Laundry Service

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Lore & Background

The success of Dónde Están los Ladrones? prompted Gloria Estefan in 1999 to persuade Shakira to attempt to crossover into the mainstream pop industry. Shakira was initially hesitant to record songs in English, so Estefan offered to translate 'Ojos Así' into English to show her that 'it could translate well.' Shakira then began translating the song herself and showed it to Estefan, who responded 'Quite honestly, I can't do this better!' Wanting full control over her recordings, Shakira decided to learn English better to write her own songs. She bought rhyming dictionaries, started analysing lyrics of songs by Bob Dylan, reading poetry and the work of authors like Leonard Cohen and Walt Whitman, and took English lessons from a private tutor. The first song she wrote was 'Objection (Tango)'. She revealed that writing songs in English proved challenging: 'I prayed and asked God to send me a good song today, and I remember I started writing the song ['Objection (Tango)'] a couple of hours after. I wrote the music and lyrics at the same time, and when that happens it's really magical to me.' After completing 'Objection (Tango)', Shakira decided to write ten more songs and began setting up portable recording studios in the rural region of Uruguay. She wrote various songs with a 'dictionary in one hand and a thesaurus in the other.' During the songwriting process, Shakira wrote 'Underneath Your Clothes' as a love song for de la Rúa. She explained that, 'If you check the subject of my songs, most of them talk about my own experiences and feelings and what I was actually going through in my life.' Shakira collaborated with various writers and producers including Emilio Estefan, Lester Mendez, Luis Fernando Ochoa and Tim Mitchell. Being 'more in control than ever', Shakira closely supervised the development of the album and served as its primary producer.

In Their Own Story

Shakira's record label Epic Records opposed the decision to release Laundry Service as they 'wanted her just to throw a couple of songs in English on a Latin music record.' Gloria Estefan argued with Tommy Mottola, then head of Sony Music Entertainment, and convinced him to release the album, arguing that an 'American audience' would not buy a Spanish-language record simply due to its inclusion of a few English-language tracks. In an interview with Latina, she said 'I got in the trenches there with Tommy [Mottola] - I fought for that. Because they didn't believe it. Just like they told us [her and Emilio during the Miami Sound Machine days]. They were trying to think in the box and I wanted to take her out of the box. And fortunately, Tommy, whom I love and adore and is a good friend, he really listened to me.'

Reader's Guide

Laundry Service received favourable to mixed reviews from music critics. Many critics complimented Shakira's varied musical styles and originality, while some argued the album sounded too generic. Shakira's vocal talent also attracted praise. The album topped the charts of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland, while reaching the top five in Argentina, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. The album received multiple record certifications, including sextuple platinum in Australia, quintuple in Canada, Spain and Switzerland. It was also certified multi-platinum in the United Kingdom and the United States. Globally, Laundry Service was the seventh best-selling album in 2002. The album sold around 13 million copies by 2011, making it one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century, and is considered the best-selling album by a female Latin artist. The album is listed at number 172 of the 'Definitive 200' by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Six singles were released. The lead single 'Whenever, Wherever' became an international success, reaching number one on record charts of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The second English-language single 'Underneath Your Clothes' repeated that success, topping the charts of Australia, Austria, and Belgium. Both singles charted in the top ten in the United Kingdom and United States. Spanish-language singles 'Te Dejo Madrid' and 'Que Me Quedes Tú' performed well in Hispanic regions, becoming hits in Spain and on the Latin record charts in the United States, respectively. The fourth single 'Objection (Tango)' became a top ten hit in most countries around the world, while the sixth and final single 'The One' was a moderate commercial success. To promote the album, Shakira embarked on her Tour of the Mongoose between 2002 and 2003. It was her first major worldwide tour and visited many countries and cities.

Did You Know?

• Shakira wrote the first song for the album, 'Objection (Tango)', after praying and asking God to send her a good song—she wrote the music and lyrics at the same time in a couple of hours.
• Gloria Estefan fought with Tommy Mottola, then head of Sony Music Entertainment, to convince him to release Laundry Service as a full English-language album rather than just adding a few English songs to a Spanish record.
• Shakira wrote 'Underneath Your Clothes' as a love song for Antonio de la Rúa, the son of former Argentine president Fernando de la Rúa.
• The album sold around 13 million copies by 2011 and is considered the best-selling album by a female Latin artist.
• Laundry Service is listed at number 172 of the 'Definitive 200' by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.