moments. But instead of following that formula, Shakira wanted to put the fans she won over with Laundry Service onto her music in Spanish.
Shakira bucked the trend of releasing another album in English after Laundry Service by dropping the reggaeton-infused “La Tortura” on April 12, 2005. The lead single from her follow-up LP Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 made incredible strides for a Spanish-language song. At a time when it was a rarity for Latine music to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Shakira and Sanz surged to No. 23. The sexy music video was one of the first in Spanish to air on MTV and VH1. Shakira also became the first Colombian and South American artist to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards that year.
The success of “La Tortura” led to Shakira making history with Fijación Oral, Vol. 1. After dropping the following June, the album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, which set a record for an all-Spanish album. Not only did Shakira’s unorthodox crossover pave a way for Latine artists, but it also made the world more receptive to music in Spanish. Her impact made it easier for superstars years later like Bad Bunny, Karol G, and Rosalía to not have to conform to singing in English to break through. Whether in Spanish, in English, or through the body language of her hips, Shakira continues to command audiences across the globe.
Revisit the music video for “La Tortura” below.