Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 (English: Oral Fixation, Vol. 1, ) is the sixth studio album by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. It was released on 3 June 2005 by Epic Records. After attaining international success in 2001 with her fifth studio album and first English-language record, Laundry Service, Shakira wanted to release a fifth Spanish-language project as a follow-up. In the vein of her earlier work, Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 is a Latin pop album. Shakira enlisted Rick Rubin as executive producer, also working with Gustavo Cerati, Lester Mendez, Luis Fernando Ochoa and Jose "Gocho" Torres.
Music critics generally acclaimed Shakira's artistic growth on Fijación Oral, Vol. 1. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 157,000 copies, setting a record for the highest debut of a full-length Spanish-language album in the US. As of 2017, it ranked among the best-selling Latin pop albums of all time in the US. Internationally, Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 reached number one in Argentina, Germany, Mexico, and Spain, and it has been certified diamond in Colombia and Mexico. In 2006, it won Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, and Album of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Album at the 7th Latin Grammy Awards. Shakira became the first female artist to win the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year.
Four singles were released to promote the album. Its lead single, "La Tortura", enterred the US Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one in Hungary, Spain, and Venezuela. The follow-up singles "No", "Día de Enero" and "Las de la Intuición" charted on the Hot Latin Songs, Tropical Songs and Latin Pop Airplay charts. Shakira released a sequel album, the English-language Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 (2005); both albums were released as a box set titled Oral Fixation, Vol. 1 & 2 (2006). Shakira promoted both albums with the Oral Fixation Tour (2006–2007), which visited the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. A performance in Miami was filmed and released as a live album, Oral Fixation Tour, in November 2007.
Background
After achieving international success in 2001 with her first English album, Laundry Service, Shakira released a Spanish-language record as its followup (her first since 1998's Dónde Están los Ladrones?). Having co-written nearly sixty songs for the project, she decided to divide the release into two volumes and put herself "on the mission of selecting [her] favorite ones" to record. Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 contains all Spanish-language songs and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 features all English-language tracks. Shakira initially said that the second volume would have a "completely new repertory of songs", It was reissued in 2006 as an expanded version with an additional translated recording and her future international-hit single, "Hips Don't Lie". When recording the albums, she worked with previous collaborators Lester Mendez and Luis Fernando Ochoa and new partners Gustavo Cerati and Jose "Gocho" Torres.
For the album, Shakira wrote all the lyrics, and the majority of the music. "To start seeing people's first reactions, and how people start relating to these songs and appreciating every single piece of work I have done over the past two years, is the best reward an artist can have after so much hard work," says Shakira. "I will not lie to you; it was not a path of roses. It was painful at times to come up with two albums, to write more than 60 songs and to fight my own insecurities and doubts." While speaking about the difference about expressing herself in Spanish and English, Shakira told, "When I express myself in Spanish, I find elements that help me express an idea in perhaps a different way than when I do it in English. There are different aesthetics, but there is a certain style to the way I write my own songs, a particular way of describing feelings and emotions that I have developed over all these years making songs. I have gotten in touch with my own gift – I am sure, 10 years ago, I was not half as good as I can say I am today, and I am still not good enough. There is a long way to go."
For Jon Pareles of The New York Times, "For obvious reasons, [the artwork for the second album is] eye-catching, as was the cover of the Spanish-language companion album, Fijación Oral, Vol. 1". The compilation peaked at numbers 13 and 27 on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums and Top Latin Albums charts.
Composition
Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 is a Latin pop album. "Obtener un Sí" ("Obtain a Yes") is a bossa nova song with cha-cha-chá elements against an orchestral background. The disc concludes with an acoustic version of "La Pared" and the Shaketon remix of "La Tortura".
Singles
"La Tortura" was released as the lead single from Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 on 12 April 2005. It features Spanish singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz, and was praised for its production and reggaeton influence. and additionally became the best-performing Latin single of the year. The track was eventually certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 500,000 copies and certified platinum for selling over 1 million mastertones . Internationally, "La Tortura" topped the Hungarian Rádiós Top 40 and the Spanish and Venezuelan singles charts. Its music video was directed by Michael Haussman, depicting a fictionally-romantic Shakira and Sanz.
