Love is Shakira’s kryptonite. But for those who dare betray her, the aftermath can be utter torture.
For 20 years now, the contagious rhythm and fiery lyrics of “La Tortura,” along with its steamy music video, have continued to ripple through the airwaves, reminding audiences that Shakira’s emotions are not to be toyed with. (Don’t say she didn’t warn you, Pique.)
Released on April 11, 2005, “La Tortura” came at a special point in the pop star’s career. Four years earlier, the Colombian singer had wooed English speakers with her first crossover album, “Laundry Service,” which sold 13 million copies worldwide. As L.A. Times reporter Agustin Gurza wrote, the English-language album was “a smash that launched her global career.”
But Shakira was already considered an unstoppable force in Latin America after reaching commercial success with her 1998 pop-rock album, “Dónde Están los Ladrones?” The 2005 release of her sixth studio album, “Fijación Oral, Vol. 1,” seemed to mark her humble homecoming to the language that had supported her since the beginning — crossover be damned!
Some music critics, like Gurza, lambasted “Fijación Oral, Vol. 1” for its lovesick lyrics in tracks like “En Tus Pupilas” — which the singer wrote while in a long-term romance with Antonio de la Rúa, son of Argentina’s former president Fernando de la Rúa. The album’s lead single, however, managed to stave off the harshest criticisms.
“[‘La Tortura] is deliciously pop,” writes Gurza. “Radio loves it and the clubs will too.”
Shakira produced the song with an infectious rhythm of reggaeton, a genre that was quickly taking over the Latin music scene at the time. Co-written with composer Luis Fernando Ochoa, “La Tortura” also featured Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, whose raspy flamenco vocals offset Shakira’s rapid-fire quips: “Mejor te guardas todo eso a otro perro con ese hueso y nos decimos adiós,” which translates to “You better keep all that to another dog with that bone, and we’ll say goodbye.”
Behind the scenes, “La Tortura” would test the boundaries of Shakira’s perfectionism; up until that point in her career, she had never collaborated with another artist. She recalled that vulnerable process to People en Español in 2005: “I remember saying to [Sanz], ‘Can’t you change this little note?’ And he just said, ‘What?’ He almost threw a record at my head.” Yet the experience kick-started a life-long friendship for the duet, so tight that they were often rumored to be lovers.
“La Tortura” debuted in the United States at No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 23. Shakira and Sanz would later snag two wins at the 7th Latin Grammy Awards, including record of the year and song of the year.
Yet perhaps what cemented the song as a Latin pop classic was its music video, which was one of the first Spanish-language videos to circulate across U.S. channels MTV and VH1, following the lead of Daddy Yankee’s music video “Gasolina,” which aired earlier in 2004.
Directed by Michael Haussman, the three-minute clip features a scorned Shakira opposite an unfaithful Sanz. In one scene, Sanz peeks through the window to catch a glimpse of his tearful ex-love. As his ego assumes she is mourning their breakup, the camera moves to reveal her cutting onions.
“It has a timeless vibe because there’s nothing stylistically tying it to any time period,” Haussman tells The Times. “Except if you look at the [flip] phones.”
There’s also the iconic oil-soaked sequence featuring a chest-pumping Shakira, who whips her wavy hair from side to side. Though not initially in the director’s plan, the look has become a favorite among fans, who have tried to replicate her moves on TikTok.
“The grease scene came from Shakira,” said Haussman. “She showed me someone with grease black oil. It was a very cool image and she said, ‘Can we do something like this?’”
Some of the music video’s flashback scenes were so intimate with Sanz that Shakira reportedly consulted a priest to ensure it was proper to carry on, given her relationship with then-fiancé La Rúa. (According to Elle Magazine, she got the green light.)
The duo later performed their hit live at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, where they made history as the first act to do so in a language other than English. The music video was nominated in three categories: female video, dance video and viewer’s choice award.
Although Shakira didn’t walk away with a Moonman statue that night, “La Tortura” will always be the first Spanish-language music video to be nominated in the esteemed categories.
Two decades later, the song’s lyrics still bite — especially now that the singer is in the middle of her post-separation victory lap, also known as her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran world tour. She is set to perform June 20 at te SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
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