Shakira’s 20 Greatest Songs – Ranked! (Explained Simply)

Have you ever wondered which Shakira songs are the most awesome? A list ranked her top 20 songs from least favorite (#20) to all-time best (#1). Let’s break it down like you’re five years old—no confusing words, just fun facts!

Important Point: Shakira is a Colombian music superstar. She sings in Spanish and English, works with lots of other famous singers, and makes超级 catchy songs!

20. Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (ft Freshlyground) (2010)

• This was a song for the World Cup (a huge soccer tournament).
• The World Cup in 2010 was in South Africa.
• Shakira made a silly-but-happy song called Waka Waka with a band called Freshlyground (they mix African and other sounds).
• In the song, she pretends soccer stars like Ronaldo are soldiers fighting a friendly battle.
• A photo shows Shakira on the soccer field before the 2010 final in Johannesburg.

19. Anitta & Shakira – Choka Choka (2026)

• Shakira loves singing with others.
• She teamed up with Brazilian star Anitta.
• The song mixes baile funk (Brazilian party music), hip-hop, and dance.
• A siren-like sound says, “Come dance now!”
• It’s a wild 2-minute song that makes you move.

18. Las de la Intuición (2005)

• After her English album Laundry Service (2001) made her super famous, she went to Madrid alone to make a Spanish album (Fijación Oral, Vol 1).
• This song celebrates “female intuition” (girls trusting their gut feeling).
• It has a bouncy synth (robot-y music) and soft rock.
• Shows she’s great at easy, breezy tunes.
• (A video for a different song, TQG, is shown here.)

17. Karol G & Shakira – TQG (2023)

• Karol G (another Colombian singer) wrote this alone first.
• She made it a duet after seeing Shakira also treated badly by a man.
• “TQG” means “Too Big for You.”
• Shakira sings: “I’m literally Shakira, so my ex can’t replace me!”

16. Chantaje (ft Maluma) (2016)

• Title means “Blackmail.”
• It’s a reggaeton (Latin dance music) boy-girl battle.
• Shakira teases Maluma (also Colombian): “I’m not in charge…” then sings “I belong to no one!”
• Super addictive chorus.

15. Can’t Remember to Forget You (ft Rihanna) (2014)

• Shakira + Rihanna = big pop team-up!
• Sounds like older band The Police.
• At the time Shakira was making boring dance music, so this bouncy reggae/ska was a surprise.
• Photo: Shakira at 2009 MTV awards in Berlin.

14. Ciega, Sordomuda (1998)

• Means “Blind, Deaf and Mute.”
• Like her 1995 hit Estoy Aquí, it’s a love drama.
• Trumpets + fast pop-rock.
• She sings she’s “ugly, clumsy, crazy” about a boy she likes too much.

13. Did it Again (2009)

• From album She Wolf with help from Pharrell.
• She tells a fake story about being “the other woman” with big drama (like a soap opera).

12. Te Felicito (ft Rauw Alejandro) (2022)

• Made when her relationship with soccer player Piqué broke up.
• Later on her 2024 breakup album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women No Longer Cry).
• Mixes electropop + reggaeton; a catchy “bye-bye” song.
• Photo: Shakira at World Cup opening in Mexico City.

11. Poem to a Horse (2001)

• From Laundry Service.
• Boyfriend smokes weird pot and ignores her.
• Talking to him = “reading poetry to a horse.”
• Soul + rock like band Nirvana.

10. Inevitable (1998)

• Age 21, managed by Emilio Estefan (helped Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias).
• Album Dónde Están los Ladrones? had pressure to succeed.
• Sounds like Radiohead/Alanis; heartbreak → stadium song.

9. Don’t Bother (2005)

• Made with the Matrix (they made Avril Lavigne famous).
• Silly words: love rival is tall like gravity-defying; Shakira is a flea/cat.
• Big chorus: “don’t bother, I won’t die.”

8. Objection (Tango) (2001)

• From Laundry Service (sold 13 million!).
• Mixes No Doubt, B-52s, surf-rock, new wave, tango.
• Shakira holds it together with cool voice.
• Photo: Shakira at 2020 Super Bowl show.

7. Men in This Town (2009)

• Written with Sam Endicott (The Bravery).
• Idea: Shakira can’t find a man in LA (silly!).
• Names Matt Damon; new wave banger.

6. Shakira: Bzrp Music Session, Vol 53 (2023)

• With Argentine producer Bizarrap.
• She attacks ex Piqué, his new girlfriend, his mom, and Spanish tax investigators (later dropped).
• Gossip + synthpop = yummy.

5. Underneath Your Clothes (2001)

• Big hit from Laundry Service.
• Quiet singer-songwriter style but with Shakira personality.
• Like 80s song Eternal Flame; about love + “battles conquered.”

4. Beyoncé & Shakira – Beautiful Liar (2007)

• They sing each other’s names like school roll-call.
• Added to Beyoncé’s B’Day re-release.
• Flamenco + R&B; one of pop’s best bridges.
• Photo: Shakira in 2009.

3. Hips Don’t Lie (ft Wyclef Jean) (2006)

• Originally Wyclef’s 2004 song for a movie.
• Feels like summer: Latin-pop, reggaeton, salsa, hip-hop.
• Shakira’s defining song.

2. Whenever, Wherever (2001)

• Andean music inspired.
• Famous for singing about her small chest (translated by Gloria Estefan).
• Only US Top 10 song about small breasts not mountains!
• Video: She Wolf (different song) shown.

1. She Wolf (2009)

• Charts had dance-pop (Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga).
• Shakira made hi-NRG + Italo disco + new wave with Endicott.
• Lyric: she’s like an abused coffee machine.
• Says “lycanthropy” (turning into wolf) calmly.
• Boredom → camp horror story. A true one-off!
• (Spotify playlist of all 20 at end.)

Summary

We counted down Shakira’s 20 greatest songs from #20 Waka Waka to #1 She Wolf. She worked with many stars (Rihanna, Beyoncé, Karol G, Maluma, more), made silly and serious songs, and always stayed unique. Her music mixes Latin, pop, rock, and dance in fun ways!

FAQ

Q: What is reggaeton?
A: A type of Latin dance music with a bouncy beat—like a party rhyme in Spanish.

Q: Why is Hips Don’t Lie so famous?
A: It mixes many styles and feels like summer; it’s Shakira’s signature song.

Q: What does “lycanthropy” mean?
A: It’s a fancy word for turning into a wolf, used in She Wolf.

Q: Did Shakira really sing about small breasts?
A: Yes! In Whenever, Wherever she jokes they’re not mountains.

Q: Who is Piqué?
A: A Spanish soccer player; Shakira’s ex, mentioned in breakup songs like Te Felicito.