We have to admit that with a title like Fijacion Oral one expects to listen nothing but a bunch of loud beats and uncalled nonsense. But what a great surprise when, past the contagious notes of lead single "La tortura", fears disolve in front of a bouquet of melodies and emotions not exactly a trademark of the colombian singer's previous releases. It is true that we won't hear her singing about looking for a lover in her purse or in Botero's paintings (circa Pies Descalzos), but there is still a candid approach to the lyrics that has made her songs both appealing and puzzling. In Fijacion oral we come face to face with a Shakira that shares her passion and the sense of emptiness a love she has already experienced may bring once it's gone, as opossed to the longing for an unknown feeling that we tasted in the other two albums. It shows a more mature approach to life, love and music in general. The definite highlight is "La pared" (track that appears in two versions), with its grasping chorus and a performance so beautifully delivered that it can only be compared to the classic "Antologia". It is precisely in this harmonious voice that Fijacion oral finds its anchor, among a collection of rhythms that go from the poppy "Las de la intuicion" (the only song in this album to remind us of earlier times), to bossa nova ("Obtener un si"), to the perfect composition of "Dia especial", which she co-wrote and performed with latin legend Gustavo Ceratti, that otherwise would be a complete chaos.
Toward the end we face the flaw that she might as well skipped: "Lo imprescindible" sounds indeed quite innovative with the rapid switch of tempo, but fails to close an album that could arguably be Shakira's masterpiece.
Absolutely brethtaking moments and still a lot of fun, Fijacion oral is a delight not destines to please anyone but those who believed Shakira can go beyond mud crawling and hip shaking.
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