The version of Shakira’s She-Wolf album that I bought has three different version of the title track: the standard, studio version, a live version and the Spanish version of the same song, called “Lobo”.
This was my favorite single of 2009 and I prefer the live version on the album over the other two (“Lobo” is pretty great but it’s hard to sing along in a language you don’t speak). Part of my preference was due to the “awooo” howl at the beginning that set the tone for the libinal desire that continues throughout the song.
What I really loved about the song wasn’t so much that it’s overtly sexy (although it is) was that Shakira here defines what’s sexy to herself. Katy Perry (who I like just fine) might be making out with other girls because it will either tantalize or tease or taunt her boyfriend, but here Shakira is satisfying her own fantasies, not the other way around. “It’s going well so far, she’s going to get her way” she reports and, damn it, you believe it.
