Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born February 2, 1977), known as Shakira ( , ), is a Colombian singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, choreographer, and model. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she began performing in school, demonstrating Latin, Arabic, and rock and roll influences and belly dancing abilities. In the early 1990s, Shakira emerged in the music industry of Colombia, though she was little-known outside of the country; her first two studio efforts were met with a poor critical reception.[clarification needed] She rose to prominence in Latin America with her official debut studio album Pies Descalzos (1995). Her second album Dónde Están los Ladrones? (1998) sold over 7 million copies worldwide.[clarification needed]
In 2001, Shakira crossed into the English market with her third album Laundry Service, which sold over 15 million copies worldwide; her first English single "Whenever, Wherever" became the best selling single of 2002. Her success was solidified with her fourth and fifth albums Fijación Oral Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation Vol. 2 (2005), the latter of which spawned the best-selling song of the 2000s, "Hips Don't Lie". Shakira's sixth album She Wolf (2009) gained critical praise for her writing skills, and sold 2 million copies internationally. Her seventh album Sale el Sol (2010) returned to styles of her Latin heritage, and sold 4 million copies worldwide. However, Shakira suffered from a strained relationship with her label Epic Records since 2009, which resulted in a lack of promotion and investment towards both of the latter releases. Her official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" became the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time. On YouTube, the English version of the music video is the 7th most watched video of all time with over 500 million views. Since 2013, Shakira has served as a coach on the fourth season of the American version of The Voice.
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