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My Latest Obsession

Jill

Well, not exactly “latest.” I’ve been obsessed with Shakira since high school spanish class, when we used to listen to her and sing along (I got her spanish-language albums for christmas when I was in 10th grade). But during my morning run at the gym today, I had the pleasure of seeing her latest video, My Hips Don’t Lie, on VH1. And I almost died. SO. HOT. I want to dance like her. I want to go barefoot in a long skirt and a t-shirt and no make-up and look perfect. I want to be earthy and goddessy and sexy in such a terrestrial way. Sure, she’s got the sparkles down her back, but she’s so much the anti-Britney that I have to love her. And perhaps I’m reading too much into her persona, and I realize that she’s made up and on MTV and looking to sell records, but I feel like she embodies the kind of raw female earth-mama sexuality that I find really powerful. She’s performing, but she isn’t over-done or high-heeled or hair-straightened. Yes, she’s conventionally beautiful, but her draw is something beyond the standard push-up-bra chin-down-eyes-up stalking-kitty version of sexiness that I’m used to seeing on MTV.

Or maybe I’m just standing up for her because I really love her and want to believe that she’s something of feminist role model, even though she never asked for that title and may not want it.

Either way, I don’t think I’m the only one with this obsession. The treadmills at the gym I go to face a mirror, and you can see everyone else in the cardio room when you’re running — and when this video was on, every single person was staring at TV #1, jaw-dropped. It’s amazing. If I could be any woman in the world, I would be Shakira (but not so everyone could stare at me). Just watch the video.

*Fun sidenote: My best famous-person sighting in New York was freshman year of college, when I was at a club, dancing with a tiny little curly-haired girl. We danced for ten minutes or so, and then I looked around and saw all these huge men in black t-shirts with earpieces staring at me. I got nervous, and looked down at the person I was dancing with, only to realize that it was Shakira, who had done TRL earlier that day to promote her first English-language album. Highlight of my life.

15 thoughts on My Latest Obsession

  2. every time I see the phrase “anti-Britney” I think about this

    AVRIL LAVIGNE The ”anti-Britney” has released her second CD. Wouldn’t the anti-Britney be, like, Tom Waits?

  3. Jill – I understand why you like Shakira but as a Latina when I saw Shakira went blond I thought “oh there goes another one like Jessica Alba.” I have a Colombian co-worker whose daughter decided to dye her gorgeous curly dark hair blond b/c she wanted to be just like Shakira. Thank goodness for Selma and Penelope – they have stayed brunettes. Mind you – I’m not a very ethnic Latina – don’t speak Spanish, 4th generation – but growing up in Texas I did believe beautiful had to mean blond. So when I finally got past that and saw Latinas celebrated for their own coloring it was great. And then seeing the inevitable trend back towards blonde always disappoints me.

    I do like Shakira’s music though!

  4. I’ve been a big fan of Shakira’s since her breakthrough 1996 album Piez Descalzos. I think she was much edgier before her big, blonde, American pop idol transformation, but I still think she’s great. I too find her very earthy and I love her musical fusions. Hips Don’t Lie is a great song. P.S. I like Mariah too.

  5. I agree with JenM. Back home (Puerto Rico), I was a huge Shakira fan. Her songs were fun, had a good beat, and were deep and thought-provoking at times, and I admired the fact that she wrote most of the songs herself. When I heard that she was crossing over to the American market, I was happy for her because I knew she’d gain a whole bunch of new fans. But then… the blonde hair. And all the weight she lost! She’s so skinny now! I mean, not that I have anything against skinny people (I weigh 105 pounds myself — high metabolism), but she looked good and healthy back then. And her black hair was gorgeous. Then she went blonde and curly. And I’m sorry, but she’s not entirely an anti-Britney. She didn’t use to dress skimpily before she transitioned into the American market. And if I’m not mistaken, it happened right around the time that Britney and X-tina were going through their uber-sexy phase (Slave 4 U, Dirrty). Maybe I’m just nostalgic and want the old Shakira back. I also don’t like her english language songs as much as I like her spanish ones. I think she sounds better in spanish (“La Tortura” is an awesome song). Obviously I still like her, and admire her songwriting talent, but I used to like her more before she blondamericanized herself.

  8. I dunno, earth mother or not I kinda take issue with her past rolling around sexually in the mud video.

  9. This video hooked me. Can you imagine Britney doing a video with riot police? [The song, however, is not political] I’m glad she’s famous now and making lots of money, she certainly deserves it, but I think the music suffered when she went English.

  10. We danced for ten minutes or so, and then I looked around and saw all these huge men in black t-shirts with earpieces staring at me. I got nervous, and looked down at the person I was dancing with, only to realize that it was Shakira

    I am So. Freaking. JEALOUS! Meeting Shakira is absolutley a dream of mine. Wow……how f-ing awesome!

  12. The Spouse gave me a copy of Laundry Service, he knew I’d love it. The woman wrote a punk tango! She’s brilliant!

  14. Yes, that’s her voice. I think it’s great. Although I’m not as big on the blonde hair or the recent videos. I have mixed feeling about the dancing; I understand she’s part Lebanese and appreciate her incorporating middle eastern dance and influences into what she does, but the grease paint, table crawling, etc, is a bit much for my prudish tastes.

    Her hair was more of a highlighted mix at the latin billboard music awards, which made me wonder if she isn’t heading back towards her natural color.

  15. Her new video is amazing, but my all time favorite song by Shakira is Ojos Asi. And I agree, the music just isn’t the same in English. Something gets lost in the translation. But I do admire that she writes almost all her own stuff. And her charity for protecting Columbian children from violence? What an amazing person!

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