Fijación Oral Vol. 1

Fijación Oral Vol. 1
Studio album by Shakira
Released	June 3, 2005 (Ireland) June 6, 2005 (Europe) June 7, 2005 (North America)
Recorded	2004-2005 The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Supersonic Studios, Miami, FL, USA; O'Henry Sound Studios, Burbank, CA, US, and Compass Point Studios, Nassau, (2005), Mixed by Gustavo Celis at Compass Point Studios, Nassau.
Genre	Latin pop, pop rock
Length	43:30
Label	Epic
Producer	Shakira, Rick Rubin (Executive)
Professional reviews
Allmusic [1] Blender [2] Entertainment Weekly (B+) [3] The Guardian [4] The New York Times (positive)[5] Paste Magazine [6] PopMatters (8/10) [[7] Rolling Stone [8] Yahoo! Music UK [9]
Shakira chronology
Laundry Service (2001) Fijación Oral Vol. 1 (2005) Oral Fixation Vol. 2 (2005)
Singles from Fijación Oral Vol. 1
"La Tortura" Released: April, 2005 "No" Released: July, 2005 "Día de Enero" Released: January, 2006 "La Pared" Released: October, 2006 "Las de la Intuición" Released: May, 2007

Fijación Oral Vol. 1 (English: Oral Fixation Vol. 1) is the eighth album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It is also the first Spanish language album released by the multilingual songwriter since 1998. The album has won numerous awards worldwide, including five Latin Grammy Awards and a Grammy Award. The album has sold more than 4 million copies worldwide^[10] and holds the record for highest debut ever for a Spanish language album in the United States.^[11]

Album information

The album was first released on June 3, 2005 in Ireland. It was then released on June 6 in the rest of the European Union and on June 7 on the North America (see 2005 in music).^[1]

This is Shakira's first studio album since Laundry Service, released in 2001. It is also her first full Spanish language album since 1998's ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?. The album yielded 5 number one singles: The first single "La Tortura" was #1 in more than 19 countries and held the top spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot Latin tracks for an impressive 25 weeks (The song broke the record on the Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart, appearing at #1 more than any other single) , the second single "No" was #1 in 6 countries , the third single "Día de Enero" was #1 in 6 countries and held the top position in Mexico for 8 weeks, the fourth single "La Pared" was #1 in Spain and Argentina, and the final promotional single "Las De La Intuición" was #1 in 9 countries most notably holding the top position in Spain for 8 weeks.

An English language album, titled Oral Fixation Vol. 2, was released on November 29, 2005. According to Shakira, the two fixations, Spanish version and English one as well, were her "grade thesis". The decision of selling two separated albums in the same year was not premeditated but, although, the quantity of composed material made the singer to choose that "strategy", which now is a new tendency in music industry.

In December 2005, Shakira won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album, beating hip-hop group Orishas and reggaeton artist Vico C.^[12]

In 2009, Billboard named the albums Latin Pop Album of the decade.^[13]

"The title comes from the fact that I have always lived through my mouth", explains the singer. "It is my biggest source of pleasure and my most accessible vehicle to discover and enjoy the world. I am fixated on chocolate! I am fixated on the spoken word, the written word, the things I have said and the things I should never have said. This is the reason why I decided on this names for the albums (Fijación Oral Vol. 1 / Oral Fixation Vol. 2)".

The album artwork is significant as well. Shakira called upon Renaissance icons to explain the significance of Oral Fixation. In Fijación Oral Vol. 1 Shakira holds a baby in her arms. "Vol. 1 is more of a Freudian image: it represents the psychoanalytical perspective".