The follow-up singles were also successful. The second single, "No", features Argentinian singer-songwriter Gustavo Cerati and reached numbers two and eleven, respectively, on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs and Latin Songs charts. The video was filmed in a black-and-white effect, and was directed by Jaume de Laiguana. After the release of "Don't Bother" as the lead single from Oral Fixation, Vol. 2 in late 2005, "Día de Enero" was the third single from Fijación Oral, Vol. 1. It peaked at numbers seven and twenty-nine on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs and Latin Songs charts, respectively.
Following the release of "Hips Don't Lie" and "Illegal" as the second and third singles from Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, the fourth and final single from Fijación Oral, Vol. 1, "Las De La Intuición", reached numbers eleven and thirty-one, respectively, on the Billboard Latin Pop Songs and Latin Songs charts and number 1 in Spain. Its video shows Shakira in a purple wig. Shakira later recorded an English-language version of the song, titled "Pure Intuition".
Promotion
thumb|left|200px|alt=An image of a performing woman with long brown hair. She is wearing a sleeveless gold-sequined top and a purple-feathered skirt. Her arms are extended outwards, and she holds a microphone in her right hand.|Shakira performing during the [[Oral Fixation Tour, 2006]]
To promote Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, Shakira began her Oral Fixation Tour on 14 June 2006 at the Feria De Muestras in Zaragoza, Spain. With assistance from the Creative Artists Agency, she visited twenty-seven cities and performed forty-one shows across five continents. The tour was additionally sponsored by Spanish automobile manufacturer SEAT, with whom Shakira also collaborated to support her Pies Descalzos Foundation. It grossed over $42 million in North and Latin America, and $100 million worldwide. The set list consisted primarily of Spanish-language songs, and included singles from her earlier career.
In November 2007 Epic Records released the Oral Fixation Tour live album on Blu-ray Disc, which was filmed during a December 2006 show in Miami, Florida. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic gave it a positive review, complimenting Shakira's vocals and dancing talent.
Critical reception
At Metacritic (which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics) Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 received an average score of 79 based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 157,000 copies. It set a record for the highest debut of a full-length Spanish-language album in the country, both in sales and its chart position. Its Billboard 200 record lasted for 15 years, being surpassed by Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny and his album El Último Tour del Mundo, which debuted at number-one on the chart in December 2020. Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 topped the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album sold over 1,019,000 copies (as of October 2017) in the US, making it the eight bestselling Latin album in the country. In Mexico, the album debuted at number one, In Chile, it was certified platinum for shipping 15,000 copies.
In Europe, Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 achieved similar success. It debuted at number two on the Austrian albums chart, where it was certified platinum for shipments of 30,000 copies. The record peaked at numbers seven and fifteen, respectively, on the Belgian Walloon and Flanders album charts; it was certified gold for shipments of 25,000 copies. On the French albums chart the album reached number six, receiving a platinum certification for shipments of 20,000 copies. The album peaked at number seven on the Dutch Top 40.
Legacy
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic said that releasing the Spanish-language Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 after the success of the English-language Laundry Service was a "sharp move", complimenting the album for demonstrating that Shakira "can not only return to her roots, but expand upon them". He described "La Tortura" as a "natural for American radio", and felt that the parent album generated anticipation for the upcoming Oral Fixation, Vol. 2.
Accolades
At the 2005 Billboard Music Awards, Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 was the Latin Pop Album of the Year. At the 2005 Mexican Oye! Awards, the album was the Pop Album of the Year by a Female Artist. At the 2005 Premios Shock awards ceremony, it received an award for "Album of the Year". In the same year, it was nominated in the category of "Me Muero Sin Ese CD" ("CD to Die For") at the 2005 Premios Juventud. The album was the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards, and was Album of the Year, Best Engineered Album and the Best Female Pop Vocal Album at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2006. That year, at the 13th Billboard Latin Music Awards, the album was the best Latin Pop Album by a Female. It was the Pop Album of the Year at the 18th Lo Nuestro Awards. Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 received an ALMA Award as Spanish Album of the Year. At the 2006 Groovevolt Music Awards, it was named Best Latin Album. At the Colombian Nuestra Tierra award ceremony, it was nominated Best Album of the Year which went to Fonseca for Corazón.
