Oral Fixation, Vol.2

"Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" is Shakira's seventh studio album and second English-language album, released on November 28, 2005, by Epic Records. Following the success of her album "Laundry Service," Shakira aimed to create a two-part follow-up, releasing "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" as the companion to her earlier 2005 album, "Fijación Oral, Vol. 1." She collaborated with producers such as Gustavo Cerati, Lester Mendez, Luis Fernando Ochoa, Rick Rubin, Jerry Duplessis, Wyclef Jean, Tim Mitchell, and The Matrix. The album features Latin pop influences with elements of dance-pop and pop rock. Upon its release, it received positive reviews, with critics praising it as Shakira's strongest work. It debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA and has sold over 1.7 million units in the US. Internationally, it topped the charts in Denmark and Mexico.

TRACKLIST:

1. How Do You Do

2. Illegal (with Carlos Santana)

3. Hips Don't Lie (with Wyclef Jean)

4. Animal City

5. Don't Bother

6. The Day and the Time (with Gustavo Cerati)

7. Dreams for Plans

8. Hey You

9. Your Embrace

10. Costume Makes the Clown

11. Something

12. Timor

Shakira designed the artwork for both "Oral Fixation" albums, drawing inspiration from the biblical figure Eve. She aimed to give Eve another reason for biting the forbidden fruit, linking it to her own "oral fixation" and noting that her mouth is her greatest source of pleasure. The cover of "Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" features a nude Shakira covered by tree branches and leaves, holding an apple, with a baby girl in the tree, referencing Freud's theory on the oral stage of psychosexual development.

Jon Pareles of The New York Times found the cover eye-catching. In Middle Eastern versions, Shakira is more covered, which surprised her. Complex magazine ranked it as the eleventh "sexiest album cover of all time," and Maxim also listed it among the "sexiest album covers," highlighting Shakira's portrayal of Eve in the Garden of Eden.

"Oral Fixation, Vol. 2" received generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 74 based on 15 reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated it 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as a serious and ambitious pop/rock album, distinct from Shakira's previous works and other 2005 pop albums. Matt Cibula of PopMatters hailed it as the best pop record of the year. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian noted its unique voice in a uniform world. Agustin Gurza of the Los Angeles Times praised its sharper edges and darker undertones, stating that it stands firmly within mainstream U.S. pop and rock with less Latin influence.