Released in 2006, Shakira and Wyclef Jean’s “Hips Don’t Lie” served as the second single from Shakira’s seventh studio album, Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. Originally written by Wyclef Jean and other members of the Fugees, “Hips Don’t Lie” was recorded by Shakira to boost the success of her album. The song features aspects of cumbia and Colombian percussion, which reflect Shakira’s Colombian roots. Written primarily in English, the song’s lyrics reference how seductive the movement of Shakira’s hips can be. Wyclef Jean states that he is tempted to speak Spanish to seduce Shakira. Shakira sings that this willingness to learn Spanish can “make a woman go mad”. While the song’s lyrics are primarily in English, Shakira sings in Spanish for parts of the songs, referencing her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia.
“Hips Don’t Lie” is Shakira’s most commercially successful song and has been certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting over four million copies in digital sales. Further, the song has gathered over 685 million streams in the United States alone. The song achieved the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2006, becoming Shakira’s first song to top the chart. “Hips Don’t Lie” is often regarded as one of the most popular songs of the 2000s and is seen as an essential track of Shakira’s.
Shakira, and Wyclef Jean. Hips Don’t Lie. Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. Epic Records, 2006.