Shakira’s duet with Rihanna, “Can’t Remember To Forget You,” is in just its fifth week on the Hot 100 chart, but the Colombian superstar is already serving up more goodies from her forthcoming self-titled album. “Empire,” a downtempo, downright emo album track, made its way online on Monday (Feb. 24) and is being offered as a free download with a pre-order of “Shakira.”
“Empire” is a much more carefully constructed song than Shakira’s latest Top 20 hit single, with a few piano keys ultimately segueing into a bursting passion that the singer simply cannot express in words. Billboard’s Leila Cobo points out that “Empire” sounds a little like a Tori Amos song, and she’s absolutely right: the fragility in Shakira’s voice, the background strings and captivating hook are all eerily reminiscent of “Little Earthquakes.”
Shakira Opens New School In Colombia: ‘We Can Change Lives’
The pre-order of “Shakira,” due out on Mar. 25 through RCA/Sony Latin Iberia, is available now on iTunes, as well as on Target’s website, with a version of the album that contains three exclusive tracks. Collaborators on the follow-up to 2009’s “She Wolf” include Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mark Bright and Steve Mac, among many others.
On last week’s Hot 100 chart, “Can’t Remember To Forget You” dipped one spot to No. 22, after previously peaking at No. 15. Click here to check out Shakira on last night’s episode of “The Voice.”