Oral Fixation Vol. 2 is Singular, Warm and Incredible

Fijación Oral Vol. 1 was comforting; a beautiful, well-written and amazingly put together album. I grew up listening to Shakira in Spanish. So after 2001’s Laundry Service, listening to her in Spanish again was like slipping into a warm bath.

Laundry Service was also an incredible album, but it made me uncomfortable. There was something fundamentally wrong about that rich, wailing voice belting out English lyrics. But this time around, Shakira singing in English feels almost as warm and familiar as her Spanish albums.

And since the unfamiliarity of language has been set aside, I can truly appreciate the genius of this album. My personal favorite is the ostensible second single, “Animal City.” The song is a rollicking ride, full of rich, percussive guitar riffs and the mournful howls of wolves. If you’re going to snag one song from this album, “Animal City” is the one.