Critical and commercial reception

Barry Walters from Rolling Stone Magazine gave the album 3.5 star from 5 and said "Longtime fans know Shakira as a singer-songwriter of more depth and breadth than her 2001 English-language breakthrough, Laundry Service, revealed. For her first album of new Spanish-language material since 1998's ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?, the Colombian songstress flaunts sides to her musical personality repressed by the hip-swiveling babe who stormed American radio with "Whenever, Wherever" and "Underneath Your Clothes." Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 begins by referencing the same French 1960s pop a la Beck and Stereolab, then moves on to show some love to early Eurythmics, breezy bossa nova, vintage Elvis Costello, classic Depeche Mode and the Argentinian rock of Soda Stereo, whose former frontman Gustavo Cerati collaborates on "Día Especial" and "No." Executive producer Rick Rubin helps restore Shakira's artistic integrity by keeping the industry at bay: There's a light touch to ballads like "En Tus Pupilas" that's a world away from the Ricky Martinizing of Latin pop."^[8]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from All Music Guide said "Laundry Service gave Shakira her long-anticipated English-language breakthrough, turning her into a global superstar in the process. A hit of that magnitude is hard to follow, so it shouldn't be a great surprise that she toiled on its sequel for upward of four years. What is surprising is that the subsequent album was split in two -- à la Kill Bill -- with the first being devoted to Spanish tunes and the second consisting entirely of English songs; the teasing titles Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 indicate which is which and which hit the market first. It's kind of a sharp move to release Fijacion Oral first, since it not only satisfies her longtime fans who have been waiting a long time for a collection of brand-new Spanish material (she hasn't delivered one since 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones?), it also subtly signals that she won't be placing American success above anything else. Similarly, Fijacion Oral smartly straddles the line between traditional Latin pop and the sexy, splashy dance-pop and bombastic adult contemporary pop that made Laundry Service a big hit in the U.S.: its heart is in the former, but the production -- the omnipresent Rick Rubin serves as the executive producer -- is slick and bright, enough to make the first single, "La Tortura," sound like a natural for American radio (even if it will never be played because it's sung in Spanish). Despite the surface sheen, Fijacion Oral is proudly a Latin pop record, and it conforms to the conventions of its genre, alternating between melodramatic ballads and insistent dance tunes, sometimes working a sleek bossa nova number into the equation for good measure (the terrific "Obtener un Sí," which sounds like it could have been a big hit in the late '60s). Even if it doesn't break convention, it nevertheless does its job extremely well, with an ample amount of style and flair, as well as more songcraft than Shakira is usually given credit for. She's written each song here, sometimes in collaboration with either Luis F. Ochoa or Lester Mendez, and these ten originals (the 12-track album includes two alternate versions) have a combination of commercial savvy and smart writing, making this album a small triumph, proof that Shakira can not only return to her roots, but expand upon them. Since this is a Latin pop record through and through, it will not cross over the way that Laundry Service did, but that's by design: Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 will conquer half of the world, and the other half will follow with Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in six months' time. Given the strength of this album, it's hard to wait for the second part to arrive."^[14]

Dave Simpson from The Guardian gave 3 stars from 5 and said "In 2001, Shakira Ripoli initially seemed like a Latin American Madonna. However, when people heard her lyrics (notably "Lucky that my breasts are small and humble, so you don't confuse them with mountains"), Madonna's career suddenly seemed as sensible as the civil service.The Colombian's long-awaited follow-up continues in a similar vein but is sung entirely in Spanish. Lest this mean that any of us fail to grasp the point, Shakira helpfully explains that the title means "oral fixation" and the songs document emotions expressed with her mouth. "I laugh, cry, complain, fantasise," she explains breathlessly.The music is even more deranged. Some songs will make fools of thousands of English tourists who attempt them at karaoke. Shakira sounds like Cher and Hazel O'Connor, produced by Julio Iglesias. This may or may not rack up her tally of 25m-plus sales, but if there is a market for music for tapas bars with sexually frustrated customers, Shakira has it cornered."^[4]

Track listing

International Edition^[15]

Chart performance

Fijación Oral Vol. 1 entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 4 on June 15, 2005. It is the highest debut ever for a Spanish language album, selling 157,000 copies in its first week and was also the first to sell more than 100,000 copies in the first week. As of June 1st 2009, Fijacion Oral Vol.1 has sold over 2.2 million copies in the U.S. earning a 2x Platinum / 11x Platino certification from the RIAA. The albums spent 17 weeks at top of the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums Chart, the 8th longest stay at #1 on that chart. Only a few hours after the album was released in Venezuela it went Platinum, in Colombia triple Platinum and in Mexico the album was sold-out in one day. Fijación Oral Vol. 1 also became the first Spanish language album to top the German Album Chart ever. According to the biography in the official web of Shakira, Fijación Oral Vol. 1 has sold 4 million albums to date.

English version

• "En Tus Pupilas" Spanish version of "Something" from Oral Fixation Vol. 2
• "Día Especial" Spanish version of "The Day and The Time" from Oral Fixation Vol. 2
• "Las de la Intuición" Spanish version of "Pure Intuition" which is not included in any album

Charts, sales and procession

Awards

Release details

See also

• Oral Fixation Tour
• Oral Fixation Volumes 1&2

References