Shakira is mostly credited for bringing
Latin music to the entire planet by herself, something that only a few artists had achieved, however, Shakira took it to a greater level. She is considered the world's most popular Latin artist, dominating multiple spots on the downloads charts in
Finland,
Germany,
Switzerland,
China, and over 35 countries. A survey concluded that Shakira dominates the global reach of Latin music. A 2021 survey conducted by
LATFEM, a Latin American feminist organization concluded that Shakira is the most influential female artist among Latin American females and the
LGBT community. Also, Shakira's fourth studio album
¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? has come out as the most influential album within the surveyed population. Szendro said, "...many girls were directly influenced by Shakira and I am that generation, in which I felt identified for the first time with someone at that level." The survey also adds, "with age comes the recognition and it becomes very easy to see the legacy and the deep impact that "Shaki" has left." Shakira's third studio album
Pies Descalzos also made an appearance on the list. Her introduction of Latin music to mainstream media has been defined as one of her many "revolutionary industry acts." She has shown her Latin heritage to the entire world and this has influenced the sounds we hear today on the radio. According to
Marie Claire Taiwan, "[Shakira] introduced
Latin music to the international market, sparking a huge boom in
Latin pop music in the mainstream English-speaking market and helping more Spanish-speaking singers enter the European and American markets." Likewise,
Rolling Stone,
Grammys and
Billboard credit Shakira for opening doors and paving the way for the new generation of Latin music artists who would come after her. In countries like
Germany, she was credited with causing a "musical boom" by increasing public interest in Latin music during 2003.
Forbes magazine in a 2023 article credits her with breaking down barriers against new Latin artists in music, including names like
Bad Bunny. During an interview with Shakira, Canadian announcer
Tom Power expressed that "collaborative artists present on Shakira's album
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran would possibly not exist without Shakira. According to writer Isabela Raygoza for Billboard, Shakira is a pioneer in the exploration of Latin genres within pop music. According to
Vogue, Shakira is a before and after for
Latin American music.
Latin rock Initially a rock musician in the 1990s, according to
The New York Times, Shakira was regarded as the "innovator in Latin alternative rock."
Refinery 29 columnist Nicole Collazo Santana has credited the Colombian artist to have "laid out the foundation for Latina rockers.".
Latin pop Generally, Shakira is credited for introducing Latin artists to
pop music.
The New York Times has named the Colombian artist "The Titan of Latin Pop" for her leading and outstanding output in the genre for more than three decades. A comparative statement between Shakira and her fellow Latin peers was made, calling the latter "polished" and contrasting Shakira's persona which is "raw and unpredictable. Political, abrupt, outspoken, and talented in every way." According to the media, Shakira gave "a new status" to pop in Spanish.
Reggaeton The authors of
Reggaeton, published by
Duke University Press, have named the Barranquillera as an artist who popularized the genre
(reggaeton) in North America, Europe, and Asia in the mid-2000s. Her song "
La Tortura" was along with "
La Gasolina" by
Daddy Yankee the reggaeton songs that extended it to a much larger audience. It was also the first song entirely in Spanish featured on the MTV VMAs. According to journalist Juan de Dios Sánchez, thanks to the song "
La Tortura" Shakira marked Hispanic music, adding that the commercial status that reggaeton enjoys today is due to the visibility that this genre achieved through Shakira's experiments and the commercial success she obtained with them crediting her for the creation of "Reggaetón-Pop" while highlighting the importance of Shakira's legacy in the genre saying that her fusion music with reggaeton works to guide the musical evolution of the genre as well as modulating machismo.
In the United States Shakira is noted to have broken language barriers in the United States and had success both in English and Spanish music. In 1999 Shakira's
MTV Unplugged became the program's first episode to be broadcast entirely in Spanish The concert is also noted to be the first time a Latin pop act attempted an Unplugged, as well as the first Latina solo act to do so. In 2001 Shakira's "
Whenever, Wherever" music video was aired on
MTV with both the English and Spanish versions. According to a spokesman for the channel, this is noted as "the first time that U.S. MTV has aired a Spanish-language video." In 2005, "
La Tortura" became the first ever full Spanish-language music video to air on MTV without an English version. That same year, it also became the first ever Spanish song to be nominated and performed at the
MTV Video Music Awards. The 2006 global smash hit "
Hips Don't Lie" was selected as one of the greatest songs by 21st century female artists by US
National Public Radio, ranked at number 65. The song's success has made the media point out that without its crossover, many Latin artists such as
Karol G,
Becky G,
Bad Bunny,
Maluma or
J Balvin would not have the recognition that they enjoy today.
Impact on other Latin artists Shakira frequently collaborates with other Latin artists throughout her career to introduce them to a wider audience.
Sony Music chairman and CEO of
Latin Iberia, Afo Verde hinted that
Sony Music Latin paired
Anuel AA with Shakira to expand Anuel's reach. In an interview with
Billboard he expressed: "She
[Shakira] is a cornerstone of our strategy to present powerful role models in
Latin music to the international markets, he says of the Colombian singer-songwriter, citing her “remarkable international appeal." Another case is with the urban singer
Maluma with whom they made their song "
Chantaje" opening doors in the international market and granting him his first entry on the
Billboard Hot 100 list. After collaborating with Shakira, Colombian singer,
Carlos Vives acknowledged that Shakira's global popularity introduced the non-Latin market to his music. He said, "Shakira is so big that people in other markets learned about Carlos Vives." Shakira is seen as a Latina who pushes the reach of Latino artists on a global scale by demonstrating them to a global audience. According to the media,
Shakira is credited with helping other Latin artists enter the international market. == Latin culture ==