Track listing
;Notes
- <sup></sup> signifies an assistant producer<!-- The prefix "co-" means "together", "jointly", or "mutual". Many people, including labels and artists, misuse the prefix "co-" as a synonym for the word "assistant". This was one of those cases. Co-producers that were credited as such on the album booklet should be labeled as assistant producers instead to avoid confusion. -->
- <sup></sup> signifies an additional producer
Personnel
Credits are adapted from AllMusic.
- David Alsina – bandoneon
- Gelipe Alvarez – programming
- Gian Arias – programming
- Paul Bushnell, Dave Carpenter, Chris Chaney – bass guitar
- Jorge Calandrelli – metales, orchestra director, string arrangements
- Juan Camatano – assistant engineer
- Gustavo Celis – mixing
- Gustavo Cerati – composer, guest artist, guitar, keyboard, primary artist, producer, programming
- Luis Conte – percussion
- Pete Davis – keyboards, programming, trumpet
- Bruce Dukov
- Gary Foster – flute
- Bryan Gallant – assistant engineer
- Iker Gastaminza – engineer
- Dan George – project manager
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Mauricio Guerrero – engineer, mixing
- Victor Indrizzo – drums, percussion
- Rob Jacobs – engineer, mixing
- Humberto (Kiro) Judex, Frank Marocco – accordion
- Steve Kajula – flute
- Ben Kaplan – assistant engineer
- Kevin Killen – engineer
- Tim LeBlanc – engineer
- Charles Loper, Bob McChensay – trombone
- Warren Luening – flugelhorn
- Terry Manning – engineer
- Maria Paula Marulanda – art direction
- David Massey – A&R
- Farra Mathews – A&R
- Vlado Meller – mastering
- Lester Mendez – composer, producer, keyboards, programming
- Jonathan Mover – drums
- Teddy Mulet – trumpet
- Luis Fernando Ochoa – composer
- Carlos Paucar – engineer
- Shawn Pelton – drums, percussion
- Archie Pena – percussion
- Tony Reyes – guitar, keyboards
- Rick Rubin – executive producer
- Alejandro Sanz – composer, guest artist, guitar, primary artist, très, vocal arrangement
- Shakira – composer, vocals
- Mario Sorrenti – photography
- Ramón Stagnaro, René Toledo, Lyle Workman – guitar
- José DeJesús Rosales "Halcón Dorado" Torres – production assistant, programming, remixing
- Dave Way – mixing
- Joe Wohlmuth – engineer
Charts
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (2005)
!Peak<br />position
|-
| Argentine Albums (CAPIF)
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|-
|-
|-
|Chilean Albums Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)
| style="text-align:center;"| 19
|-
|-
|European Top 100 Albums
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|Mexican Albums (AMPROFON)
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|Taiwanese Albums (Five Music)
| style="text-align:center;"| 4
|-
|-
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (2005)
!Position
|-
|Argentine Albums Chart
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
|Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
|style="text-align:center;"|23
|-
|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
|style="text-align:center;"|71
|-
|Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
|style="text-align:center;"|48
|-
|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
|style="text-align:center;"|45
|-
|French Albums (SNEP)
|style="text-align:center;"|76
|-
|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
| style="text-align:center;"|13
|-
|Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)
|style="text-align:center;"|48
|-
|Mexican Albums (AMPROFON)
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
|Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
| style="text-align:center;"|8
|-
|US Billboard 200
| style="text-align:center;"|87
|-
|US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
| Worldwide Albums (IFPI)
| style="text-align:center;"| 27
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (2006)
!Position
|-
|Mexican Albums (AMPROFON)
| style="text-align:center;"|85
|-
|US Latin Pop Albums (Billboard)
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|}
Decade-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (2000–2009)
!Position
|-
|US Top Latin Albums (Billboard)|access-date=25 May 2013
|-
! scope="row"| Romania (UPFR)
| Platinum
|
|-